“The just rejoice and exult before God,” we hear in this Sunday’s psalm. There is little rejoicing in Great Britain this week on news of what appears to have been a grave injustice during the height of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

A Northern Ireland police ombudsman’s report revealed there had been collusion between the Catholic Church and the government to prevent the questioning of a priest who was a prime suspect in a series of bombings in Northern Ireland nearly 40 years ago. Nine people, including three children, died in those explosions in the village of Claudy in July, 1972.

The report determined that Father James Chesney was a prime suspect in a blasts in Claudy, just outside of Londonderry, but that the police chose not to pursue him even though a bomb-sniffing dog at one point detected explosives in the priest’s car.

Instead, the report reveals, then-secretary of state for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw met in private with the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal William Conway, and talked about the possibility of transferring Chesney to the Irish Republic, thus shielding him from further investigation or questioning.

Authorities apparently feared that arresting a priest over the bombing would only further inflame sectarian division in the region. After the meeting, Chesney was quietly transferred to the Irish Republic and never questioned.

Current Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland said this week that he regretted that the bombing had not been fully investigated at the time but asked that his predecessor’s actions be seen in the context of the summer of 1972.

“Cardinal Conway did what he believed to be right in the situation,” said Brady. “He was faced with an impossible situation, but his primary consideration would be the prevention of any further acts of violence.” The Catholic Church in Ireland has denied engaging in a cover-up of Chesney's alleged involvement.

All the key figures involved at the time are now dead. The attack was never solved and no one was ever charged. With release of the report, family members of the victims expressed deep disappointment at what was done and called for a wider inquiry.

Source: Articles by Eric Westervelt for NPR and the Associated Press