Desmond Connell

Desmond Connell (born 24 March 1926) is a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a former Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.
He is one of a number of senior clergy to have been heavily criticized for inaction and for making misleading statements in connection with clerical sex abuse in Dublin.
==Early life and education==
Educated at St. Peter's National School, Phibsboro and the Jesuit Fathers' second level school, Belvedere College, Desmond Connell studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Clonliffe. He studied Arts at University College Dublin (UCD) and graduated with a BA in 1946; he was awarded an MA the following year. Between 1947 and 1951, he studied theology at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. This led to the award of a Bachelor of Divinity degree.
==Ordination and early work==
Desmond Connell was ordained priest by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid on 19 May 1951 and continued his studies at the Pontifical University of Leuven, Belgium, where he was awarded a doctorate in Philosophy in 1953.
He then returned to Ireland, and took up a teaching post at the Department of Metaphysics in University College Dublin, where he was to enjoy a distinguished career. He was appointed Professor of General Metaphysics in 1972 and in 1983 became the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology. In 1981 he was awarded a D.Litt. by the National University of Ireland. The College's Department of Metaphysics was abolished after Connell left it and merged into other departments.
==Archbishop of Dublin==
Connell was unexpectedly appointed Archbishop of Dublin by the Holy See in early 1988. The Papal Nuncio, Gaetano Alibrandi, had actively sought support for the appointment of Monsignor Michael Ledwith, the president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth for this position. Connell was consecrated in the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin on 6 March 1988. He was created Cardinal by Pope John Paul II at the Consistory in Rome on 21 February 2001 with the Titulus S. Silvestri in Capite. Archbishops of Armagh, who hold the higher title of Primate of All Ireland, are more frequently appointed Cardinal than Archbishops of Dublin. The last Archbishop of Dublin to have been a cardinal was Cardinal Edward MacCabe, who was appointed in 1882.
==Tenure tarnished by clerical sex abuse==
It was the failure of Cardinal Desmond Connell to addressMurphy Report Part 1, Page 12 adequately the abuse scandals in Dublin that led the Vatican to parachute Archbishop Martin as his replacement in the country's largest diocese. The Murphy Report found that Connell had handled the affair "badly" as he was "slow to recognise the seriousness of the situation.http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/26/ireland.religion.abuse/index.html It did praise 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, although it said the list was incomplete as complaints were made against at least 28 priests in the Archdiocese.http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/26/ireland.religion.abuse/index.htmlHe was criticisedThe lies that Connell claims he never told for being economical with the truth in his useMurphy Report, Page 643 of the concept of mental reservation to inadequately answer questions truthfullyCardinal Connell explained the concept of mental reservation to the Commission in the following way:
Well, the general teaching about mental reservation is that you are not permitted to tell a lie. On the other hand, you may be put in a position where you have to answer, and there may be circumstances in which you can use an ambiguous expression realising that the person who you are talking to will accept an untrue version of whatever it may be - permitting that to happen, not willing that it happened, that would be lying. It really is a matter of trying to deal
with extraordinarily difficult matters that may arise in social relations where people may ask questions that you simply cannot answer. Everybody knows that this kind of thing is liable to happen. So, mental reservation is, in a sense, a way of answering without lying. about his knowledge of the abusive activities of priests under his control.
==Retirement as Archbishop==
On 26 April 2004, Desmond Connell retired as archbishop, handing the diocese over to the co-adjutor Diarmuid Martin. All bishops submit their resignation to the Pope on their 75th birthday. Connell's was accepted shortly after he turned 78.
==Connell and Benedict XVI==
Connell was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. Desmond Connell would be considered quite close to Pope Benedict, both theologically and personally, both having served together on a number of congregations.
Connell had been a supporter of the Holy Office's declaration Dominus Iesus in 2000, applauding its opposition to relativism. Dominus Iesus: An Ecclesiological Critique
==Published works==
Cardinal Connell has had a number of works published on philosophical or pastoral issues.
These include:
*Essays in metaphysics, Four Court Press, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, 1996 ISBN 1-85182-228-3
*Christian integrity: does it matter? : pastoral letter for Lent 1992, Veritas, Dublin, 1992 ISBN 1-85390-205-5
*Christ our life: pastoral letter 1993, Veritas Publications, 1993 ISBN 1-85390-286-1
*Christ our life: pastoral letters, 1988-95, Four Courts Press, Blackrock, Co. Dublin ISBN 1-85182-207-0
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, Co. Dublin, 1992 ISBN 0-7165-2464-3 .
==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.)
==See also==
*Sexual abuse scandal in Dublin archdiocese
==References==
==External links==
*Grant of arms of His Eminence Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin
*Ferns Report
*[http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000504 Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
Category:1926 births
Category:Irish cardinals
Category:Irish Roman Catholics
Category:Living people
Category:Archbishops of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
Category:Irish Roman Catholic bishops
Category:People from County Dublin
Category:Leuven alumni
Category:Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
Category:Knights Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II
de:Desmond Connell
fr:Desmond Connell
it:Desmond Connell
no:Desmond Connell
pl:Desmond Connell
ru:Коннелл, Десмонд
fi:Desmond Connell