This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.
Michael Commane
Last Tuesday Dermot Farrell was named as the new Catholic archbishop of Dublin.
The archbishop-elect is from Westmeath and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath on June 7, 1980.
He spent 11 years as president of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Since 2018 he has been bishop in the Diocese of Ossory. Before his episcopal appointment he was parish priest in Dunboyne.
In the run-up to the appointment of a new bishop the papal nuncio sends three names, called a terna, to Rome and a group of men in the Vatican usually pick one of the three and that person is appointed bishop.
Is it possible that senior clerics had suggested names to the papal nuncio? Because it is all done behind closed doors it’s fair to say that anything and everything is possible. And it’s a pity that the appointment of bishops is done in such a closed and secret manner. Far too often apparatchik-type people can easily be appointed bishops.
What Dublin needs right now is a charismatic man, who will inspire, someone who will be genuinely interested in people. And already, Dermot Farrell has spoken of the importance for him to listen to the people.
The Catholic Church in Ireland is tired and its leadership leaves much to be desired.
Is it a good idea to move one of the current Irish bishops to Dublin? Was there not a priest in the archdiocese suitable for the position? The archdiocese needs someone with imagination and courage, who will not be afraid to try new ways, so as to capture the imagination of the people.
After all, the Gospel is a story of Good News and wouldn’t you imagine that it should be easy enough to sell a good news story.
The new archbishop needs to be a person of prayer and humility, who feels at ease with people. Dermot Farrell has a doctorate in theology. I hope he can easily communicate the faith and is pastorally sensitive.
It’s important that he appoint a top class press officer, who has the skills, intelligence and sense of humour to make the story of the Good News attractive to the media.
The church has a bad track record in appointing staid and boring people to speak on their behalf to the media. Indeed, often they have a sense of haughtiness about them. Any good press officer needs to feel at ease with his or her counterparts across the media.
On top of all that, the new bishop will have the almost impossible task of getting to know the priests of the diocese and building up a relationship with them. A bishop needs to be in touch with his priests and deacons.
Just imagine if the new man, say within 100 days in the job, decided to organise a gathering, some sort of synod, to plan for the future of the archdiocese.
Above all, Dermot Farrell needs to give us hope, not just to Catholics but to all people of good will.
Hopefully he will be kind and good natured to the people in the archdiocese.
No comments:
Post a Comment