Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on May 28, 2008 11:28:47 GMT
The Diocese of Kerry has a Catholic population of approximately 130,000 in 54 parishes served by 127 priests. It covers most of Co Kerry and part of Co Cork. Its official website is: www.dioceseofkerry.ie/ .
When the indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos took effect in 1984, Bishop Kevin McNamara was on his last few weeks as Bishop of Kerry prior to becoming Archbishop of Dublin. He had succeeded Bishop Eamonn Casey in that position in 1976. Bishop Diarmuid O Suilleabhain served as Bishop of Kerry between 1985 and 1994 and Bishop William Murphy was appointed in 1995.
Bishop O Suilleabhain was one of two bishops who suggested to the (then) Latin Mass Society of Ireland that their name was misleading. As result of this, the society adopted the name Ecclesia Dei Ireland in 1992, rather than asking where they could get Novus Ordo Masses in Kerry at the time.
The bishop received a number of petitions for an indult Mass in his diocese originating in Cahirciveen, Killarney and Tralee. While on the Ad Limina visit to John Paul II in 1992, Mgr O Suilleabhain was among a number of bishops who called upon the then president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Antonio Cardinal Innocenti. In a response to one of the petitioners reported in the American Latin Mass Magazine, the bishop told Mrs Hannah McCarthy of Cahirciveen that Cardinal Innocenti informed him that he was under no obligation to provide an indult Mass in his diocese. We can get into a post hoc, propter hoc discussion here, but it does seem more than coincidental that the response to the Irish bishops to the 1984 indult/1988 motu proprio was largely positive before this time (see Down & Connor, Derry, Raphoe, Elphin, Tuam and Dublin), but became very niggardly afterwards, with Masses disappearing and not being replaced - between this date and the institution of the Sunday Mass in Bruckless, Co Donegal in 1999, nothing significant happened in Ireland.
Following Bishop O Suilleabhain's refusal, the SSPX came into the Kerry diocese and established a monthly Mass in Tralee. A petitioner from Ballylongford approached Bishop Murphy with no effect and a letter from the bishop after the Motu proprio did the rounds on internet chat lists and was substantially published in the Sunday Business Post last year.
Late last year, rumours were in circulation that the SSPX were about to withdraw from Tralee. A local group approached one of the parish priests in Tralee who came to an arrangement with Fr John O'Rourke OP in the Dominicans to have Mass on one Sunday a month commencing on the third Sunday of January 2008. This has been in effect since then.
Kerry was listed with Clonfert, Cloyne, Dromore and Ossory as one of the five that had never allowed the indult Mass prior to 2006. Only Dromore allowed the Mass prior to Kerry - Ossory and Cloyne followed.
When the indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos took effect in 1984, Bishop Kevin McNamara was on his last few weeks as Bishop of Kerry prior to becoming Archbishop of Dublin. He had succeeded Bishop Eamonn Casey in that position in 1976. Bishop Diarmuid O Suilleabhain served as Bishop of Kerry between 1985 and 1994 and Bishop William Murphy was appointed in 1995.
Bishop O Suilleabhain was one of two bishops who suggested to the (then) Latin Mass Society of Ireland that their name was misleading. As result of this, the society adopted the name Ecclesia Dei Ireland in 1992, rather than asking where they could get Novus Ordo Masses in Kerry at the time.
The bishop received a number of petitions for an indult Mass in his diocese originating in Cahirciveen, Killarney and Tralee. While on the Ad Limina visit to John Paul II in 1992, Mgr O Suilleabhain was among a number of bishops who called upon the then president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Antonio Cardinal Innocenti. In a response to one of the petitioners reported in the American Latin Mass Magazine, the bishop told Mrs Hannah McCarthy of Cahirciveen that Cardinal Innocenti informed him that he was under no obligation to provide an indult Mass in his diocese. We can get into a post hoc, propter hoc discussion here, but it does seem more than coincidental that the response to the Irish bishops to the 1984 indult/1988 motu proprio was largely positive before this time (see Down & Connor, Derry, Raphoe, Elphin, Tuam and Dublin), but became very niggardly afterwards, with Masses disappearing and not being replaced - between this date and the institution of the Sunday Mass in Bruckless, Co Donegal in 1999, nothing significant happened in Ireland.
Following Bishop O Suilleabhain's refusal, the SSPX came into the Kerry diocese and established a monthly Mass in Tralee. A petitioner from Ballylongford approached Bishop Murphy with no effect and a letter from the bishop after the Motu proprio did the rounds on internet chat lists and was substantially published in the Sunday Business Post last year.
Late last year, rumours were in circulation that the SSPX were about to withdraw from Tralee. A local group approached one of the parish priests in Tralee who came to an arrangement with Fr John O'Rourke OP in the Dominicans to have Mass on one Sunday a month commencing on the third Sunday of January 2008. This has been in effect since then.
Kerry was listed with Clonfert, Cloyne, Dromore and Ossory as one of the five that had never allowed the indult Mass prior to 2006. Only Dromore allowed the Mass prior to Kerry - Ossory and Cloyne followed.