108:, a pub next door. Masses were said in honour of The Keys, the Catholic writers' guild. On these occasions Mass was followed by supper with a generous supply of alcohol, before the guild's prayer of St Francis de Sales (the patron saint of journalists) was said. There were, however, feuds. Cunningham was said to have remarked of one newspaper executive: "The only way I’m allowing him back here is if he comes crawling into the confession box."
83:
been brought against the
Charity concerning the welfare of children between approximately 1940 and 1985. A settlement has now been reached in relation to these claims." The Charity was liable also for the claimants' legal fees. The matter has had a significant impact on the Charity's finances with payment of their legal and settlement costs amounting to a total GBP 1,746,523 for the year.
72:. While there he and other Rosminian priests perpetrated sexual abuse against young boys that made this school, according to one pupil, "a loveless, violent and sad hellhole". Other pupils recall being photographed naked, hauled out of bed at night to have their genitals fondled and other sexual abuse. Cunningham in at least one case "forced a boy to perform a sex act on him."
82:
The
Rosminian order has subsequently apologised for the abuse and the order's subsequent cover up. Moreover, their audited financial statements for the year ending 5 April 2015 report under the heading "Legal and safeguarding related costs" that "Last year’s report referred to legal claims which had
149:
and can be revoked only by them; they cannot formally be renounced. Honours are only revoked when the
Forfeiture Committee submits a recommendation to the monarch through the prime minister. The monarch directs that the appointment be cancelled and annulled and that the person's name be erased from
144:
by the Revd Fr David Myers, Provincial
Superior of the Rosminians in the United Kingdom, following Cunningham's admission of guilt. Myers himself states that Cunningham returned the insignia himself. Despite returning the insignia, Cunningham remained a member of the order until his death. Honours
91:
Cunningham had liberal views on marriage. He made St
Etheldreda's a popular place for weddings – partly because of its historic beauty, but also because his relaxed approach to marriage preparation, devoid of any embarrassing discussions about the couple's current domestic arrangements; he was
156:. Honours are normally forfeited when a person is convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for more than three months or is found guilty by a professional or regulatory body. Cunningham was never convicted of a criminal offence despite his admission of guilt.
325:
136:. Following correspondence with some of his sexual abuse victims, shortly before Cunningham's death, the insignia of this honour was returned to the Queen. Some accounts allege that it was returned by Cunningham himself to
494:
333:
297:
751:
408:"Celebrity priest was 'monster' child abuser - Catholic priest who quietly resigned his MBE was protected from public outing by his order despite routinely abusing boys as young as seven"
92:
willing to bless the second marriages of divorcees, against Church teaching. For the last 30 years of his life, Cunningham had a female companion, Jenny Floyd, until her death in 2006.
168:, which was broadcast on 21 June 2011. The programme also featured interviews with several of his victims. The abuse was not mentioned in the obituaries published following his death.
75:
Although
Cunningham's abuse was known about by the Rosminian order before his death in 2010, it was covered up and knowledge of it only emerged publicly in 2011 in the BBC documentary
230:
502:
261:
184:
Cunningham returned his MBE insignia to
Buckingham Palace shortly before his death but was not formally removed from membership of the Order of the British Empire.
566:
534:
623:
721:
716:
608:
386:
741:
407:
65:
461:
746:
659:
447:
234:
516:
41:
parish priests. His death, in 2010, was widely reported in the media. In 2011 it became publicly known that he had been involved in
736:
756:
731:
726:
429:
279:
125:
27:
351:
640:
104:
is only 10 minutes' walk from St
Etheldreda's, journalists could attend midday Masses and even have time for a drink in
541:
34:
711:
212:
595:
146:
415:
326:""Fr Kit Cunningham's paedophile past: heads should roll after the Rosminian order's disgraceful cover-up""
117:
23:
42:
677:
298:"The Rosminian order must face up to its past: what happened in Tanzania was a moral catastrophe"
479:
761:
495:"Rosminian sex abuse scandal: order shamed by BBC into issuing wretchedly inadequate apology"
133:
706:
701:
141:
8:
64:
During the 1960s, Cunningham was stationed at St
Michael's Catholic Boarding School in
137:
49:
433:
283:
38:
535:"Institute of Charity English Province; Annual Report and Accounts 5 April 2015"
152:
695:
105:
369:
121:
101:
596:"House of Commons - the Honours System - Public Administration Committee"
164:
Details of
Cunningham's sexual abuse were featured in a BBC documentary,
247:
Christopher Lamb, "Rosminians sued by former pupils abused by priests",
583:
129:
53:
19:
352:"He was my priest and my friend. Then I found out he was a paedophile"
69:
387:""Why didn't the Rosminian order tell us the truth about Fr Kit?""
