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Midnight Mass in Dublin: Two more bishops axed as protests rattle cathedral

FRIEDA KLOTZ,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, December 25, 2009, 12:19 AM

Updated Friday, December 25, 2009, 12:44 AM

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Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin

DUBLIN, Ireland — In what turned into a night of high drama at Midnight Mass in Dublin on Christmas Eve, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin announced that two more bishops, Ray Field and Eamon Walsh, will resign their positions because of the spreading pedophile scandal in the Irish Catholic Church.

Martin's stunning announcement was made from the pulpit of the city's famous Pro-Cathedral. During the ceremony, a heckler shouted to the Archbishop that he should "pray to God for his sins."

Martin asked the congregation to pray for Field and Walsh and added, "pray for me, too."

Outside the cathedral, a demonstrator burned copies of the Murphy Report — which detailed the activities of pedophile priests and the cover-up of their crimes by senior Archdiocese officials — saying the report was also a cover-up, and telling Mass-goers he and his brother had been abused by priests.

Both Field and Walsh were named in the Murphy Report. Their resignations mean that four bishops have now been removed who had worked in the Dublin Archdiocese in the 1980s and 1990s when the abuse occurred.

Bishops Donal Murray of Limerick and James Moriarty of Kildare have already stepped aside.

A fifth, Bishop Martin Drennan of Galway, is still insistent that he will not resign.

Nster.com

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Liamkeyes | Aug 04, 2010, 10:33 AM EDT

The more I think about it.....The less I think about it!!!

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murphy666 | Mar 11, 2010, 10:26 PM EST

One pedophile apologist resigns, another one replaces him . Where's the gain?

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McNamara31 | Dec 27, 2009, 04:30 PM EST

As for the Bishops resigning, Ireland is showing the world and especially the U.S. how it "should have" been done. Your accountable, step down...Your guilty of abuse...go to jail. Here in America, we still have many Bishops who were aware of abuse, still in power, adversly affecting the churches and schools within their responsibility. The Bishops in the New York area, recently fought "not" to have the statute of limitations increased, so older abuse claims could not be heard in court. Bishops who worked for Cardinal Law in Boston, during the major abuse cases in the U.S. were not held accountable, they were given their own diocesans in other states. The accountability thats happening in Ireland should ripple around the world.

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McNamara31 | Dec 27, 2009, 04:03 PM EST

Ahhh Plastic Paddy, I've read many of your posts, so witty and intelligent and politically astute. You have to believe there is one greater than us...I say this in the kindest of ways...Possibly the day you may start to believe, is the day you first hold your own child in your arms.It does it for most people.

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Watereskhill | Dec 26, 2009, 09:20 PM EST

The truth is every Bishop in Ireland through the ornate grapevine and labrynth that The Church is was fully aware and privy to these 'scandals' long before they hit the press with The Murphy Report. As in any Corporation. That they now ratio knowledge of and scrutinize papers for any involvement is to hold onto a priviledged domain and hat. The arrogance of Bishop Martin Drennan of Galway a fine avatar in this instance;insisting he will not resign. Sorry Marty. Those days of lording over the land have evaporated and the mists of Galway won't shield thy sins...Next!

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plasticpaddy | Dec 26, 2009, 11:46 AM EST

pray all ye want, won't do anyone any good, may as well do a bloody rain dance. So Silly.

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kickstar | Dec 26, 2009, 07:23 AM EST

Bishop Martin Drennan insists he will not Resign...Why?...Because he has done No Wrong....And he is Right...And along with a few thousand pedophile priests he has done No Wrong... And he has done No Wrong for a very long time....But it is time to end this Doing No Wrong and to start Doing some Right.

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ceciliag | Dec 25, 2009, 10:14 PM EST

Don't pray for the bishops who sold their souls for positions of wealth and power and allowed so many children and young people to suffer needlessly. If you must pray for someone, pray for the victims who's lives have been destroyed. The bishops are just as scummy as the pervert priests they aided and protected. May they all rot in hell.

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mccourt1689 | Dec 25, 2009, 09:03 PM EST

God needs to help the church survive

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Godscre | Dec 25, 2009, 10:17 AM EST

Why all the cover-up for years by 'leaders'? We will all be held accountable for everything in creation including animals. "No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account." Hebrews 4:13

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Portia777 | Dec 25, 2009, 09:27 AM EST

Martin asked the congregation to pray for Field and Walsh and added, "pray for me, too." Now who should we pray to?? Surely not their "God"

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Portia777 | Dec 25, 2009, 09:26 AM EST

Glad to see Ireland is Awake once more.

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