Pontiff names a conservative
bishop for Clogher, Ireland
Friday, 7 May 2010
Pope Benedict moved yesterday to impose his conservative stamp on the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland in the wake of the clerical abuse scandals with the appointment of a new Bishop of Clogher.
At noon yesterday the Vatican named Monsignor Liam MacDaid to succeed Joseph Duffy, whose resignation on the grounds of his age was simultaneously accepted by Pope Benedict.
Monsignor McDaid (64) has been second in command in Clogher since 1994 when he was promoted to chancellor from diocesan secretary and communications officer.
It covers Co Monaghan, most of Co Fermanagh and portions of counties Tyrone, Donegal, Louth and Cavan.
Speaking in Bishop's House in Monaghan, Mgr McDaid said he would like “to be free” to return to the more basic aspects of the ministry in the wake of the child abuse scandals, which have devastated the Church in recent times.
“We have been quite rightly forced to deal with the whole question of child abuse over the last number of years and I feel that now, if all of the things that are in place are implemented, it will change drastically and I hope that it will free us as priests of the diocese to go back to serving the people in the way in which we would wish to,” he said.
Although Bishop Duffy (76) submitted his resignation 15 months ago on reaching the retirement age of 75, the appointment of his successor was expected to form part of a post-Murphy reorganisation and reform of the Bishops' Conference.
Last month Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin James Moriarty, but the pontiff did not name a replacement.
Although not directly criticised by the Murphy Report, Bishop Moriarty resigned because he had failed to speak out against a culture of secrecy which put the good name of the Church above the protection of innocent children from paedophile clerics.
Nor has Pope Benedict appointed a successor to the diocese of Limerick which has been vacant since before Christmas when Bishop Donal Murray resigned after the Murphy Report severely criticised his handling of abuse complaints when an auxiliary bishop in Dublin.
No decision has yet been made by Pope Benedict to accept or reject the resignations on Christmas Eve of two Dublin auxiliary bishops, Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field.
But Pope Benedict yesterday accepted the resignation of Bishop Francis Lagan, an auxiliary in the diocese of Derry, who had tendered his resignation on age grounds.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Sean Brady, who was on sick leave after weeks of intense pressure to resign over silencing to secrecy 35 years ago two children abused by paedophile monk Brendan Smyth, will today address a conference on Catholic education in Loughboy, County Kilkenny.