UNITED KINGDOM
Catholic Herald
By DAVID V BARRETT on Tuesday, 28 October 2014
The people of Arundel and Brighton are devastated by the loss of their bishop who they “admired and loved” the Bishop of Portsmouth has said.
In a message to the members of his diocese concerning Bishop Kieran Conry, who resigned as bishop of next door diocese Arundel and Brighton after admitting to being “unfaithful to (his) promises as a Catholic priest”, Bishop Philip Egan said that chastity often involves a struggle but it is “a virtue to which every member of the Body of Christ is called”.
In a message included in the diocesan weekly ‘e-news bulletin’, Bishop Egan said: “Whenever we find out, unexpectedly, that someone has fallen from grace, our first reaction should be to ask God to have mercy upon us too for our own sins. Indeed, having spoken with priests and people from Arundel and Brighton, devastated by the loss of a bishop they admired and loved, I can only suggest we pray earnestly for God’s mercy and healing, and the renewal of Gospel hope.”
He continued: “Chastity is a virtue to which every member of the Body of Christ is called. It often involves a struggle. This is why we need constantly to ask Jesus for his grace, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In Confession, we should be absolutely honest about our sins and candid about our weaknesses.”
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