Dermot Ryan
| The Most Reverend Dermot J. Ryan | |
|---|---|
|
Archbishop of Dublin Primate of Ireland | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| See | Dublin |
| In office | 1972–1984 |
| Predecessor | John Charles McQuaid |
| Successor | Kevin McNamara |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 28 May 1950 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
26 June 1924 Dublin |
Dermot J. Ryan (26 June 1924 – 21 February 1985) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland from 1972 until 1984. He was ordained a priest on 28 May 1950 and consecrated bishop on 13 February 1972. After his death he was criticised for having failed to act and covering up sexual abuse by priests in the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin.
Professor and scholar
Dermot Ryan was Professor of Oriental Languages at University College Dublin before his appointment by Pope Paul VI as Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland on 29 December 1971. He was ordained a bishop by Pope Paul VI in Rome assisted by Cardinals Bernard Alfrink and William Conway (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland), on 13 February 1972. At the time of his appointment he was seen as a liberal and a reformer in the Church. His predecessor John Charles McQuaid previously had Ryan removed from teaching in the seminary in Dublin due to teaching liberation theology.
Diocesan expansion
During his term he consolidated much of the expansion of the Archdiocese which had taken place during the term of his predecessor. He also oversaw the fuller implementation of the reforms of Vatican II. He was particularly interested in liturgical reform.
Social opinions and activities
Archbishop Ryan also took a traditional stand on social issues, including poverty, family life and opposition to abortion. He strongly promoted the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland in 1983, which enforced the legal prohibition of abortion as a constitutional provision.
He was named in the Murphy Report on sexual abuse of children in Dublin; his actions in respect of complaints against priest Fr. McNamee were described in the report as "an example of how, throughout the 1970s, the church authorities were more concerned with the scandal that would be created by revealing Fr McNamee’s abuse rather than any concern for the abused". He also did not act on complaints against other priests who were also subsequently confirmed to be abusers.
Archbishop Ryan Park
As Archbishop he gave the people of Dublin a public park on a site earmarked by his predecessors for a proposed cathedral; it was named "Archbishop Ryan Park" in his honour. The land, at Merrion Square, was a gift from the Archbishop to the city of Dublin.
In January 2010, after Ryan had been criticised in the Murphy Report the previous year, Dublin City Council sought public views on renaming the Park;[1] in 2010 it was renamed Merrion Square Park by the City Council.[2][3]
He also served as Pro-Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 8 April 1984 until his death in Rome, following a heart attack at the age of 60.
References
- ↑ McGarry, Patsy (12 January 2010). "Councillor denies call to rename Archbishop Ryan Park". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- ↑ "Proposal to rename Merrion Square Park". RTÉ. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ↑ "City park to be renamed Merrion Square Park". The Irish Times. 9 September 2010.
External links
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Agnelo Rossi as Prefect |
Pro-Prefect For The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples April 8, 1984-February 21, 1985 |
Succeeded by Jozef Tomko as Prefect |
| Preceded by John Charles McQuaid |
Archbishop of Dublin 29 December 1971 – 1 September 1984 |
Succeeded by Kevin McNamara |