Church removes remains of Bishop Eamonn Casey from cathedral crypt

The remains of an Irish bishop accused of sexual abuse have been removed from a cathedral crypt and placed in the care of his family, his former diocese has said.

Eamonn Casey gained worldwide notoriety in 1992 after it came to light that he had a son with American divorcee Annie Murphy and had paid her thousands for his upkeep in the US.

The bishop died aged 89 in a nursing home in the west of Ireland in 2017 after a long illness.

He was interred in the crypt of Galway’s Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and Saint Nicholas after his funeral mass was held there.

Last year, an investigation by the Irish Mail on Sunday and RTE revealed allegations of sexual abuse against the former Galway bishop.

At the time, the Galway Diocesan Office said it would begin a period of “careful consideration and consultation” about his remains.

On Saturday, it announced that his remains had been “entrusted” to the care of his family.

It said the presence of the bishop’s remains at the cathedral “was a deeply felt matter that affected many people in different ways”.

In a statement, it said: “The diocese would like to thank everyone for their understanding of the situation, for their patience and for their respect as this process was undertaken and brought to a conclusion.

“Significant consensus emerged around the unique role of a cathedral as a place of unity rather than division, healing rather than hurt, and peace rather than disquiet.

“Now, with the assent and co-operation of members of the late Bishop Eamonn’s family and following prayers for the dead, his mortal remains have been moved from the cathedral crypt and entrusted to their care.

“It is their express wish that the arrangements they have made for Bishop Eamonn’s final resting place remain private.”

No information on when the removal took place was provided in the statement.

The diocese said: “The members of Bishop Eamonn’s family involved ask that their earnest desire for privacy be respected at this time.

“We pray that God will continue to draw all those who have been affected by this matter into his healing love.”