Friday, August 26, 2011

Vatican ‘slow’ to replace bishop

THE Vatican has come under attack from priests in the Diocese of Limerick over the way it is going about finding a successor for Bishop Donal Murray who resigned in December 2009.

Limerick priests are furious at the lack of contact with a Vatican delegation which came to take soundings on who should succeed Dr Murray.

A group, called an apostolic visitation, is understood to have held talks with bishops about a possible amalgamation of some dioceses.

One priest in Limerick said: “As far as I’m aware that visitation spent little or no time in Limerick and we weren’t really on the radar.”

Frustrated parishioners, according to another curate, are asking why Limerick is being left without a bishop, when a successor to Bishop Willie Walsh has been appointed in the Diocese of Killaloe.

Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Bishop Murray in December 2009, following criticism of him in a report into child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Fr Tony Mullins has been put in charge of administering the diocese and priests have drawn up a short list of their preferred choice to be the next bishop.

The Vatican has usually ignored views of local clergy, preferring to parachute in their own choice.