‘I never thought I’d live to see the day,’ is a common response when something unprecedented happens. An elderly priest I know made the comment when he read that Pope Francis had told the bishops in Rome at the recent Synod not to be afraid to say what they felt and that he wanted them to ‘debate, debate, debate’. Changed times indeed.
Not so long ago bishops never contradicted each other.
I am happily living on top of Laragh hill, where I am well away from any danger of floods, and where I can leave and close the door knowing for certain that there won’t be two feet of water in it when I return. It must be a dreadful experience to have your house flooded, with all the dreadful damage that causes, and the length of time it must take to get rid of the dampness and the smells.
I never met, nor had I any dealing with, Bishop Dermot O’Mahony. Until the Murphy Report anything I ever heard about him was positive – a warm, gentle, caring man who was a shining light in a Church that could often be harsh and judgmental.
I was part of the ACP sponsored study and critique of the Murphy Report by retired judge Fergal Sweeney. That convinced me that there were serious faults with the work of Yvonne Murphy on this occasion, and also with the legislation underpinning the Commission of Investigation.
