Clogher episcopal installation brings hopes of greater lay involvement

The new Bishop of Clogher in Ireland has said that one of his first priorities will be to address the declining number of priests in his diocese, writes Sarah Mac Donald.

Bishop-elect Lawrence Duffy, who will be installed this weekend by Archbishop Eamon Martin, told The Tablet that his first week as bishop will see three parishes in Clogher left without a resident priest for the first time.

“That is a big change for people and a big change for the diocese,” he admitted.

Speaking in Monaghan ahead of his official installation at St Macartan’s Cathedral, the former parish priest of Carrickmacross said he intended to reach out to laity and invite more of them to involvement in ministry.

This, he said, would involve setting up a team which will visit parishes to explain the restructuring necessitated by the decline in priest numbers and to invite people to train for areas such as “Ministry of the Word”, and possibly as catechists and even take funerals.

Asked about recent incidents where Irish politicians who supported a repeal of the pro-life Eighth Amendment in the constitution and the introduction of abortion services had been refused Communion, Bishop-elect Duffy commented: “If somebody comes for Communion – I would never refuse them. If somebody speaks about it, we will engage in a chat and I would be prepared to listen and then advise, but I would never refuse Communion.”

He added: “I take it that somebody who comes for Communion wants to follow Christ.” Communion was “a celebration of their commitment” and so he would not make a judgement on that.

Of the forthcoming referendum on divorce in Ireland, which proposes a reduction in the amount of time couples must be separated before they can divorce, he said: “My role is more a spiritual one, to encourage people when they get married to work at it as it needs to be for life. But you feel sorry for couples when it doesn’t work out.”