Joseph Anthony Toal (born 13 October 1956) is a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop. On 29 April 2014 he was named by Pope Francis as the fifth

Bishop of Motherwell The Bishop of Motherwell is the Ordinary (Catholic Church), Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell in the Province of Glasgow, Scotland. The diocese covers an area of . The Episcopal see, see is in the town of Motherwell, Scotland, ...

, having served as Bishop of Argyll and the Isles since 2008.

Biography

Born in Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland on 13 October 1956. Educated locally at Roy Bridge Primary School he proceeded to train for the priesthood at St Vincent's College, Langbank, St Mary's College, Blairs and the Royal Scots College in Valladolid, Spain. He was ordained a priest of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles The Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (Latin ) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. Overview The diocese covers an area of 31,080 km² and ...

St Columba's Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Columba in Oban is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Argyll and the Isles and mother church of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles. The cathedral is located on the sea front at the northern end of Oban. Hist ...

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

on 10 July 1980. After ordination Toal served in Daliburgh and Ardkenneth on South Uist,

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing ...

and Benbecula before being appointed spiritual director at the

Royal Scots College The Royal Scots College (Real Colegio de Escoceses) is a major seminary in Salamanca, Spain, for the Catholic Church in Scotland. It was located originally at Madrid, then Valladolid, and then Salamanca (from 1988). History The Royal Scots Colleg ...

in Salamanca, Spain, in 1999. He was then vice rector before becoming rector of the College. Toal was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles by the Holy See on 16 October 2008 and

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

to the episcopate on 8 December 2008. The principal consecrator was Keith Cardinal O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh. The principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz, Apostolic

Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...

to Great Britain and Bishop Ian Murray, Bishop

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of Argyll & the Isles. Toal has been given the names of complainants who allege Keith Cardinal O'Brien committed predatory sex against them. Toal stated to '' The Observer'' newspaper, "It's been hard listening to what's being said, but it's important we hear what they're saying and the gravity of the situation. If I can help in some way, I will." On 29 April 2014, Toal was appointed by Pope Francis as the fifth Bishop of Motherwell. He was installed on Monday 23 June 2014 in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell.

Controversy

Matthew Despard complained about what he called a culture of

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...

within the Catholic Church and alleged that higher-ranking clergy ignored or facilitated abuse. Toal arranged for letters to be given to Despard's parishioners strongly critical of Despard and later suspended him. Toal condemned Despard for questioning his authority. The overwhelming majority of parishioners walked out during a Mass which Toal held in Despard's former church. Parishioner, Geraldine Penches who was loudly applauded by others in the congregation described Matthew Despard as, "a very honest man" adding, "This is more scandal to rock the Catholic church which has to be hushed up. Because Father tells the truth he is removed from his priestly duties. We the people are the church, not the bishops." There are complaints that Despard was disciplined without being represented and a petition calling for his reinstatement got over 1,000 signatures. Toal maintained the accusations Despard made were false and defamatory."Parish fury as Catholic Church suspends rogue priest over 'sexual bullying' exposé"
heraldscotland.com; retrieved 23 January 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toal, Joseph 1956 births Roman Catholic bishops of Argyll and the Isles 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Scotland Living people Roman Catholic bishops of Motherwell Scottish Roman Catholic bishops