When a bishop loses the confidence of his flock, the sooner he goes the better
The Bishop of Dromore, Dr John McAreavey, has resigned his see. Dromore is the diocese that covers the counties of Antrim, Armagh and Down in Northern Ireland. The Bishop made a statement, published on the diocesan website, explaining his dealings with the late Malachy Finnegan, an abusive priest, prior to a BBC investigation into the case. Later, as the Irish Times reports, the Bishop decided to step down with immediate effect because it was clear that his decision to say the funeral Mass for Finnegan back in 2002 was the wrong decision and had caused hurt to the victims of the abuser, as well as a loss of confidence in the people of the diocese, some of whom were now wishing their children not to be confirmed by him.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/03/02/the-bishop-of-dromore-was-right-to-resign-others-should-take-note/
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/03/02/the-bishop-of-dromore-was-right-to-resign-others-should-take-note/
