A long-running dispute between the Bishop of Clogher, Dr Joseph Duffy, and members of a family who insisted on having their father buried in unconsecrated ground beside a County Fermanagh cemetery may be in sight following mediation talks between the bishop and Mrs Theresa O'Connor. Mrs O’Connor’s husband, Vin, who died in 2004, was buried against the wishes of the Church authorities in an unconsecrated graveyard beside Mulleek Cemetery.
The Church authorities had decided against consecrating the extension to the cemetery following local consultations but when he died, the late Mr O'Connor’s family insisted on proceeding with plans to bury him there.
Subsequently, the Belfast High Court injuncted Mrs O’Connor from visiting her late husband’s grave but this is expected to be lifted after the mediation talks.
Bishop Duffy met with both Theresa O'Connor and her family and Lawrence McManus of the Mulleek Graveyard Committee and while the meeting was private, it is understood that the disagreement has now been resolved and that the injunction will be lifted.
Lawrence McManus, a spokesperson for the O’Connor family, said that outstanding matters had been resolved and a spokesperson for Bishop Duffy confirmed the meeting had taken place but declined comment other than to say that the bishop had “made a private pastoral visit to Mrs O'Connor and her family”.
A petition with several thousand signatories had been delivered to the bishop at his house in Monaghan asking him to seek a lifting of the court injunction.
The bishop had said that neither Mrs O'Connor or any member of her family had been prevented from visiting Mr O'Connor's grave and the injunction was a decision of a civil court.
Bishop Duffy defended his decision in relation to the provision of graveyard space at Mulleek, saying it had been made in the best interests of the parish, taking into account the needs of the people and the decreasing number of priests.
He said the decision was taken “after consultation with the people of Mulleek” and the O'Connor family had contravened this by burying Mr O’Connor in a place which “wasn't suitable for developing as a cemetery”.
Dr Duffy explained that the Court had decided it was the bishop's right to make the decision he made and the injunction was a matter between the O'Connors and the civil law.
“Pastorally, the Bishop of Clogher has never prevented Theresa O'Connor or any member of her family from visiting the grave", Dr Duffy’s spokesman stressed.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: CIN)