Joseph Devine

Joseph Devine (7 August 1937 – 23 May 2019) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell in Scotland. He justified the remarks by saying "The Catholic community believes that with denominational schooling comes the creation of a common set of values - a coherent system that has the academic curriculum and moral and spiritual life in tandem". The discrimination includes denying promotion to Catholics above a certain rank.

Devine harshly criticised the decision to honour Sir Ian McKellen for his work for equality and, by way of illustrating the advances made by gays, pointed out that Oscar Wilde had been incarcerated following conviction for violating the gross indecency statute. The Bishop also took the opportunity to advise the parents of gay children: "This must be a nightmare moment for any parent. I would try to handle it with a degree of compassion. But I would not tolerate that kind of behaviour. I would not condemn but I would not tolerate it." This occasioned criticism from many among his flock in the diocese, and from beyond. His purchase of the now demolished house also caused controversy in the tabloid press, who claimed that he had considered the acquisition of a property with a swimming pool. This was denied by Bishop Devine.

Sexual abuse scandal In April 2013, The Observer alleged that as Bishop of Motherwell, Devine had protected priests who had sexually abused children and tried to silence or discredit their victims.

In 2016, Fr. John B. Farrell, a retired priest of the Diocese of Motherwell, the last headteacher at St Ninian's Orphanage, Falkland, Fife, was sentenced to five years imprisonment. His colleague Paul Kelly, a retired teacher from Portsmouth, was given ten years; both were convicted of the physical and sexual abuse of boys between the years 1979 and 1983. More than 100 charges involving 35 boys were made. Farrell and Kelly were members of the Irish Christian Brothers when the crimes were committed at the orphanage, which closed in 1983. Although Farrell was not an ordained priest at the time when these specific offences were committed, an initial police investigation between 2000 and 2002 resulted in no charges. During this period, Farrell was in active ministry in the Diocese of Motherwell which at the time was led by Bishop Joseph Devine.