The decision by the former Bishop of Galway, Dr Eamonn Casey, that he is "not seeking or accepting any public pastoral ministry in the church" is believed to have followed a week-long visit to Ireland last month.
Prior to that he is understood to have been enthusiastic about taking up active ministry in a diocese in the south of England and had already been in preliminary discussions there on the matter.
During his visit, from August 17th to 24th, Dr Casey met the Catholic Primate, Dr Sean Brady, who has been particularly supportive of his desire to return to Ireland. It is known that some bishops were anxious that Dr Casey should return to retirement rather than active ministry.
On December 16th the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, told Radio Ireland's Last Word that other bishops had retired over the last 30 years "and each and every one of them got lost. There wasn't one other word from them. That has been the practice." That should be the way where Dr Casey, as a retired bishop, was concerned, he said.
Dr Connell's view is not an isolated one among the Irish bishops and would appear to have been brought home clearly to Dr Casey during his visit. In a statement yesterday, Dr Casey said he was "living in England with relatives as I need some time to myself. I do not intend to give any interviews and I would ask that my privacy be respected".
It is believed that for the moment he will remain in England.
Apart from wishing to avoid a public spectacle on his return he is said to be anxious to avoid being called as a witness in two libel actions - one involving the author Gordon Thomas and the Sunday Independent is listed for hearing next month. The second involves Ms Dympna Kilbane, a former flat-mate of Ms Annie Murphy.
