Raymond John Lahey |
|
|---|---|
| See | Antigonish (emeritus) |
| Enthroned | April 5, 2003 |
| Predecessor | Colin Campbell |
| Successor | Brian Dunn |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 13, 1963 |
| Consecration | August 3, 1986 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 29, 1940 St. John's, Newfoundland |
Raymond John Lahey B.Th. L.Th. Ph.D. D.D. (born May 29, 1940) is Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia. Lahey resigned from his position at the Catholic Church after being charged with possession of child pornography when members of the Canada Border Services Agency discovered images of concern on his laptop.[1]
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Lahey was born in St. John's, NL on May 29, 1940. He attended St. Paul University at the University of Ottawa, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Theology in 1961, a Licentiate in Theology (L.Th.) in 1963 and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (magna cum laude) in 1966.[2]
He was ordained in 1963.
Lahey's career saw him serve in a combination of clergical and academic positions in Newfoundland and Labrador, and most recently in Nova Scotia.[3]
On August 7, 2009, Lahey announced that the Diocese of Antigonish had reached a $15 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed by victims of sexual abuse by diocese priests dating to 1950. The settlement was approved by the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on September 10, 2009.[5]
On September 15, 2009, Lahey returned to Canada from a trip to Europe, arriving at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Canada Border Services Agency officers performed a random search of a laptop computer carried by Lahey and allegedly uncovered "images . . . that were of concern." Lahey was allowed to return to Nova Scotia; however, the computer was seized and the Ottawa Police Service alleged that a subsequent forensic examination revealed child pornography.[6] Lahey pleaded guilty to the charges on May 4, 2011. He requested imprisonment, surrendering his right to bail.[7] On January 4th, 2012, he was sentenced to 15 months of prison time and 24 months of probation. However, because he had spent 8 months in pre-trial custody, he was given time served and will walk free on the same day. [8][9] This is because of a law that was repealed in 2010, allowing the judge to give 2-for-1 credit for time served. This was only possible in his case because he was charged in 2009, before the law was repealed. [8][9]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Thomas McGrath |
Bishop of St. George's 8 July 1986–5 April 2003 |
Succeeded by David Douglas Crosby |
| Preceded by Colin Campbell |
Bishop of Antigonish 5 April 2003–26 September 2009 |
Succeeded by Brian Joseph Dunn |