Raymond Field (bishop)

Raymond W. Field KC*HS (born 24 May 1944) is an Irish former Roman Catholic prelate who served as auxiliary bishop of Dublin between 1997 and 2019.

The Most Reverend, Dr.

Raymond Field

BL DD KC*HS
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Dublin
Titular Bishop of Árd Mór
ChurchRoman Catholic
DioceseDublin
SeeÁrd Mór
Appointed28 May 1997
Installed21 September 1997
Term ended27 June 2019 (Dublin)
PredecessorJames Holmes-Siedle (Árd Mór)
Donal Murray (Dublin)
Orders
Ordination17 May 1970
Consecration21 September 1997
by Desmond Connell
Personal details
Born (1944-05-24) 24 May 1944
Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland
Previous post(s)Chairman of the Council for Justice and Peace and Council for Immigrants of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference
Head chaplain to the Defence Forces
Chaplain at Mountjoy Prison and St Patrick's Institution
Assistant diocesan director at Accord
Teacher at Plunket College of Further Education
Alma materHoly Cross College
Styles of
Raymond Field
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleYour Grace
Religious styleBishop

Early life and education

Field was born in Drumcondra, Dublin on 24 May 1944. He attended primary and secondary school at O'Connell School before studying for the priesthood at Holy Cross College.[1][2]

Field was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dublin on 17 May 1970.[1]

Presbyteral ministry

Following ordination, Field completed a Bachelor of Laws from King's Inns and subsequently qualified as a barrister, where he was called to both the British and Irish bars. He was also a member of the first successful Irish expedition to Mount Everest with Dawson Stelfox in 1993.[3]

Field also served as a teacher at Plunket College of Further Education and as chaplain at Mountjoy Prison and St Patrick's Institution. He was also appointed head chaplain to the Defence Forces, and was assistant diocesan director of the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (now Accord) for thirteen years.[3]

Field has also completed a Doctorate in Divinity and was also appointed Chaplain of His Holiness.[4]

Episcopal ministry

Field was appointed auxiliary bishop-elect of Dublin and titular bishop-elect of Árd Mór, with responsibility for the deaneries of Blanchardstown, Fingal North and Maynooth, by Pope John Paul II on 28 May 1997. He was consecrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Desmond Connell, on 21 September in St Andrew's Church, Westland Row, Dublin.[5]

Following his appointment as archdiocesan health care representative, Field co-ordinated local preparations for World Day of the Sick celebrations since 2002, while on a national level, he chaired the Council for Justice and Peace and the Council for Immigrants of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference.[2]

Clerical sexual abuse scandals
Main article: Murphy Report

Following the publication of the Murphy Report, the final report of a three-year commission of investigation conducted by the Government of Ireland into sexual abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Dublin, on 26 November 2009, there were calls for Field to resign from his post.[6]

During Midnight Mass in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral on 24 December, Field and fellow auxiliary bishop Éamonn Walsh offered their apologies to victims of clerical sexual abuse and announced that they had tendered their resignations as auxiliary bishops of Dublin to Pope Benedict XVI. In a joint statement, Field and Walsh expressed their hope that their resignations "may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims (and) survivors of child sexual abuse".[7][8][9] This followed the resignations of two former auxiliary bishops of Dublin, James Moriarty and Donal Murray, from their roles as Bishops of Kildare and Leighlin and Limerick respectively.[10][11]

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, had initially called for Field and Walsh to resign, but both initially refused. In his homily at Midnight Mass, Martin remarked that the Church had placed its self-interest above the rights of its parishioners, particularly innocent children, for too long, adding that they, as well as the dedicated majority of priests, had been betrayed by their leaders.[12][13][14]

Return to ministry

It was announced on 11 August 2010 that Field's letter of resignation had not been accepted by Pope Benedict XVI.[15]

It was subsequently announced that he would remain as an auxiliary bishop with "revised responsibilities within the diocese".[12]

Retirement

In accordance with canon law, Field submitted his episcopal resignation to the Dicastery for Bishops on his 75th birthday on 24 May 2019.[16]

It was subsequently announced on 27 June that his resignation has been accepted by Pope Francis.[1]

See also

References
  1. McGarry, Patsy (28 June 2019). "Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Raymond Field retires at 75". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  2. Gately, Susan (28 June 2019). "Bishop Ray Field retires". CatholicIreland.net. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  3. McGarry, Patsy (29 May 1997). "Two new auxiliary bishops appointed in Dublin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  4. "Bishops". Archdiocese of Dublin. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  5. "Bishop Raymond Field". The Irish Times. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  6. McGarry, Patsy; McGee, Harry (28 November 2009). "Pressure mounts on bishops named in abuse report to resign". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  7. "Bishop Éamonn Walsh and Bishop Raymond Field offer their resignation to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  8. "Bishops' statement". The Irish Times. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  9. "Two Irish Catholic bishops resign over church cover-up of child abuse". The Guardian. 25 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  10. "Bishop resigns over abuse report". BBC News. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  11. "Bishop quits after abuse scandal". BBC News. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  12. Kelly, Michael (11 August 2010). "Pope will not accept resignation of Dublin auxiliary bishops". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  13. "25/12/09 Midnight Mass Christmas 2009". Archdiocese of Dublin. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  14. Klotz, Frieda (24 December 2009). "Midnight Mass in Dublin: Two more bishops axed as protests rattle cathedral". IrishCentral.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  15. Kelly, Dara (11 August 2010). "Pope Benedict rejects Irish bishop's resignation". IrishCentral.com. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  16. "Statement on the retirement of Bishop Ray Field". Archdiocese of Dublin. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
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