Apostolic administrator appointed for Cloyne

March 09, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI has taken the rare step of appointing an apostolic administrator to the troubled Cloyne diocese in Ireland, without removing the incumbent bishop. Archbishop Dermot Clifford of Cashel-Emly will double as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Cloyne, taking on all the regular duties of diocesan leadership. Bishop John Magee, whose handling of clerical abuse cases has stirred calls for his resignation, will retain the title of bishop but none of the responsibilities. The Irish bishops' conference announced that Bishop Magee had asked for the appointment of an administrator, to enable him to devote full time to answering questions from investigators about the abuse scandal.

Bishop Magee said, “This means that the governance of the Diocese has now been transferred to Archbishop Clifford and that he has been given all the powers and duties of the Bishop of Cloyne. I retain the title of Bishop of Cloyne and I will dedicate my full time to the matter of the Inquiry. I shall certainly give Archbishop Clifford every support and assistance and shall keep him in my daily Masses and prayers.”

 

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Further information:

• Statement of Bishop John Magee (Diocese of Cloyne)
• Embattled bishop hands over control of diocese (Irish Independent)