Archdeacon of Dublin welcomes statement

The Church of Ireland Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven Gordon Linney, has welcomed yesterday's statement from Cardinal Desmond Connell "acknowledging that his remarks (about Archbishop Walton Empey) had caused some hurt." He expressed the hope that "any after-effects of this unfortunate episode would be shortlived."

Most Rev Walton Empey, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, who is currently on holiday, was described as not one of his church's "high flyers" by the cardinal, who also said the archbishop "wouldn't have much theological competence."

The cardinal was speaking in an interview for a book The Irish Soul: In Dialogue, which will be published next Thursday.

Cardinal Connell yesterday expressed profound regret if an impression had been given that he might have denigrated Archbishop Empey. He held the archbishop "in the greatest respect and respect in particular his widely acknowledged and admired pastoral gifts." The cardinal's full statement is reproduced in its entirety elsewhere on this page.

Speaking last night, Archdeacon Linney said it was important to recognise that "bishops and clergy require a diversity of gifts and the archbishop's pastoral and ecumenical gifts are widely acknowledged. His deep commitment to issues of poverty, the Third World, and asylum seekers illustrate that, though the academic is very important, leadership requires other gifts. It would certainly be the view of many within and without the Church that Archbishop Empey's gifts are more appropriate to the needs of our time. At the same time it is very important to recognise the value of academic skills and scholarship."

A spokeswoman for Trinity College said they would be making no comment on what the cardinal had said about the university. Outlining a number of instances when he felt he had been snubbed by the college he told the interviewer "so I have a certain view of Trinity. I think you will understand why."

In his statement yesterday, he said what had happened was in the past and he was " most anxious" to develop a warm and constructive relationship with the college.

He pointed out that the "new provost" he had referred to was not the current (new) Provost Dr John Hegarty, as identified in yesterday's report.

In the interview, the cardinal had been detailing snubs he felt he had suffered at the hands of the college in 1985, 1988, and continued: ". . .when they celebrated the fourth centenary (of TCD) in 1994, they invited Cardinal Daly. When the new provost was elected, I met him at the American Embassy and he asked me would I accept an invitation to lunch and I said I would, and I never heard anything afterwards. So if I have a certain view of Trinity I think you will understand why."

It emerged yesterday that the provost he was referring to was Dr Tom Mitchell, recently retired from the post.

Dr Stephen Costello, who conducted the controversial interview, said last night that it had been "very informal, lively, chatty" and took place at Archbishop's House in Drumcondra last December.

He said he was a former student of the cardinal's at UCD's philosophy department, where Dr Connell had been for 35 years before becoming Archbishop of Dublin in 1988. He spoke of the cardinal's "droll, dry sense of humour," and felt that perhaps "in his choice of words he was probably not as judicious as he would have been in a homily." But the cardinal was "outspoken and I respect him for that", he said.