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, Dr Walsh said, “I don’t have doubts that I will be retir- ing in three years time.”
Dr Walsh is now 72 and has been Bishop since 1995.
He explained yesterday that it was mandatory for bishops to offer their resignation at 75.
‘In some cases, they ask people to stay on, but they generally tend to be
accepted. That said, Archbishop Con- nell was asked to stay on two years in Dublin and Cardinal Daly was asked to stay on for an extra three years in Armagh,” he said.
“Generally speaking, most of the time, the process of appointing a new bishop begins around the time you reach 75.
“The result is that very often, it 1s six months or at the outset 12 months later that the new appointment is made. Generally speaking, the resig- nation is accepted at 75.
“IT was just 60 when I was appointed and that is 15 years and I think really that in 15 years you have given most
of what you can give in that period and I think it is good that there will be fresh ideas and fresh energy.
“It is important one doesn’t remain on too long and one doesn’t have the same energy at 75 as one had at 40. Thankfully, my health is very good and I can still do a very full day’s work.”
Earlier in the interview, Dr Walsh said, “Part of my calling over the past 15 years as bishop has been to deal with the very tragic issue of sexual abuse which happened over a long period in the past.
“I see part of my calling to try to bring healing to victims of abuse
and I regard that to some degree as a privilege to try to bring healing to these people who have been hurt.”
He added, “As the age profile of priests has advanced, I regard it as my task as bishop to give some leadership towards a new model of Church, where lay people take on a greater response for the day-to-day life of the Church.
“I believe that in those days we had too many priests in the diocese and I think it wasn’t a good thing for the life of the Church.
“It in many ways discouraged peo- ple from playing their full role in the Church.”