Top officials with the Vatican in Rome are expected to issue a decision soon on how disgraced Catholic bishop Raymond Lahey will be disciplined.

Lahey, 71, was convicted of importing child pornography Wednesday and sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison plus two years probation. Because Lahey was given two-for-one credit for the eight months he had already served while awaiting sentencing, he was released on probation.

A decision is widely expected soon but Anne Walsh, an assistant to the Archbishop at the Archdiocese of St. John's tells CTVNews.ca there is no indication when word might come. She says the Church could do one of three things:

  • It can dismiss Lahey from the clerical state
  • It could sentence him to a life of prayer and penance, perhaps in a monastery.
  • It could reduce Lahey's powers, so that he would not be able to identify himself as a cleric by title, by address or by association

A statement on any decision is expected to be issued from the Vatican Press Office and a letter will likely be sent to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the CCCB's Rene Laprise tells CTV. But again, there has been no word on when a decision might come.

Lahey's lawyer, Michael Edelson, told reporters Wednesday that Lahey contacted the Vatican a year ago to offer his full resignation and ask to be reduced to layman status. But he never heard a response.

It's unclear how Lahey's resignation offer affects what move the Vatican makes next. 

Lahey's immediately stepped down as bishop of the archdiocese of Antigonish after his arrest in September, 2009. The Vatican appointed a new bishop for the diocese but has not yet ruled on Lahey's status with the Church.

Lahey pleaded guilty to the child porn possession charge in May, 2011, and immediately began servicing his sentence. On the same day, the Vatican's Holy See issued a statement to say the Catholic Church condemns sexual exploitation in all its forms, especially against minors.

"Although the civil process has run its course, the Holy See will continue to follow the canonical procedures in effect for such cases, which will result in the imposition of the appropriate disciplinary or penal measures," it said at the time.

Lahey joined the priesthood in the early 1960s. He served in eastern Newfoundland, before becoming a bishop in the western Newfoundland diocese of St. George's in 1986. He moved to the Antigonish diocese in 2003.