No white smoke on successors for two local bishops

There is still no indication from the Vatican as to when it will appoint successors for two local bishops who have reached retirement age.

It is over a year now since Bishop Colm O'Reilly of the Ardagh and Clonmacnois diocese tendered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, having reached the obligatory retirement age of 75. 

After his resignation was accepted, he agreed to stay on working in the diocese where he has been bishop since 1983, until his replacement is announced.

Meanwhile, on reaching his 75th birthday last March, the Bishop of Elphin Christopher Jones also offered his resignation to the pontiff.

The bishop, who has served in the position for 17 years, stated at the time that he would be remaining in his post until a successor was appointed.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Communications Office said this week that they have no insight into when the Vatican will make an announcement on replacements for bishops to six dioceses, currently without a leading cleric or for whose serving bishop has reached retirement age.

It's not unusual for bishops who reach 75 to stay on for up to two years before a replacement is appointed, the spokesperson added.

Nineteen months on and there is also no sign of when successors will be appointed for two prominent bishops who resigned in the wake of the horrific Murphy report into child abuse. 

Dr Donal Murray in Limerick and Jim Moriarty in Kildare and Leighlin gave their resignations to the Pope back in December 2009 after coming under intense pressure in light of severe criticism of their role in a number of child abuse cases.

The seat at the head of the diocese of Cloyne also remains vacant in the wake of Bishop John Magee's resignation after the National Board on Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church found that Cloyne's mishandling of clerical child abuse complaints had effectively left youngsters in danger and the subsequent report contained strong criticism of his handling of cases in the diocese over many years.

The Papal Nuncio, the Pope's representative in Ireland, has not signalled when bishops will be appointed to any of Ireland's dioceses awaiting replacements.

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