THE APPOINTMENT of a co-adjutor bishop to Cloyne diocese is understood to have been given careful consideration by the Vatican over recent weeks but this option was dropped in favour of appointing an apostolic administrator instead.
This, it is understood, was also favoured by Bishop of Cloyne John Magee. On Saturday it was announced that Archbishop of Cashel and Emly Dermot Clifford had been appointed by Pope Benedict as Apostolic Administrator of Cloyne diocese.
It was said in statements that this was at the request of Bishop Magee, who remains Bishop of Cloyne but wished to be free to commit himself to co-operation with the State inquiry into child protection practices in the diocese as announced by Minister for Children Barry Andrews on January 7th last.
The appointment of an apostolic administrator to a diocese where an incumbent bishop has not resigned and is not suffering from impairment, is highly unusual in Catholic Church affairs.
In fact, no one spoken to in church circles yesterday could recall another such example.
A co-adjutor bishop is something of an “heir in waiting” and succeeds the incumbent bishop on his retirement. Generally it is usual to appoint a co-adjutor bishop in a diocese as the incumbent bishop nears retirement.
Bishop Magee is not scheduled to retire as Bishop of Cloyne until September 24th, 2011, when he reaches 75. Even then his retirement is not automatic but awaits the acceptance of a letter of resignation which he must send to Rome on reaching that age.
It is at Rome’s discretion then whether to act immediately on the letter, or later.
The Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady was ordained co-adjutor archbishop on February 19th, 1995 and succeeded Cardinal Cahal Daly as Archbishop of Armagh on November 3rd, 1996.
Similarly, Diarmuid Martin was ordained co-adjutor archbishop on May 3rd, 2003 and succeeded Cardinal Desmond Connell as Archbishop of Dublin on April 26th, 2004. Also, Dermot Clifford was ordained co-adjutor archbishop on March 9th, 1986 and installed as Archbishop of Cashel and Emly on September 12th, 1988.
Meanwhile, One in Four executive director Maeve Lewis said last night she welcomed the appointment of an apostolic administrator to the Cloyne diocese.
Ms Lewis said she was “delighted, for once, to be able to say something positive about the church where this issue is concerned”.
She said the decision sent a signal to other bishops that the writing was on the wall for them if they didn’t rigorously implement proper child protection policies.
