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POPE FRANCIS HAS accepted the resignation of Bishop of Dromore John McAreavey and the former Bishop of Raphoe, Philip Boyce, has been appointed administrator.
McAreavey announced his resignation on 1 March in wake of concerns raised by parents of children whose Confirmation he was due to preside over later this year.
It was reported earlier this year by the BBC Spotlight programme that McAreavey had officiated at the funeral mass of a priest accused by 12 people of sexual abuse.
Fr Malachy Finnegan, who died in 2002, was a teacher at St Colman’s College in Newry from 1967 to 1976. The abuse claims against him were detailed in the BBC Spotlight programme in February.
At the time, Bishop McAreavey told the programme:
“The first allegation against Malachy Finnegan came to light in 1994, some seven years after he left St Colman’s College. The second allegation came in 1998 and was not related to his tenure at St Colman’s. No further allegations emerged until after his death in January 2002.”
He said that he had made an “error in celebrating Finnegan’s funeral. A spotlight reporter revealed in late February that Bishop McAreavey had celebrated a mass alongside Finnegan in 2002.
John McAreavey was ordained a priest in 1973 and was ordained Bishop of Dromore in 1999.
In a statement this afternoon, Archbishop Eamon Martin said he wished to acknowledge McAreavey’s 19 years of service as a bishop.
“As president of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, I thank him for his generous contribution in a wide variety of roles as a member of the Bishops’ Conference during that time.
As the bishops stated following their Spring 2018 general meeting earlier this month, the Church can never become complacent concerning the safeguarding of children. The Church is committed to both the review process of dioceses undertaken by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church and to cooperation with any inquiry required by statutory bodies.
“My prayers also go to Bishop Philip Boyce as he begins his service as Apostolic Administrator of Dromore.”
Bishop Philip Boyce
Bishop Boyce, aged 78, was raised in Co Donegal. He joined the novitiate of the Discalced Carmelites in Loughrea, Co Galway, making his first profession in 1959.
Having completely philosophical studies in Dublin, Boyce studied theology at the Teresianum in Rome, where he was ordained on 17 April 1966. Boyce has spent much of his life since teaching and preparing men for the priesthood in Rome.
He was ordained the Bishop of Raphoe on 1 October 1995 in the Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba in Letterkenny, Donegal.
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The catholic church threatened with excommunication any priest who would not cast a veil of silence and secrecy over pedophile priests and their victims with excommunication. This led to major child abuse scandals in the following places (this list is far from complete by the way….):
Albany, NY, Altoona, PA, Anchorage, AK, Anchorage, KY, Baker, OR, Baltimore, MD, Billings, MT, Bridgeport, CT, Briscoe Memorial, WA, Brooklyn, NY, Burlington, VT, Camden, NJ, Cape Girardeau, MO, Charleston, SC, Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Collegeville, MN, Conway Springs, KS, Covington, KY, Dallas, TX, Davenport, IA, Denver, CO, Detroit, MI, Dubuque, IA, East Greenwich, RI, El Paso, TX, Fairbanks, AK, Fall River, MA, Fargo, ND, Farmington, IA, Fort Worth, TX, Gallup, NM, Goshen, NY, Grand Mound, IA, Grand Rapids, MI, Greenbush, MN, Hannibal, CT, Helena, MT, Honolulu, HI, Indianapolis, IN, Jackson, MS, Joliet, IL, Kansas, City, KS, Kansas, City, MO, Lincoln, NE, Los Angeles, CA, Los Gatos, CA, Louisville, KY, Manchester, NH, Marietta, GA, Marty Indian School, SD, Memphis, TN, Mendham, NJ, Miami, FL, Milwaukee, WI, Mobile, AL, Monterey, CA, Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, New York, NY, Oakland, CA, Omaha, NE, Onamia, MN, Orange, CA, Palm Beach, FL, Peoria, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, Portland, OR, Providence, RI, Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, Rochester, NY, Rockville Centre, NY, Rosebud Reservation, SD, Sacramento, CA, San Antonio, TX, San Bernardino, CA, San Diego, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Santa Fe, NM, Santa Rosa, CA, Savannah, GA, Scranton, PA, Seattle, WA, Spokane, WA, Springfield, MA, St. Francis, WI, St. Ignatius, MT, St. Louis, MO, St. Michael, AK, St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN, Stebbins, AK, Stockton, CA, Tucson, AZ, Wellesley, MA, Wilmington, DE, Worcester, MA, Yakima, WA, Yuma, AZ, Adelaide, Australia, Akute, Nigeria, Antigonish, Canada, Arapiraca, Brazil, Auckland, New Zealand, Ayacucho, Peru, Ballarat, Australia, Bass Hill, Australia, Bathurst, Australia, Berazategui, Argentina, Berlin, Germany, Bindoon, Australia, Bo, Sierra Leone, Bontoc, Philippines, Brits, South Africa, Bruges, Belgium, Buenos Aires, Argentia, Caen, France, Canberra, Australia, Cape Town, South Africa, Cebu City, Philippines, Chatham, Canada, Chimbote, Peru, Christchurch, New Zealand, Ciudad de México, México, Comillas, Spain, Cottolengo, Chile, Cuacnopalan, Mexico, Curracloe, Ireland, Dandenong, Australia, Dublin, Ireland, Edinburgh, Scotland, Feilding, New Zealand, Flawinne, Belgium, Franca, Brazil, Gortahork, Ireland, Goulbara, Australia, Grenada, Spain, Hamilton, New Zealand, Hobart, Australia, Hollabrunn, Austria, Igloolik, Canada, Kilnacrott, Ireland, Kircubbin, Northern Ireland, Latticefield, Australia, Letterfrack, Ireland, London, England, Lota, Ireland, Maipú, Chile, Manchester, England, Manila, Philippines, Mariana, Brazil, Masterton, New Zealand, Medellín, Colombia, Melbourne, Australia, Melipilla, Chile, Mérida, Venezuela, Middlesbrough, England, Mildura, Australia, Mittagong, Australia, Monageer, Ireland, Morisset, Australia, Morón, Argentina, Mount Isa, Australia, Munich, Germany, Nairobi, Kenya, Naval, Philippines, Neerkol, Australia, Newcastle, Australia, Ngong, Kenya, Ollur, India, Ottre, Belgium, Paraná, Argentina, Perth, Australia, Pilar, Argentina, Poznan, Poland, Preston, England, Quilicura, Chile, Quilmes, Argentina, Rab, Croatia, Reading, England, Frickhofen, Germany, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Rufisque, Senegal, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France, Salta, Argentina, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Santiago, Chile, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Sherbrooke, Canada, Silverstream, New Zealand, Soni, Tanzania, St. John’s, Canada, Sydney, Australia, Toowoomba, Australia, Trondheim, Norway, Tubay, Philippines, Wagga Wagga, Australia, Wexford, Ireland, Wilno, Canada, Wollongong, Australia
@Beyond Belief:
I feel like I have seen that list somewhere before
@Beyond Belief: Thank you for posting that list.
