Pope accepts Bishop of Derry's resignation

The Pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop of Derry Seamus Hegarty, who has been forced to step down due to ill health.

The announcement was made today in Rome after the senior cleric wrote to Pope Benedict XVI stating he was no longer fit to carry out his diocesan duties.

The 71-year-old was diagnosed with an irreversible and progressive illness and has had to scale back his duties.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church confirmed: “His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Seamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry. This announcement was made today in Rome.”

Bishop Hegarty had been undergoing medical tests throughout the year, but it was only recently that doctors diagnosed his condition.

Born in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1966, he was in charge of the Raphoe Diocese in Donegal from March 1982 before taking up his post in Derry in November 1994.

However his time in Raphoe was clouded by the handling of clerical child abuse allegations.

An audit on how Church authorities dealt with abuse complaints in the county has been carried out by the National Board for Safeguarding Children, the Catholic Church’s child protection watchdog.

The not yet published report is likely to examine the case of one of Ireland’s most notorious paedophile priests, Eugene Greene, who served in Donegal and was moved through several parishes.

After almost 25 years of abusing and eight parish moves, Greene was jailed for 12 years in 2000. He pleaded guilty to 41 sample charges against 26 victims.

Bishop Hegarty has been challenged over the Church’s handling of Greene, including why he was removed from ministry in 1994 and whether records were kept of complaints.

He had also been head of the Diocese of Derry for a year when a civil action was settled with the family of a girl abused by a priest.

However the senior cleric has maintained he intends to serve as a pastoral minister as far as his health will allow.

Bishop Hegarty said he would also ask for prayers that the Holy Spirit may guide the selection of the new Bishop of Derry.

“On a personal level, I would entrust my health to the prayers of the people of the diocese,” he added.

While the Diocese of Derry is without a bishop, Pope Benedict has asked the Diocesan College of Consultors, a group of eight priests who govern the diocese collegially for up to eight days, to meet and elect a Diocesan Administrator.