A MODERN record in Irish Catholic church history has been recorded, with the appointment of another member of a religious order to the current bench of Irish bishops. Four of Ireland's 33 Catholic bishops now belong to religious orders, congregations or societies, rather than coming from the diocesan clergy.
It follows the unexpected appointment yesterday, by Pope Benedict, of a Rome-based Pallottine priest as bishop-elect of the diocese of Ossory, in succession to 76-year-old Dublin-born Bishop Laurence Forristal, who has retired.
Fr Seamus Freeman (63), the parish priest of the church of St Vincent Palloti at Pietralata in Rome, and a two-term head of the world-wide Pallottines, brings the total of non-secular bishops to four.
The Pallottines are an international society of priests and brothers in 44 countries.
There are over 2,366 priests and brothers in the society, which is divided into 22 provinces and regions throughout the world.
He will take his place on the bench of bishops at Maynooth along with the Bishop of Cloyne, Dr John McGee, a member of the Kiltegan Fathers, the Bishop of Raphoe, Dr Philip Boyce, a Carmelite monk, and auxiliary bishop of Dublin, Dr Fiachra O Ceallaigh, a Franciscan friar.
In addition to these four bishops, retired Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned five years ago as head of the Ferns diocese over his failure to deal with child sex abuse scandals, is a member of the Dublin-based Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary.
Since 1870, only 14 out of over 200 bishops heading Ireland's 26 dioceses, have belonged to religious orders which owe their direct allegiance to Rome.
The choice of Fr Freeman, a native of Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, has surprised the clergy in Ossory, the oldest bishopric in Ireland, the boundaries of which cover most of Co Kilkenny, parts of Laois and the 'island' parish of St Kieran in Co Offaly.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce