Archbishop sacked aide for being gay

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales was last night drawn into a furious row over a senior aide sacked because of his homosexuality.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, was personally involved in the dismissal of his personal Press secretary, who is also a devout Catholic.

Stephen Noon, who has held a series of senior appointments in the Commons, was told that being gay was 'incompatible' with his position in the Church.

Close friends accused the Cardinal of being 'unchristian' in forcing Mr Noon to go through a 'painful' sacking because of his sexuality.

The row comes after Equality Minister Ruth Kelly, who is a member of the Catholic sect Opus Dei, refused to say whether she regarded homosexual acts as a sin. This week the Church will come under further scrutiny with the opening of the Da Vinci Code film, about a conspiracy to cover up the truth about Jesus Christ.

The dismissal of Mr Noon has prompted bitter exchanges. Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris, a leading member of the National Secular Society, said: "This shows the continuing intolerant attitude of Church leaders to the way other people lead their private lives. Yet these same Church leaders lecture us about public morality."

But Conservative MP and practising Roman Catholic Ann Widdecombe said: "I don't think the Cardinal had any choice. The Church's teaching is very clear. It would be difficult if you had a Press secretary explaining that teaching, while at the same time violating it. I am sure the Cardinal did it with much regret."

Mr Noon, 35, joined the Archbishop's staff in 2003 as his £35,000-a-year Press secretary, with a wide-ranging brief to improve the public image of the Church. He was also charged with advising Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor on public statements on ethical issues of the day.

However, Mr Noon remained in the post for less than a year.

Insiders say relations with Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor started well, but deteriorated after Mr Noon's long-term partner visited him at the office. A source told The Mail on Sunday: "His partner came into the office to meet him at the end of the day and was introduced to the Cardinal.

"Shortly after the Church made clear his sexuality was incompatible with the job he had to do. Since he was the spokesperson for the Cardinal, Murphy-O'Connor clearly felt he had to act because homosexual acts are regarded by the Church as a sin."

Mr Noon asked the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Jeremy Dear, to help negotiate a settlement.

Mr Noon was reluctant to take the issue to an employment tribunal because, according to a friend: "He wanted to fight to change the Church's attitude to homosexuality from the inside."

The Mail on Sunday has learned that there were a series of meetings with senior priests and lay officials with the final summit attended by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor.

A source close to the negotiations said: "The Cardinal said he was sorry matters had ended up like they had. But he had not changed his mind about having an openly gay man as his spokesman."

It is understood Mr Noon received a pay-off worth around £20,000 and in return agreed not to speak in public about the reasons for his departure.

However last night a close friend told The Mail on Sunday: "What was terrible was the unchristian way Stephen was treated. That was the saddest part of the outcome of events. The process he had to go through was extraordinarily painful."

A spokesman for the National Union of Journalists said: "Discrimination can never be acceptable. It is shocking that anyone should face such blatant disregard for their human rights."

After his dismissal, Mr Noon immediately found work as a senior Press officer for the Tony Blair-backed campaign group Britain in Europe.

He was then headhunted to become senior adviser to Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party. MP Adam Price, whose Plaid Cymru party works closely with the SNP, paid tribute to Mr Noon's ability, saying: "He is a very amiable and capable person and well respected among his colleagues."

The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexual 'orientation' is tolerated, the practice of homosexuality is a sin. Church groups secured wide exemptions from new laws banning discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Since becoming Archbishop of Westminster in 2000, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, 73, has been seen as a liberal on some issues, including his controversial stance in favour of the ordination of married priests. But he is steadfastly opposed to abortion and last week spoke out against a Bill to legalise euthanasia.

The Cardinal was also firmly against the repeal of Clause 28, which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

Ms Kelly, who was made Cabinet Minister responsible for equality in the recent reshuffle, has refused to discuss her attitude to homosexuality. Asked directly if she thought it was a sin, she replied: "I don't think it's right for politicians to start making moral judgments about people."

A spokesman for Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said: "We do not divulge confidential details about employees, including why they join or leave us."

Mr Noon declined to comment.

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