Killaloe Bishop To Retire In 2010 (Éire)

Bishop Wishy Washy of Killaloe has signalled in recent interviews that which has been well flagged on this blog his intent on stepping down in 2010 from the See of Killaloe.

For many, this is seen as the end of an era in what has been very much a turbulent time in both the RC Church in Ireland in general and indeed within the Diocese of Killaloe itself.

His handling of the many CSA allegations which he inherited from his predecessor Bishop Michael Harty was both humane and humbling for all concerned and on that matter alone he is truly deserving of the utmost respect and appreciation.

In recent times, however, his handling of matters not yet in the public domain, but are soon to be so released, the Bishop involved (or entangled, depending on your viewpoint) himself in a non-Church matter and cost a high ranking member of An Garda Síochána his posting and only in the very recent past has the officer received a letter of apology from the Bishop.

This is not the first time that this has happened, and one has to wonder if it will be the last before he steps down but we live (and pray) in (earnest) hope that he does not allow it to happen again.

His most recent controversy was in relation to convicted CSA perpetrator, Fr Con Desmond, and this particular story was covered in the Irish media in the early part of 2007 as well as on this blogspot, but the Bishop was treated very kindly by the media collectively which is very much comparative to how other Bishops were savaged for their failures in handling allegations.

This particular matter may well be out of the public spotlight, but it remains to be seen how soon it will be before it returns to the public domain and if it will indeed be the blot on the Bishops' copybook.

In his time, he has also to deal with some dissident clergy, and his handling of that, sometimes discreetly, more often not, may yet see him having to face a judge or two for slandereous remarks and untruths.

In the course of such, the Gardaí returned the favour for his assistance in their own internal issues by harassing and falsely accusing certain persons and during the course of particular interviews, the interviewing Gardaí referred to the Bishop in name on more than a few ocassions. The evidence of this is recorded and kept safely in the legal safe of a solicitor (or 2..or 3) for future use in action against both Gardaí and Bishop alike!!

The Bishop has also had to contend with dwindling resources namely clergy and was the first to have to take the bit between the teeth and run with the idea of laity involvement in the running of parishes, one of which was left without a resident priest for a few years (Killanena/Flagmount in East Clare) and it proved most successful.

In the time to follow, he also amalgamted a few other parishes into the Imeall Bóirne cluster and to an extent, it has worked but not as successfully due to various reasons that will have to be ironed out before he bows out.

Matters that need to be resolved include the soothing of clerics who have failed to fully ingratiate themselves with the reality of the situation, and what a situation it is, so much so it merited not being just mentioned in the Lenten Pastoral issued this year, but rather it IS the Lenten Pastoral of 2007.

Click on this link to get access to the Lenten Pastoral:

http://www.killaloediocese.ie/ALentenLetterfromBishopWillieWalsh.htm

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