Irish bishops head to Rome to prepare for apostolic visitation

September 29, 2010

Ireland’s four metropolitan archbishops will travel to Rome next week for a series of meetings to prepare for the apostolic visitation of the Irish Church.

Pope Benedict XVI announced in March that he was ordering an apostolic visitation, in response to the sex-abuse scandal that has severely shaken the Church in Ireland. On May 31 the Vatican announced the names of the prelates who will head the apostolic visitation in Ireland’s four archdioceses: • Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston will be responsible for the investigation in the Archdiocese of Dublin. • Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the retired Archbishop of Westminster, will be responsible for the Archdiocese of Armagh. • Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto will be responsible for the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. • Archbishop Terence Prendergast of Ottawa will be responsible for the Archdiocese of Tuam.

As these prelates prepare to undertake their studies this autumn, the Congregation for Bishops asked the four Irish prelates who head these archdioceses to join in a preliminary planning sessions. They are: • Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, • Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, • Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly, and • Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam.

 

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Further information:

• Archbishops to travel to Rome in preparation for the Apostolic Visitation (Irish bishops' conference)
• Bishops summoned to Rome for abuse crisis talks (Independent)