Bishop John Magee stands aside as bishop of Cloyne

Bishop John Magee has stepped aside as Bishop of Cloyne and Archbishop Dermot Clifford is to take over the running of the diocese with immediate effect. The move comes at the request of Bishop Magee who, in the words of a statement posted on his website, "wishes to devote the neccessary time and energy to cooperating fully with the government Commission of Inquiry into child protection practices and procedures in the diocese of Cloyne, as he has already committed himself to do."

Bishop Magee wrote to the Pope on 4th February 2009, requesting him to appoint an Apostolic Administrator to the diocese of Cloyne. Yesterday, the Pope appointed Dr Clifford to the post.

Welcoming the decision, Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said the Pope’s decision “to grant that request is an indication of the importance which the Church gives to safeguarding children and caring for the needs of victims.”

Dr Brady wished Archbishop Clifford well as he took up the administration of the diocese of Cloyne.

Although Bishop Magee will  no longer run the diocese, he will retain the title of Bishop of Cloyne.

Accepting the new appointment, Archbishop Clifford said that through the new appointment he now had all the “powers and duties of the bishop of Cloyne.”

“I look forward to serving the people and priests of Cloyne and to giving them pastoral leadership to the best of my ability.  Coming from a neighbouring diocese, I know them to be a people with a proud tradition of faith,” he added.

Dr Clifford said that he too would cooperate fully with the Commission of Inquiry into the diocese of Cloyne.
 
“I intend to meet with the College of Consultors, the Council of Priests, and the diocesan Child Protection Delegate as soon as possible.  I ask for the prayers and support of the lay faithful, priests and religious of the diocese of Cloyne.”

Bishop Magee had faced several calls to resign after a report, published late last year, found his diocese had responded inappropriately to sex abuse allegations and had put children at risk of harm.

The Cloyne Report, published on December 19th last, was prepared by the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children, a body set up by the Church but independent of it. It found that child protection practices in Cloyne were “inadequate and in some respects dangerous”.

Last night, at 6.00pm Mass Bishop Magee addressed the people of the diocese at Mass in St Colman’s Cathedral, saying he was dedicating himself to the inquiry into child protection practices.

"You may be aware that on January 7th last the government decided to ask the Commission of Investigation into the Dublin Archdiocese to carry out an examination of the operation of practices and policies in relation to child protection in this Diocese.
 
“At that time I stated I would give every possible cooperation to the Commission in carrying out its task. I am conscious of the fact that, as I have to give so much of my time and energy to the task ahead, conducting the normal administration of the diocese, in all its aspects, would prove to be very difficult."

Bishop Magee said he had requested the Vicars Forane to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation, and he extended God’s blessing to the children and their families.

He said he was grateful to the Holy Father for appointing Archbishop Dermot Clifford, and he asked people to join him in remembering in prayer “any persons who have been so wrongly abused by priests of this diocese.”

Bishop Magee served as private secretary to popes Paul VI, Pope John Paul I and Pope John Paul II and in 1982 he was appointed Master of Pontifical Ceremonies. In 1987 he became Bishop of Cloyne.