Desmond Connell

Desmond Connell (24 March 1926 – 21 February 2017) was an Irish cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was an Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Cardinal Connell was one of a number of senior clergy to have been heavily criticised for inaction, making misleading statements and covering up clerical sex abuse in Dublin. He died on 21 February 2017, aged 90.

Early life Connell was born in Dublin on 24 March 1926, the son of John, a civil servant and Mary Lacy, a telephone operator. He also had an academic career, with a post at the Department of Metaphysics in University College Dublin. He was appointed Professor of General Metaphysics The favoured bishop for the post was Bishop Donal Murray. He was consecrated in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin on 6 March 1988.

On 26 April 2004, Connell retired as archbishop, handing the diocese to the coadjutor, Diarmuid Martin. All bishops submit their resignation to the Pope on their 75th birthday. Connell's was accepted shortly after he turned 78. He attended the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in June 2012 and concelebrated at the Statio Orbis Mass in Croke Park Stadium.

Pope Benedict XVI Connell was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

Handling of sexual abuse cases In 1996, Connell refused to help Marie Collins, a victim of Paul McGennis and did not pass on what he knew to her or to the police. He apologised six years later, in April 2002. In October 2002, a RTÉ Prime Time programme was broadcast detailing cases of sexual abuse among the clergy within the Dublin diocese. Connell's failure to address the abuse adequately would come under intense criticism.

The Irish government launched the Murphy Commission in March 2006 to investigate the matter. The prospect of Connell giving evidence to the Murphy Commission was notable in itself:

The 2009 Murphy Report into the scandal found that Connell was "slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation when he took over in 1988. He was over-reliant on advice from other people, including his auxiliary bishops and legal and medical experts. He was clearly personally appalled by the abuse but it took him some time to realize that it could not be dealt with by keeping it secret and protecting priests from the normal civil processes".

However, it commended him for making the archdiocesan records available to the authorities in 2002 and for his 1995 actions in giving the authorities the names of 17 priests who had been accused of abuse, but the list was incomplete, as complaints were made against at least 28 priests in the Archdiocese.

He arranged for compensation payments to be made from a "Stewardship Trust", which was kept secret from the archdiocese's parishioners until 2003.

Mental reservation Connell was criticised in some quarters for being economical with the truth in his use of the concept of mental reservation in inadequately answering questions about his knowledge of the abusive activities of priests under his control. Connell explained the concept of mental reservation to the commission:

Attitude to the Church of Ireland Connell, in an interview, spoke of what he claimed was a series of snubs from historically-Anglican Trinity College Dublin. Notably, in 1988, he alleged the university had "insulted me and through me the Catholic people of Dublin" by inviting him to the award of a doctorate to the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Walton Empey.

Connell was forced to issue an apology for saying that Dr. Empey did not "have much theological competence", and for describing his Church of Ireland counterpart as not being regarded as a "high flier".

Published works Connell has had a number of works published on philosophical or pastoral issues. These include: Essays in metaphysics, Four Court Press, Blackrock, County Dublin, 1996 Christian integrity: does it matter? : pastoral letter for Lent 1992, Veritas, Dublin, 1992 Christ our life: pastoral letter 1993, Veritas Publications, 1993 Christ our life: pastoral letters, 1988–95, Four Courts Press, Blackrock, County Dublin There was also one work published in his honour: At the heart of the real: philosophical essays in honour of Dr Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin edited by Fran O'Rourke, Irish Academic Press, Blackrock, County Dublin, 1992 .

Episcopal motto His episcopal motto, Secundum Verbum Tuum (According to Thy Word), is taken from Mary's response to God's call at the Annunciation, "Be it done unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38.)