A PRIEST at the centre of a bitter row with the Catholic Church has been ordered to leave his parish house.

Father Matthew Despard, 50, is involved in a dispute over a book he wrote alleging a gay mafia was operating at the top of the Church.

He was ordered to leave his home at St John Ogilvie in High Blantyre, Lanarkshire, but refused, disobeying the wishes of the Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Toal.

He told Fr Despard to leave the house in November 2013 but the Church later launched a legal action at Hamilton Sheriff Court to evict him.

His lawyers had called on Sheriff Joyce Powrie to reject the move and allow him to stay in the property while the Church had insisted he be told to leave.

Yesterday Sheriff Powrie ruled he had no legal rights to stay in the property and ordered him to move out.

She said: "The defender is not a tenant and he is not an employee and housing legislation does not apply.

"The defender has no right to continue living in the chapel house and I understand reasonable notice has been given to the defender."

She added: "I intend to grant decree to the pursuer in this case, they have the right to the house and I grant decree to remove the defender and his goods from the property.

"In this case much of the evidence was not in dispute and much of the evidence that was led merely amplified what was in the joint minute of agreement.

"The most disputed part came with the legal submissions.

"I consider the lengthy arguments in the pursuer's case well founded.

"I do not consider the defender's submissions well founded in the matter of law and decree should be granted on behalf of the pursuer."

Fr Despard's supporters had gathered in numbers at the hearing and a statement was issued by them after the decision was announced.

It said: "We have again today witnessed the unacceptable violation of Father Matthew Despard's human rights.

"Since November 2013 Father Despard had been suspended from his ministry with no financial or spiritual support mechanisms.

"This was as a direct result of the publication of his book which exposed the bullying and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Father Matthew's family and his supporters for their presence, prayers and financial assistance shown throughout this unreasonably prolonged ordeal."

Earlier this year Fr Despard was declared bankrupt after he failed to pay £19,000 in court costs after losing a case brought by the Church in a row over the house.

The Church launched the action to recover money they claimed was still outstanding from a court hearing in April last year.

Fr Despard had earlier told the hearings a 'crisis' in the Catholic Church provoked him to release his controversial book.

He said the resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien and a lack of leadership from senior church figures led to him publishing, Priesthood In Crisis.

Cardinal O'Brien resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct from three priests and one former priest.

Fr Despard refused to comment.