Following the death of Bishop Brendan Comiskey SS CC, Bishop Emeritus of Ferns and former Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has published the following statement:
On behalf of the Bishops’ Conference, I wish to express my sadness at the death of Bishop Brendan Comiskey SS CC, Bishop Emeritus of Ferns, who served for over twenty years as a member of the Bishops Conference, from the time of his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin until his resignation as Bishop of Ferns in 2002. I offer my sympathies to his devoted extended family members, to Father Michael Ruddy SS CC and all in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who have been so attentive to Bishop Brendan in his retirement, and to all those who knew and loved him, including the bishops, priests, religious and faithful in the dioceses of Ferns and Dublin.
During his time as a member of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference Bishop Comiskey was a dedicated chair of the Commission for Communications and President of the Catholic Communications Institute. At a difficult time on the island of Ireland, he sought to build constructive relationships with those in other Christian traditions through his work on the Bishops’ Commission for Ecumenism. In addition, Bishop Comiskey, a former teacher and lecturer, served as a member of the Council for Education, and the Commission for Youth.
As one of a number of Bishops who were also members of a religious congregation, Bishop Comiskey brought with him years of experience and understanding of consecrated life. In this regard his previous service as Secretary General of the Conference of Religious in Ireland was of great value to discussions at the Bishops Conference table.
In acknowledging Bishop Comiskey’s many pastoral contributions to his religious congregation, parishes and dioceses, I am deeply conscious that he chose to resign as Bishop of Ferns in April 2002 while recognising his failures in governance, and accepting that his continuation in office would “indeed be an obstacle to healing” for victims and survivors of abuse. The safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons, and the prompt reporting of allegations of abuse, is of paramount importance in the Church today and must remain so. Bishop Comiskey’s death will rekindle memories of pain and suffering for many and I my thoughts and prayers at this time are also with all those who have been traumatised or let down by the awful sins and crimes and abuse perpetrated by members of the Church, or by the failure to appropriately and adequately follow up concerns that were brought to those in leadership.
May our loving God have mercy on Bishop Comiskey’s soul, comfort those who mourn him and give strength to all who are impacted by the news of his passing.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church
The following support services have been established by the Catholic Church to support survivors of sexual abuse:
Towards Healing
Towards Healing, the counselling and support service for survivors of institutional, clerical and religious abuse, is funded by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland. In 2011 the service succeeded the Faoiseamh counselling service, which had been in operation since 1997. Towards Healing is provided by lay, independent fully accredited therapists, and offers clients:
– Helpline support
– Counselling
– Psych-Educational Group Work
– Practical Workshops
– Restorative justice / facilitated listening meetings
– Advocacy
Towards Healing can be contacted on free phone 1800 303416 (Rep of Ireland) and on free phone 0800 0963315 (Northern Ireland and UK). There is a mobile number for texting purposes for our hearing impaired service users only: 085 802 2859.
Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service
Towards Peace provides a spiritual support and professional service for survivors of physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse who suffered in an institutional, clerical or religious setting in Ireland. Funded by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Missionary and Religious in Ireland, the vision of Towards Peace is to provide a safe supportive space for people and their families, whose spiritual life has been damaged by abuse. Through spiritual accompaniment with a qualified spiritual director, Towards Peace endeavours to accompany people as they seek their own experience of spiritual peace, one step at a time. Towards Peace is also a response to the continually growing understanding of the spiritual impact of the trauma of abuse and seeks to raise awareness about this within the Church. The Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service is free of charge and for more please see https://towardspeace.ie/
The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland
The National Board for Safeguarding Children was established in 2006 to develop policies that would foster the prevention of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Its main object is to provide advice, services and assistance to continually develop the safeguarding of children within the Catholic Church on the island of Ireland and to monitor compliance with legislation, policy and best practice and to report on these activities annually.
To report a child safeguarding suspicion, concern, knowledge or allegation directly to the Church or statutory authorities, please see here