Disgraced Bishop told to apologise for affair

The Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan today called on Dr Eamonn Casey to apologise for his affair with an American divorcee before returning to the diocese.

Bishop Drennan said the exiled cleric recognised he had made a huge mistake and he urged him to publicly admit his guilt.

“I think in some way he has let the church down and that requires some admission of guilt. Yes, I think a public apology would be very welcome in that sense,” Bishop Drennan said.

The Bishop denied that there had been a concerted effort to force Dr Casey out of Ireland after the revelation he had a teenage son broke 14 years ago.

“All of the rumours round that he was blocked from coming back that was not true. He was never actually forbidden from returning to Ireland,” the Bishop told RTE Radio.

“As far as I know every Bishop is happy that he [Bishop Casey] is coming back.”

Bishop Drennan said he would have preferred if Dr Casey had stayed in Galway at the time and faced up to his responsibilities.

“I suppose my own preference at the time would have been had he stayed put and faced the situation as it was, possibly because of the pressure at the time he felt it wiser to get out of the environment,” he said.

“I think in today’s climate we’d be more inclined to encourage a person to take responsibility for their actions and then see what consequences they needed to look at.

“He knows that he made a huge mistake and he knows it himself and he has said it to me as well.”

But Bishop Drennan praised people’s ability to forgive Dr Casey.

“What impresses me most is the quality of forgiveness of the people I have met,” the Bishop said.

“Everyone agrees what happened was traumatic. It disturbed people’s faith and caused a lot of anger. Everyone agrees, they say time has moved on, we have all moved on, we’d like to bring this to a closure through forgiveness.”

Bishop Drennan insisted that Dr Casey would be welcome back in the diocese and that he could expect a sympathetic reception from the public. It is understood a house has been made available to Dr Casey if he wishes to return.

“There has been a very positive reaction around Galway, long before he announced his return, that a return would be welcome,” he said.

“I was shocked and taken aback by what happened but I think that damage can be healed by forgiveness and understanding.

“I would say it is a good day for the gospel that forgiveness has succeeded in winning. I find that forgiveness brings it’s own joy and healing and that’s what I sense from meeting people around Galway now. I would say it’s a good day in that sense,” he added.

Dr Casey was appointed bishop of Kerry in 1969. While there he had a relationship with Annie Murphy, but the affair and birth of his son, Peter, remained secret until 1992.

As bishop of Galway from 1976 Dr Casey continued his active ministry until the controversy became public.

After the scandal broke Dr Casey left Ireland to work in the missions in Ecuador. He then took up a ministry in the south of England in the parish of Arundel and Brighton but he has since stood aside following abuse allegations.

Dr Casey is currently being investigated by gardai in Limerick over claims that he abused a woman during his ministry in Ireland. Bishop Drennan revealed that Dr Casey had been forced to move out of the parochial house in Hayward Heath and that he felt isolated and lonely since the allegations.

Following the claims Dr Casey was ordered to cease active ministry. He is also barred from unsupervised access to children.