Fifth Irish Catholic bishop under pressure to resign in Church scandal

Galway prelate says report 'says nothing negative about me'

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Campaigner Maeve Lewis says Bishop Drennan's departure is 'inevitable.'

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Fresh calls for the fifth and last remaining bishop who was named in the Murphy Commission report on child sex abuse in the Dublin archdiocese to resign have been made.

Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan is the last bishop of the five to still remain in office. He was Auxiliary Bishop in Dublin from 1997 to 2005. When the report was published, he claimed it "says nothing negative about me."

He also claims to have deep support from his flock in Galway and local radio stations have stated that calls in his favor far outweigh calls for his resignation. Local member of parliament Frank Fahey has also called on him to stay on.

However, Maeve Lewis, chief executive of the One in Four group, which represents child sex abuse survivors, has stated that Drennan must resign and said his departure is "inevitable."

Bishops Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field offered to resign in an announcement made at midnight mass in the Dublin archdiocese on Christmas Eve.

Their joint statement said they hoped their resignations would help "bring peace" to the victims of sexual abuse. Both men were still auxillary bishops of Dublin.

The Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray resigned earlier this month when the report called his actions as "inexcusable" in his dealings with a pedophile priest. .

On Wednesday Bishop James Moriarty, the Bishop of Kildare resigned.

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