Dr Dermot O'Mahony, the senior Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, has resigned for health reasons. Dr O'Mahony (61) has a serious heart condition, according to a statement from the Diocesan Communications Office. He is greatly limited in his work despite having by pass surgery in 1992, the statement adds.
In a letter to the priests of the three deaneries for which he has overall pastoral care, Bishop O'Mahony said: "I submitted my resignation with a profound sense of sadness as it has been a joy and privilege to serve the priests and people of the diocese for 21 years. However, I did not have a choice and this was very clearly underlined in a recent medical report."
The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, paid tribute to Dr O'Mahony, praising the exceptional gifts of "a man of brilliant mind, richly endowed with the qualities of the heart".