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A Catholic priest has been allowed to minister in a Melbourne church despite being convicted of killing a man in a drink driving incident in Croatia.
Fr Josip Vranjies, 55, is believed to have used a network of powerful figures within the Croatian Catholic Church and Croatian government to help in his case.
The priest has served at the Croation Catholic Centre in Sunshine in Melbourne’s west for six years since his conviction.
But the Archdiocese of Melbourne says he is technically the responsibility of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna in Sarajevo.
This is despite the Melbourne archdiocese owning the Croation Centre church.
Fr Vranjies was charged with reckless driving offences in 2003 after he was found to be intoxicated and speeding at twice the legal limit when he lost control of a sports car in Croatia.
The priest’s rented vehicle collided with another car, resulting in the death of the other driver, Anton Peha, 48, and serious injuries to Mr Peha’s teenage son.
The case took almost five years to come to trial and Fr Vranjies was found guilty and sentenced to 10 months’ prison, suspended for three years.
Fr Vranjies appealed his sentence in October, 2010. It is yet to be finalised.
The appeal trial confirmed that alcohol and speed were involved, but may not have caused the crash.
Fr Vranjies asked a local priest to approach the widow of Mr Peha, Ljiljana, and appeal for forgiveness, but she rejected the entreaties.
Another Croatian Catholic priest who had ministered in Melbourne, Fr Mato Krizanac, is said to have used his influence with Croatian authorities to assist Fr Vranjies.
Fr Krizanac was stripped of all clerical duties by Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne in June for sexual impropriety involving a teenage girl.
When approached by The Sunday Age, Fr Vranjes said: “It’s all in Croatia. I am free. That’s all that matters.”
Fr Vranjes has also been accused of living a lavish lifestyle and of financial impropriety by parishioners of a Melbourne centre.
Sources
- The Sunday Age
- Image: The Age
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