Bishop Moriarty offers resignation to Holy Father
23. Dec, 2009 
13 Comments
Bishop Jim Moriarty has announced that he has offered his resignation as Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin to the Holy Father. Read full statement.
Statement by Bishop Jim Moriarty
23 December 2009
Following a meeting with the priests of the diocese and diocesan staff this afternoon, Bishop Jim Moriarty issued the following statement -
On the Sunday after the ‘Murphy Report’ into the Archdiocese of Dublin was published (29th November 2009), I stated the following in Carlow Cathedral;
“As you are aware, I served as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Dublin from 1991 until my appointment here in 2002. While the Murphy Report does not criticise me directly, I feel it is important to state that I fully accept the overall conclusion of the Commission – that the attempts by Church authorities to ‘protect the Church’ and to ‘avoid scandal’ had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong.”
I do not want to dwell here on individual criticism as I have already responded to that. As I acknowledged in radio interviews last week, the Murphy report covers far more than what individual Bishops did or did not do. Fundamentally it is about how the leadership of the Archdiocese failed over many decades to respond properly to criminal acts against children.
Over the last few weeks, I have been reflecting on what should be my response to the overall conclusion of the Murphy report – particularly because I was part of the governance of the Archdiocese prior to when correct child protection policies and procedures were implemented.
It does not serve the truth to overstate my responsibility and authority within the Archdiocese. Nor does it serve the truth to overlook the fact that the system of management and communications was seriously flawed. However, with the benefit of hindsight, I accept that, from the time I became an Auxiliary Bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture.
I know that any action now on my part does not take away the suffering that people have endured. I again apologise to all the survivors and their families. I have today offered my resignation as Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin to the Holy Father. I hope it honours the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned.
I will endeavour to continue to do my best, as I have throughout my 48 years of ministry, to share Christ’s light and hope for the world. We are about to celebrate Christmas, a time when we welcome Christ as the ‘light that darkness could not overpower’. It is this truth that leads us forward. Christ is our Light.
May the blessing, the grace and the peace of Christmas be with us all.
Notes
Bishop Moriarty will not be making further comment today.
For further information contact Fr Micheal Murphy 086 8244629
Such a sad day for you personally and for our Diocese.
Thank you for all your good work here in K&L over the last seven years.
Mary Foley
Yes, a sad day , but yet a day of great relief for Bishop Moriarty after a most wise decision by him.
Le gach dea-ghui
Michael McGrath
This is truely a Sad Sad moment and feel this is turning into a Witch hunt.
God Bless you Bishop Moriaty and all the work he has done.
Brendan
May +Jim know that many of us have the uttmost sympathy for him and are most uncomfortable with the “holier than thou” attitude shown by those who should know better.
Heber McMahon
Bishop Moriarty is a man of God and a man of the people.
There is no reason that he should resign, and what will it achieve?
The Church in Ireland needs good and experienced Bishops like him. I pray Pope Benedict will not accept his resignation.
James Wims
The correct decision by Bishop Jim.
No-one can stay in place who colluded in the cover up of such heinous acts by priests in the Dublin Archdiocese.
It is time the Church faced up to its failings in this area.
Martin Duffy
I don’t know why it took so long for Jim Moriarty to resign.
Nobody is above the law and I hope that all are brought to justice in due course.
Can we now move to a less autocratic and dictatorial church where lay people have real influence, less clericalism,and married clergy to include women?
Only then is there hope for change and renewed credibility.
Esther Crowe
So sad to hear of our Bishop Jim’s resignation… a wonderful man thank you for all the work you have done in this diocese over the last number of years…My thoughts are with you at this sad time…
Miriam Lyons
I was deeply saddened to hear of Bishop Jim’s resignation.
It is a sad day for our diosese and a very very sad day for the youth. As a person involved in youth ministry in our parish, I am aware of what a wonderful attitude and respect he has for the young people.
Bishop Jim has enriched our faith community immensely and it is a shame to witness the witch hunt that has been mounted against him. Wishing you the peace and goodwill of Christmas.
Dara Shortt
The words “witch hunt” are not appropriate.
There was a policy in place that protected church officials no matter what the cost to children and families and silence and inaction by the hierarchy make them complicit.
The Irish Church, if it is to survive, must undergo reformation. Even then it will never have the trust it once had and abused and deservedly so.
John King
once in a life time, the Catholic Church opens its doors to good people, who freely and openly dedicate their lives to living our faith story, and making that story accessible to everyone, not just select few.
Bishop Jim Moriarty, in my estimation, was a great deliverer of the faith to all people in the diocese of kildare and leighlin. Now our storybook must be closed, let’s hope the next chapter will lend itself to a leader as charitable, kind, and knowledgeble as Jim.
Amanda Barry
Fair play, Bishop Jim. Not just for standing down, but for the manner in which you have done so. Your statements “I accept that, from the time I became an auxiliary bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture” and “I hope it honours the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned” show a humility and dignity that has been sorely lacking over the past month.
Unfortunately, Bishop Martin Drennan’s decision to cling to office in Galway probably means that any goodwill achieved by Bishop Moriarty’s resignation has completely evaporated. What a waste.
John O’Connor
happy holy 2010
Ishwar Chand Chaudhary