624:
James Kirkup, "Sir Fred Goodwin: How an honour can be removed",
262:"The party-loving priest who turned out to be a sexual predator"
79:. The order resisted paying compensation to the abuse victims.
567:"Devastation and disbelief when abuse case hits close to home"
752:
Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United Kingdom
150:
the register of the order and a notice is published in the
59:
480:"Former 1950s students to sue Catholic order over abuse"
517:"Rosminian order admits 'inadequate' response to abuse"
448:"Canadian leads abuse lawsuit against Catholic priests"
140:, others that it was returned by mail on his behalf to
100:
Cunningham had a particular mission to journalists. As
37:, Ely Place, Cunningham was one of London's best-known
584:"Statement from Fr David Myers", Accessed 1 July 2011
462:"The men abused by Rosminians deserve compensation"
26:(18 November 1931 – 12 December 2010) was an
233:. Leicester Mercury. 21 June 2011. Archived from
693:
430:"Why did the Rosminians cover up Fr Kit's past?"
492:
402:
400:
323:
231:"Ex-pupils in legal bid 'after years of abuse'"
651:
397:
722:21st-century English Roman Catholic priests
717:20th-century English Roman Catholic priests
632:
223:
742:Members of the Order of the British Empire
345:
343:
207:
205:
203:
201:
678:"TV review: Abused: Breaking the Silence"
660:"TV review: Abused: Breaking the Silence"
641:"TV review: Abused: Breaking the Silence"
282:. Cath News. 22 June 2011. Archived from
254:
116:Cunningham was appointed a member of the
95:
628:(28 February 2009), Accessed 1 July 2011
509:
472:
432:. CathNews. 22 June 2011. Archived from
381:
379:
349:
670:
486:
454:
422:
340:
280:"Former pupils allege widespread abuse"
272:
198:
60:Tanzania and sexual abuse of young boys
694:
657:
440:
290:
45:at a school in Tanzania in the 1960s.
33:For almost 30 years, as the rector of
638:
376:
747:People educated at Ratcliffe College
319:
317:
315:
313:
311:
86:
362:
13:
559:
178:
14:
773:
308:
609:"Honours Forfeiture Committee",
493:Damian Thompson (23 June 2011).
350:Stanford, Peter (19 June 2011).
324:Damian Thompson (21 June 2011).
737:British expatriates in Tanzania
617:
602:
588:
577:
527:
757:Violence against men in Africa
732:English expatriates in Ireland
658:Harvey, Chris (22 June 2011).
450:. Vancouver Sun. 24 June 2011.
414:. 19 June 2011. Archived from
370:"Abused: Breaking the Silence"
241:
159:
1:
191:
727:British expatriates in Italy
639:Crace, John (21 June 2011).
166:Abused: Breaking the Silence
77:Abused: Breaking the silence
17:Christopher Basil Cunningham
7:
219:. London. 13 December 2010.
118:Order of the British Empire
48:Cunningham was educated at
10:
778:
501:. London. Archived from
332:. London. Archived from
171:
712:20th-century criminals
613:, Accessed 1 July 2011
111:
96:Mission to journalists
35:St Etheldreda's Church
571:The Irish Independent
436:on 27 September 2011.
286:on 27 September 2011.
134:1998 New Year Honours
547:on 23 September 2016
482:. BBC. 22 June 2011.
372:. BBC. 20 June 2011.
145:are bestowed by the
521:The Catholic Herald
466:The Catholic Herald
418:on 13 January 2015.
302:The Catholic Herald
251:(18 June 1011), p32
237:on 26 August 2011.
122:Queen Elizabeth II
142:St James's Palace
138:Buckingham Palace
124:, advised by the
87:Views on marriage
56:religious order.
50:Ratcliffe College
769:
686:
685:
674:
668:
667:
655:
649:
648:
636:
630:
621:
615:
606:
600:
599:
592:
586:
581:
575:
574:
563:
557:
556:
554:
552:
546:
540:. Archived from
539:
531:
525:
524:
513:
507:
506:
505:on 25 June 2011.
