IRELAND
The Irish Catholic
by Michael Kelly
February 4, 2016
A joke popular in some clerical circles is to quip that anyone who wants to be a bishop deserves it. But, more often than not, many a true word is spoken in jest.
Anyone intimately acquainted with the appointment of bishops will tell you it can be a notoriously tricky exercise. For example, sometimes, when it looks as if an ideal candidate has been found and approved by the Pope, that man may well reject the elevation and so the process begins again.
Currently, a number of Irish dioceses are awaiting the appointment of a bishop, though only Killaloe is sede vacante (i.e. without a bishop). Since Dr Kieran O’Reilly was installed as Archbishop of neighbouring Cashel & Emly a year ago, Killaloe has been awaiting the appointment of a new shepherd, though an announcement is now said to be imminent.
Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert submitted his resignation over two years ago while Cork’s Bishop John Buckley, Raphoe’s Philip Boyce and Meath’s Michael Smith have also sent letters to Rome formally resigning having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Vacancies
So, in all papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown currently has four vacancies to fill with all the consultation, paperwork and back and forwarding with Rome that this entails.
Presuming that the vacant diocese will be filled and those over retirement age replaced, Pope Francis will have appointed 11 Irish diocesan bishops, Benedict XVI appointed nine and six will have been appointed by Pope St John Paul II.
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