On November 24th 2007, Archbishop Seán Brady shall receive the red hat from Il Papa and will then make Irish ecclesiastical history by becoming the 3rd living cardinal in Ireland.The menage-a-trois of Cardinals will then include Brady, Daly and Connell (who is quiet ill at the moment and has been spending some time in hospital recently) but only Brady will have voting rights in the next conclave.
However, the appointment of Brady has put the spanner in the works when it comes to appointing incumbents to the dioceses of Achonry and Down & Connor respectively.
In the case of the diocese of Achonry (which has only 40 priests and a population of 35,000), Bishop Thomas Flynn (pictured above with Il Papa on his latest (and last) ad limina visit last October '06) has now been in situ since February 20th 1977, having been appointed at the tender age of 45 years by the late Pope Paul VI.
He would now be the longest serving member of the hierarchy in Ireland, but he was due to be relieved of shepherding the diocese but the appointment of Brady as a cardinal has placed a delay on the impending announcement of a replacement.
Let it be noted that the Apostolic Nuncio has been busy and there are 3 names being bandied about at present, but as Il Papa has set a trend of appointing outsiders and religious order members, do not be surprised if he continues in that vein...it is Il Papa after all!!
On a similar note, the diocese of Down & Connor is also seeking a new bishop but over there, the matter is a little more delicate than would seem.
The Apostolic Nuncio has been more than busy there and is in the process of distributing yet again secondary enquiry forms to the clergy and others within the diocese.
Bishop Walsh has been in charge here since 1991 and has been assisted by auxiliary bishops Farquhar (1983) and McKeown (2001) and it would normally be presumed - and correctly so - that either would be given a chance at the cathedra...but this seems not to be the wish of the local clergy.
Farquhar has not been medically well for some time and therefore would be excluded from the race for the robes of power.
However, with McKeown things are a hell of a lot different and indeed he has proven to be the main reason why there has been a delay in appointing an incumbent to the throne in D&C as he is so disliked by both clergy and laity alike, proving to be a bully in many ways down through the years since being appointed just 6 years ago.
This attitude has been more than well recorded by many and it is noted against him in the present situation, and do not be surprised if an outsider is sent in here as it may very well be the only way to appease all sides but then what to do with McKeown??
As was once said on Fr Ted, "That would be an ecumenical matter."
Maybe if they sent in Bishop Buckley it would help the situation but then again it seems he is destined for higher office....
Watch this space
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