490:
484:
483:
476:
470:
469:
458:
452:
451:
444:
438:
437:
426:
420:
419:
404:
395:
394:
383:
374:
373:
366:
360:
359:
347:
338:
337:
336:on 24 June 2011.
321:
306:
305:
294:
288:
287:
276:
270:
269:
258:
252:
245:
239:
238:
227:
221:
220:
209:
185:
182:
52:and entered the
28:English Catholic
777:
776:
772:
771:
770:
768:
767:
766:
692:
691:
690:
689:
684:. 22 June 2011.
676:
675:
671:
656:
652:
637:
633:
622:
618:
607:
603:
594:
593:
589:
582:
578:
573:. 20 June 2011.
565:
564:
560:
550:
548:
544:
537:
533:
532:
528:
523:. 22 June 2011.
515:
514:
510:
491:
487:
478:
477:
473:
468:. 22 June 2011.
460:
459:
455:
446:
445:
441:
428:
427:
423:
406:
405:
398:
393:. 20 June 2011.
391:Catholic Herald
385:
384:
377:
368:
367:
363:
348:
341:
322:
309:
304:. 22 June 2011.
296:
295:
291:
278:
277:
273:
268:. 22 June 2011.
260:
259:
255:
246:
242:
229:
228:
224:
211:
210:
199:
194:
189:
188:
183:
179:
174:
162:
114:
98:
89:
62:
12:
11:
5:
775:
765:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
688:
687:
669:
650:
631:
616:
601:
587:
576:
558:
526:
508:
485:
471:
453:
439:
421:
396:
375:
361:
339:
307:
289:
271:
253:
240:
222:
196:
195:
193:
190:
187:
186:
176:
175:
173:
170:
161:
158:
153:London Gazette
126:Prime Minister
113:
110:
97:
94:
88:
85:
61:
58:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
774:
763:
762:Rape of males
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
699:
697:
683:
679:
673:
665:
664:The Telegraph
661:
654:
646:
642:
635:
629:
627:
626:The Telegraph
620:
614:
612:
605:
597:
591:
585:
580:
572:
568:
562:
543:
536:
530:
522:
518:
512:
504:
500:
499:The Telegraph
496:
489:
481:
475:
467:
463:
457:
449:
443:
435:
431:
425:
417:
413:
409:
403:
401:
392:
388:
382:
380:
371:
365:
357:
353:
346:
344:
335:
331:
330:The Telegraph
327:
320:
318:
316:
314:
312:
303:
299:
293:
285:
281:
275:
267:
263:
257:
250:
244:
236:
232:
226:
218:
217:The Telegraph
214:
208:
206:
204:
202:
197:
181:
177:
169:
167:
157:
155:
154:
148:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
109:
107:
106:Ye Olde Mitre
103:
93:
84:
80:
78:
73:
71:
67:
57:
55:
51:
46:
44:
40:
36:
31:
29:
25:
21:
18:
681:
672:
663:
653:
645:The Guardian
644:
634:
625:
619:
610:
604:
590:
579:
570:
561:
551:21 September
549:. Retrieved
542:the original
529:
520:
511:
503:the original
498:
488:
474:
465:
456:
442:
434:the original
424:
416:the original
411:
390:
364:
356:The Guardian
355:
334:the original
329:
301:
292:
284:the original
274:
265:
256:
248:
243:
235:the original
225:
216:
180:
165:
163:
151:
115:
102:Fleet Street
99:
90:
81:
76:
74:
63:
47:
43:sexual abuse
32:
16:
15:
707:2010 deaths
702:1931 births
160:Documentary
696:Categories
249:The Tablet
213:"Obituary"
192:References
130:Tony Blair
682:The Times
666:. London.
647:. London.
611:Directgov
412:The Times
358:. London.
266:The Times
132:, in the
120:(MBE) by
54:Rosminian
30:priest.
147:monarchs
70:Tanzania
39:Catholic
545:(PDF)
538:(PDF)
172:Notes
553:2016
66:Soni
112:MBE
24:MBE
698::
680:.
662:.
643:.
569:.
519:.
497:.
464:.
410:.
399:^
389:.
378:^
354:.
342:^
328:.
310:^
300:.
264:.
215:.
200:^
128:,
68:,
22:,
20:IC
598:.
555:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.