Michael Neary KC*HS (born 15 April 1946) is an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He was the
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church.
Histor ...
from 1995 to 2021.
Early life
Michael Neary was born in
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...
,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
, and received his early education at St. Patrick's Boys National School, Castlebar, and
St. Jarlath's College,
Tuam
Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...
.
He studied at
St. Patrick's College,
Maynooth
Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...
and was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
to the
priesthood on 15 June 1971.
Earning a
doctorate in Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
in 1975, he served as a
curate
A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...
in
Belclare for one year before being appointed to the staff at the
Presentation College,
Headford
Headford () is a small town in County Galway, located 26 km north of Galway city in the west of Ireland. It is an angling centre for the eastern shore of Lough Corrib, and Greenfields, approximately 6.5 km west of the town, is its b ...
.
[
From 1978 to 1981, he furthered his studies at the ]Pontifical Biblical Institute
The Pontifical Biblical Institute (also known as Biblicum) is a research and postgraduate teaching institution specialised in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. It is an institution of the Holy See entrusted to the Society of Jesus.
His ...
in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, earning a licentiate of Sacred Scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
; during that time he was also spiritual director
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the di ...
at the Pontifical Irish College
The Pontifical Irish College is a Roman Catholic seminary for the training and education of priests, in Rome. The College is located at #1, Via dei Santi Quattro, and serves as a residence for clerical students from all over the world. Designated ...
.[ On his return he joined the staff at ]Holy Rosary College
Holy Rosary College (previously known as ''Holy Rosary Secondary School''), is a Roman Catholic, all-girls secondary school in Old GRA, a neighborhood of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria.
History
It was established in 1956 a ...
, Mountbellew
Mountbellew or Mountbellew Bridge (historically ''Creggaun'', from ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Treanrevagh (''Trian Riabhach'') on the N63 national primary road.
The town has a population of ap ...
, and served as a curate in Moylough
Moylough ( ; ) is a small rural village located in County Galway in Ireland. It is located on the N63 national secondary road (Cnoc Tua Mór–Longford), and is served also by the R328 and R364 regional roads. It is 50 km from Galway, 30 ...
. In 1982 he was appointed lecturer
Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
in Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth
Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...
, becoming professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
of New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
in 1991[ where he is remembered among students as a diligent and committed teacher, if rather dull and stilted in his lecturing style.
]
Episcopal ministry
On 20 May 1992, Neary was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Tuam
Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...
and Titular Bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of '' Quaestoriana'' by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
.[ He received his ]episcopal consecration
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
on the following 13 September from Archbishop Joseph Cassidy, with Archbishops Emanuele Gerada
Emanuele Gerada KC*HS (18 May 1920 – 21 January 2011) was a Maltese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, a Vatican diplomat and titular Archbishop of Nomentum. One Maltese obituary recalled him as "a generous, well-read and intelligent man. ...
and Joseph Cunnane
Joseph Cunnane D.D. (5 October 1913 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish Catholic clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1969 to 1987.
Born in the parish of Knock in County Mayo, he was educated at St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, and S ...
serving as co-consecrators
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...
.[ Following Archbishop Cassidy's resignation, he was named ]Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church.
Histor ...
on 17 January 1995.[
In May 2009, Neary described the ]Ryan Report
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...
as "sad and disturbing" and "apologise unreservedly, on behalf of the Church, for our failure to protect children."
Within the Irish Bishops Conference
The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference ( ga, Comhdháil Easpag Caitliceach Éireann) is the episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland. The conference meets a number of times a year in Maynooth which is the location of St Patri ...
, Neary is the Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the Doctrine Commission; a member of the Department of Catholic Education and Formation, Commission for Migrants, and Strategic Task Group for Education; and a trustee
Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...
of Trócaire
Trócaire (, meaning "compassion") is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
History
The roots of the charity lie in Pope Paul VI's 1967 encyclical ''Populorum Progressio'', .
Neary said that if lay people had been more involved in the Catholic Church the response to clerical child sex abuse allegations "would have been different." In a reflection on the Irish bishops’ summit with Pope Benedict XVI from 15 to 16 February 2010, he also said that "in the discussions he asked for the forgiveness of the victims”. The archbishop said “the need for co-operation with civil authorities, HSE and gardaí, and the complete implementation of the church’s own norms and procedures were seen as central to the safeguarding
Safeguarding is a term used in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland to denote measures to protect the health, well-being and human rights of individuals, which allow people—especially children, youth, young people and vulnerable ...
of children".
