Limerick’s new bishop has quoted Bono in his inauguration speech and urged his new flock to reach out to all members of society.

Fr Brendan Leahy recited from the U2 hit ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ as he was as the 47th Bishop of Limerick, and the first to be ordained since 1974.

The Irish Times reports that Limerick had been without a bishop since 2009 when Bishop Donal Murray resigned following criticism of him in the Murphy report.

When he addressed the congregation at the end of the celebration, Bishop Leahy said he and all in the diocese are ‘at the beginning of a new chapter in which there is a great need to reach out to the marginalised and broken in society’.

He said he took inspiration from Pope Francis and was struck by the words of the new pontiff when he advised to ‘start from the outskirts’ when reaching out to people.

According to the Irish Times, Limerick’s new bishop then quoted the lyrics from the U2 song.

He said these could be applied to the situation many people find themselves in with regard to faith.

Bishop Leahy said: “A fellow Irishman, Bono, wrote a song some years ago now. Its words ran something like this: ‘I have climbed highest mountains, I have run through the fields, only to be with you, only to be with you. I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, these city walls, only to be with you. But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.’

“I don’t know what Bono had in mind but these words can be applied to the situation many find themselves in with regard to faith. Moments of difficulty are written into the Christian journey of faith.

“How many saints and exemplary men and women throughout the centuries have told us about shadowy moments they lived through.”

The new bishop also spoke of the Catholic Church’s need to seek forgiveness for its own sins, particularly in relation to clerical abuse.

He added: “Darkness in our faith journey can affect us individually but also as a group, as a community, as a church.

“We know only too well of how many innocent people suffer terrible darkness because of clerical abuse. I want to make their pain my own and seek forgiveness 70 times seven. It is a deep wound also for all of us.”