Benny XVI & Ireland's Purple Parliament

This article was first published a week before Christmas 2006, and to look at it then indicating when the retirements o the hierarchy was due to ake place and now (in red) the current status of each Ordinary certainly reflects in 3 troubled years the gravity of what has happened in Ireland's Purple Parliament.

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Now that Benny XVI has well and truly ensconced himself in the Throne of Peter, he will no doubt have to look towards Ireland and start appointing successors in the following dioceses (now done):

Achonry - Bishop Flynn (b.1931)...(now replaced by Bishop Brendan Kelly since 2007)

Down & Connor - Bishop Walsh (b.1930)...(now replaced by Bishop Noel Treanor since 2008)

Ossory - Bishop Forristal (b.1931)...(now replaced by Bishop Seamus Freeman since 2007)

2009

Clogher - Bishop Duffy...(still in situ)

2010

Ardagh & Clonmacnoise - Bishop O'Reilly...(still in situ)

Killaloe - Bishop Walsh...(still in situ)

2011

Cloyne - Bishop Magee...(stood down pending CSA investigations in 2009 - not expected to return)

Elphin - Bishop Jones...(still in situ)

Kerry - Bishop Murphy...(still in situ)

2012

Kildare & Leighlin - Bishop Moriarty...(resigned in December 2009 due to improper handling of Child Sex Abuse allegations in Dublin

2013

Clonfert- Bishop Kirby

2014

Cashel & Emly - Archbishop Clifford

Armagh - Archbishop Brady

Cork & Ross - Bishop Buckley

2015

Derry - Bishop Hegarty

Limerick - Bishop Murray...(resigned in December 2009 due to improper handling of Child Sex Abuse allegations in Dublin whilst Auxiliary Bishop there, as outlined in the Murphy Report)

Meath - Bishop Smith

Raphoe - Bishop Boyce

2016

Waterford & Lismore - Bishop Lee

Providing Benny XVI doubles up on the time of his namesakes, by 2016 he will have appointed 20 new bishops to a total of 26 Irish dioceses averaging 2 appointments every year.

The current junior backbenchers of the Purple Parliament are as follows:

Galway - Drennan b.1944...(resignation being sought)

Kilmore - O'Reilly b.1944

Dublin - Martin b.1945

Auxiliries Walsh & Field...(resigned in December 2009 due to improper handling of Child Sex Abuse allegations in Dublin whilst Auxiliary Bishop there, as outlined in the Murphy Report)

Ferns - Brennan b.1945

Tuam - Neary b.1946

Killala - Fleming b.1948...(expected to replace +Murray in Limerick)

Dromore - McAreavey b.1949

Interesting times ahead, and considering our little vocations crisis to the priesthood, there will be yet hopefully more pastoral appointments to the frontbenches in Maynooth...only time will tell and the upcoming appointments as mentioned above will certainly give an indication of the mind of Benny XVI.....

Merging of Dioceses

In time to come, given the current position and opportunity now presenting itself, word is going round that the following may occur with some of the Irish Diocesan boundaries:

* Killala (+Fleming to Limerick to replace +Murray) & Achonry to merge with +Kelly in charge of the united dioceses

* Cloyne (currently administered by +Clifford) & Cork & Ross to merge with +Buckley to be in charge of these united dioceses

* Diocese of Clonfert to be divided amongst Archdiocese of Tuam, Diocese of Galway and also Diocese of Elphin or in what would be more considered is to merge it into Diocese of Killaloe in totality

* Ardagh & Clonmacnoise could be subsumed into the surrounding Dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Achonry

Watch this space!!
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