The journal should sticky it to any article where pedophile priests are mentioned.
@Beyond Belief: Wow, somebody’s got a lot of time on their hands.
There are all in it together…
BREAKING NEWS: Elderly man retires. Boss says “OK”.
https://twitter.com/_FeachNews/status/978280124012474368
@Féach News: He didn’t retire. The man replacing him is much older.
LOL, seems like they couldn’t find anyone under 75 to fill the position
Its a pity the cult leader wont formally accept my resignation from this evil organisation
@Sean O Sullivan: What are you on about?
@The Bunk: im on about the fact that i was baptised as a baby without my consent obviously so my name was put on the catholic church’s register but i have been an atheist since i was 7 but im not allowed by the catholic chirch to officially leave and have my name taken off the register, the pope has the power to change this but wont, i do hope I’ve cleared that up for the single cell brain capacity people.
@The Bunk: to officially leave the catholic church is an incredibly drawn out process which is purposely in place to keep up official numbers.
@Sean O Sullivan: Single cell brain capacity people? I think you should look up the meaning of resign in the dictionary. Smart arse!
@Sean O Sullivan: If you don’t like the pints being served just leave the bar.
@League of shadows: do ye idiots not get it I’m not allowed get my name off the register
@The Bunk: oooh hit a nerve did i single cell owner ?
@Sean O Sullivan: No, but unless you are employed by the Catholic Church you cannot resign from the Catholic Church. Resignation meaning: “an act of resigning from a job or office”
Maybe try grasping the basics of the English language before firing your petty insults!
@The Bunk: okay so its the resign word you were having trouble with , right i want to QUIT the catholic church and i want my name taken off the register, im sorry the word resignation in the sentence upset you so much and that your tiny little mind couldn’t grasp what i meant.
@Sean O Sullivan: I grasped what you meant and I corrected you hence my comment. Do try to keep up!
Mickey Harte has been very quiet on this one.
Choosing a man of the calibre of Boyce as a stand in tells all anyone who is interested needs to know.
You could hardly choose anyone more conservative/reactionary/ out-of-touch. Also, his record of subterfuge re abusing clergy on Raphoe does not inspire confidence.
This appointment dispels for me any lingering sense this pope has anything more positive to offer than his immediate predecessors. Utterly disgraceful!
Ah yes, another geriatric coffin dodger to “preach” to the faithful…… what a load of billux
A complete disgrace, McAreavey is a wonderful man and great spiritual leader to many Catholics. You can bet atheists and anti-choicers were behind this scandal.
@LoveBoth: the catholic cult causes their own scandals dont ya think
@Sean O Sullivan: The Catholic Church is not a cult, I bet you wouldn’t dare say that about Islam.
@LoveBoth: yes i have many times all religions are cults
@LoveBoth: I agree, Islam is a cult.
And while we’re on the subject can anyone tell me Islam delicious when slow roasted?
@LoveBoth: the only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of followers.
@Sean O Sullivan: the only difference between a cult and a religion is that with a cult the fella at the top who knows it’s a scam is still alive.
@LoveBoth: No outside help required. The Catholic Church continues to do a highly efficient job of destroying itself.
@LoveBoth: “great spiritual leader to many Catholics”
Who officiated and praised a known sex offender? Catholic’s are nuts, the mental gymnastics required to continue to defend the indefensible is a sight to behold. Sick institution followed by sick people.
@The Risen: I’m robbing that lol!
@LoveBoth: Islam is another cult.
@LoveBoth: Right behind you brother, too many militants want to make a song and dance about everything now instead of live and let live. In the words of Michael Caine in one of those Bat man flicks ‘some people just want to watch the world burn’
@The Risen: A bit like the leaders of 1916.
@The Risen: Classic!
@times not tunes!
I’ve resigned. It’s easy .
Aren’t ye the anti choicers??
I’ve resigned. It’s easy if you try.,!!
have your say