The sudden departure from office of the bishop of Limerick and the expected imminent acceptance of the resignations of the bishop of Kildare & Leighlin as well as two auxiliary Dublin bishops means that there will be at least seven vacancies among the Irish hierarchy before long. This is because two other bishops, Dr Willie Walsh in Killaloe and Bishop Colm O’Reilly in Ardagh and Clonmacnois are due to tender their resignations in the coming weeks on reaching the normal retirement age and because Bishop John Magee has stepped aside as bishop of Cloyne some time ago.
Besides, a third auxiliary Dublin bishop, Fiachra O'Ceallaigh, retired last year.
The college of consultors of Limerick diocese elected west Limerick parish priest Fr Tony Mullins as temporary administrator of their diocese.
The prospect of a neighbouring bishop being asked to take on the diocese is complicated by the fact that the two closest bishops are Bishop Walsh in Killaloe and Archbishop Clifford of Cashel and Emly and with Bishop Walsh known to be on the brink of retiring and Archbishop Clifford’s workload already increased by his temporary responsibility for the diocese of Cloyne in the wake of Bishop John Magee taking leave of absence last year.
An advisory group of priests from Kildare and Leighlin may soon be asked to elect an apostolic administrator when the resignation of Bishop Jim Moriarty is accepted in Rome.
The Vatican may appoint an apostolic administrator itself or ask the so-called ‘college of consulters’, a group of eight or ten priests from the diocese, to select their chosen caretaker.
Micheál Murphy, a spokesman for the bishop’s office, said that until word comes from Rome, the position is unclear.
“It is not often that we are in a position like this so there isn't a rule of thumb - there is no normal procedure,” he explained.
“It is completely up to them, but it will be one of the two options; if the Vatican doesn't appoint an apostolic administrator, who could be from anywhere, the college of consulters will be asked to meet. They are a group of priests from Kildare and Leighlin chosen as an advisory body for the bishop.”
“Its members counsel and consult with him on matters of the Church,” Mr Murphy explained.
There has been speculation as to whether the Vicar General of the diocese of Meath, Monsignor Dermot Farrell, may be appointed to one of the posts.
A former President of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, he is understood to be seen in Church circles as a contender for an episcopal appointment and the bishop in his own Meath diocese Dr Michael Smith is still only in his late sixties.
Meanwhile, in County Mayo, there has been speculation that Bishop John Fleming of Killala might succeed Bishop Murray in Limerick.
Bishop Fleming hails from Ardpatrick in County Limerick and a move to there from Killala, one of the country’s smallest and most rural dioceses, would be seen as a promotion.
The position regarding the replacement of the Dublin auxiliary bishops is less clear, though it is unlikely that the country’s largest diocese in terms of population would be managed indefinitely Archbishop Martin on his own.
At one time, and before Bishops Moriarty and Drennan left the archdiocese for Kildare and Leighlin and Galway respectively, there were five auxiliary bishops.
The country’s second largest diocese, Down and Connor, meanwhile, has two auxiliary bishops.
Of course, the vacant Episcopal posts may also be seen as an opportunity for the church to rationalise and modernise the very old diocesan structures and boundaries and reduce the total number of dioceses.
The filling of vacancies for bishops is normally a lengthy process running to several months at least.
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