The talk in Rome and Ireland is that there will be very big changes in the Archdiocese of Dublin this year.
My sources in Rome and Ireland tell me that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (74) will retire before June of this year.
A “dark horse” replacement for Diarmuid is widely rumoured to be Father Gareth Byrne who is an expert in Catholic education based at the Mater Dei Institute and Dublin City University.
Father Byrne also assists every weekend in the united parishes of Clontarf in North Dublin.
One source said he would be named soon as coadjutor archbishop of Dublin.
Of course there is another serious contended for the post in the Vatican based Bishop Paul Tighe – a native of Dublin.
However it is believed in some quarters that Paul Tighe wants to continue his upward career in Rome and that many in Rome see him as an asset the Vatican would not want to lose at this time because of his communication skills.
THW TWO AUXILIARIES ARE RETIRING
Added to the need for a new archbishop is the fact that the two auxiliary bishops of Dublin are to retire this year – Eamon Walsh and Raymond Field.
These two auxiliaries have had a very unhappy career. They were caught up in the Dublin abuse enquiry and Diarmuid Martin put them under pressure to resign. They agreed but then Rome rejected their resignations.
Diarmuid Martin and the two of them have had an estranged relationship and there were priests and people who did not like this.
And while Diarmuid Martin was good with the abuse crisis and the media he had a poor relationship with the Dublin priesthood.
Sadly, many Dublin priests are looking forward to his departure and a new regime.
Diarmuid himself has looked very stressed in recent times and there are rumours about his health.
I’m sure he will be glad to retire – maybe with one regret – that he was never made a cardinal?
Dublin needs a new archbishop and two new auxiliary bishops.
And out in the world the Irish Catholic church is dying on its feet, losing all credibility and will exist from now in in a hostile and anti-clerical society.
And all the while the Vatican is allowing women hysterectomies in LIMITED situations and poor Amy Sisyphus Martin is going around trying to restart the Irish Abortion War.
As Albert Camus said:
“The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labour”
I have just invented a new and better name for Amy Martin – SISYPHUS.
He is trying to turn around social progress in Ireland and bring us back to a Confessional Catholic State.
He is on Mission Impossible!
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 