Fake cancer priest had lied before
By MATTHEW BENNS | March 16, 2008
A PARISH priest who lied to his Sydney flock about having cancer had already been sent home from an American seminary for telling similar lies. Father Richard Abourjaily was condemned by Cardinal George Pell as being "delusional" last week after his lies about having prostate cancer were revealed.
Parishioners were distressed by Father Abourjaily's use of money, given to him on his ordination, to fund a trip to Lourdes in France for a miracle cure he did not need. Now it has been discovered that before Father Abourjaily was ordained in Sydney he had been sent home from the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter Seminary in Lincoln Nebraska for telling similar lies about his health.
It is understood he tried to win sympathy by lying about his health to cover up the real reasons for his late return to the US seminary from a trip overseas.
Father Abourjaily has been suspended from his duties at All Hallows Church in Five Dock in Sydney's west and spent last week mourning the death of his grandmother, who was buried on Friday.
A spokesman for the Catholic Church said: "Father Richard confirmed to me that he was dismissed from the US seminary for misleading them over his reasons for returning several days late from overseas leave."