At the meetings "it was acknowledged that while this is not a problem which is peculiar to Ireland or to the English-speaking world, or the church, nevertheless its impact is intensified in the church, damaging its credibility in a number of areas, for example, its teaching on marriage and the family, on sexual morality, and on the church’s role in education and Catholic schools" he said.
On 6 July 2010, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
as a member of the in the Roman Curia. Members not resident in Rome are invited to attend only the plenary meetings of the congregation, which in principle are held every year. The appointment is for five years and is renewable.
In August 2010 Neary said "the truth of past pain is certainly coming to the surface. But this is good news. We should embrace the truth even though this can be a painful task." He continued "however, we should also be aware of the dangers contained in what some have called a ‘culture of blame’. We seek out the negligence of doctors, the health service, bankers, the Church or the school. Maybe this makes it easier to deal with our own shortcomings, the neglect and indifference of others and the tyranny of blind chance. Christ did not encourage us to imprison people by their human failings. Instead he taught us the way of forgiveness."
Apostolic visitation
In October 2010, Neary along with Cardinal Brady and Archbishops Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is the retired Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Martin was ordained a priest in 1969 and represented the Holy See at major United Nations International Conferences before becoming th ...
of Dublin and Dermot Clifford
Dermot Clifford, (born 25 January 1939), was the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland from 1988 to 2014. From 7 March 2009 to 27 January 2013, he also served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Cloyne. He was a foundi ...
of Cashel and Emly engaged in high-level talks with heads of Vatican congregations over the apostolic visitation of Irish dioceses in the wake of the Murphy report and Ryan report
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...
. While in Rome, the Irish churchmen came face to face with a team of investigators appointed by Pope Benedict to examine the four Irish archdioceses and "some other as yet unspecified dioceses". These included Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (24 August 1932 – 1 September 2017) was a British cardinal, the Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He sub ...
, the Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, who inspected Cardinal Brady's Archdiocese of Armagh, and Sean O'Malley, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, who inspected the Dublin diocese. Toronto's Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins
Thomas Christopher Collins (born January 16, 1947) is a Canadian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Toronto since 2007. He was previously Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta from 1997 to 1999 and Archbishop of Edmont ...
investigated the Archdiocese of Cashel
The Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly ( ga, Ard-Deoise Chaisil agus Imligh) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in mid-western Ireland and the metropolis ...
, while Ottawa's Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
Terrence Thomas Prendergast (born 19 February 1944) is a Canadian member of the Society of Jesus who is also a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and the Archbishop Emeritus of Ottawa-Cornwall. He was formerly an Auxiliary Bishop of the Ar ...
was tasked with the investigation of the Archdiocese of Tuam . An investigation of the state of Irish seminaries was conducted by Archbishop Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Dolan served as the president of the United S ...
of New York.
Child protection
A review that was published on 30 November 2011 into the handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations in the Diocese of Tuam has praised Neary for his actions. The report said serious harm was done to children by a few priests of the archdiocese but Dr Neary met allegations "with a steadily serious approach, taking appropriate action under existing guidelines, and rapidly assimilating the lesson of the necessity for the removal of the priest, where there is a credible allegation, pending investigation." The report said it is clear from the "excellent records" that a genuine effort was made to gather evidence from victims and their families during the Church inquiry stage and such "thoroughness is to be commended". The report added that "It is also a fair reflection to say that the archbishop has met resistance in asking a priest to step aside from public ministry. "It is to his credit that in spite of opposition, Archbishop Neary has maintained his authority and kept some men out of ministry where there is evidence to suggest that they should be viewed as dangerous and should not have access to young people. Neary said: "This is an enormous tribute to all working in this area. It is very encouraging to see that their work has been recognised, affirmed and appreciated in the report."
Patron
Patron of the Catholic Grandparents Association.
President of Action Tuam.
He submitted a letter of resignation to Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
in accordance with Canon Law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
when he reached the age of 75 (15 April 2021).
See also
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neary, Michael
1946 births
Living people
Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
People educated at St Jarlath's College
People from Castlebar
Pontifical Biblical Institute alumni
20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Ireland
Roman Catholic archbishops of Tuam
21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Ireland