Dallas Diocese board to investigate McKinney pastor about gay Web site

A review board of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas will investigate complaints about the past participation of the Rev. Arthur Mallinson on a Web site for gay priests.

Father Mallinson, who has served the diocese for more than 25 years, resigned Tuesday as pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in McKinney after only two weeks there.

He did so amid complaints to the diocese from the McKinney parish and beyond that were sparked by widely circulated Internet postings about his participation in the Web site several years ago.

Bishop Kevin Farrell said Wednesday that a lay board will investigate "allegations" about Father Mallinson and the Web site.

The site, now defunct, allowed priests of homosexual orientation – who, like other priests, are to remain celibate – to support one another. But the site grew to include sexually explicit material and was exposed by a Catholic watchdog group.

"Father Mallinson continues to maintain that his involvement on the Web site in question was strictly for spiritual and prayerful support," Bishop Farrell said Wednesday.

 See Dallas Diocese board to investigate McKinney pastor about gay Web site
Dallas Morning News, TX