Raymond Browne | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Kerry | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Diocese | Kerry |
| Appointed | 2 May 2013 |
| Installed | 21 July 2013 |
| Predecessor | William Murphy |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 4 July 1982 |
| Consecration | 21 July 2013 by Dermot Clifford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 January 1957 Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Education | |
| Motto | Love one another |
| Coat of arms |  |
Raymond Anthony Browne (born 23 January 1957) is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Kerry since 2013.
Browne was born on 23 January 1957 in Chapel Street, Athlone, County Westmeath, one of seven children. He attended primary school at Saint Paul's Mercy Convent School and Dean Kelly National School in Athlone, and secondary school in Summerhill College, Sligo, between 1969 and 1974. Browne studied for the priesthood at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, between 1974 and 1982, completing a Bachelor of Science from University College Cork in 1978 and a Bachelor of Divinity from Saint Patrick's College in 1981. [1]
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Elphin on 4 July 1982 in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Athlone. [1]
After completing a licentiate in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1983, Browne's first pastoral appointment was as spiritual director at Summerhill College between October 1983 and June 1986. He subsequently served as a curate in Roscommon between September 1986 and July 1988, and in the cathedral parish of Sligo between 1995 and 2002. [1]
Browne subsequently served on the Galway Marriage Regional Tribunal, initially as a staff member between July 1988 and July 1995, and later as judicial vicar between October 2002 and July 2008. He was appointed parish priest of Kilgefin, County Roscommon, in August 2008, while simultaneously serving as diocesan designate for child protection and assistance to elderly and sick clergy. [1]
Browne was appointed Bishop-elect of Kerry by Pope Francis on 2 May 2013. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was consecrated by the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dermot Clifford, on 21 July at St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney. [5] [6] [7]
On 1 November 2022, Browne issued a statement in response to controversial homilies given by Fr Seán Sheehy at Masses in Listowel. The homilies included criticism of what Sheehy called "sinful acts" such as abortion, same-sex relationships, contraception, and "transgenderism". In his statement, Browne apologised to those who were offended by the homilies, saying: [8]
"The views expressed do not represent the Christian position. The homily at a regular weekend parish Mass is not appropriate for such issues to be spoken of in such terms."
Speaking on Radio Kerry's Kerry Today on 1 November, Fr Sheehy expressed his disagreement with Browne, accusing him of "sacrificing the truth, or muzzling the truth in order to appease people". [9] [10]
When Browne disciplined Fr Sheehy by forbidding him to say Mass in public, Sheehy responded, saying: [10]
"I know myself that what I said cannot be disproven by any honest-to-God Catholic, Christian or Catholic teaching, and that’s the bottom line".
Some Catholics agree with Sheehy's position, pointing out that the acts mentioned are defined as sinful in Catholic doctrine. [11] [12] [13] [14]
Some conservative Catholics have condemned Browne's statement: [15]
"Do not be under any doubt as to the seriousness of what the Bishop has done here. It is one thing to be condemned by the Irish Times, or RTÉ or the folks on twitter, but for a priest to be cancelled by his own Bishop for warning his flock about sinful behaviour is a disaster."
Summerhill College is a Roman Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys located in the town of Sligo in northwest Ireland.
The Diocese of Elphin is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. The current bishop is Kevin Doran who was appointed in 2014.
Thomas Anthony Finnegan was the Bishop of Killala, County Mayo, Ireland from 1987 to 2002.
Christopher Jones was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop in the Diocese of Elphin.
James Moriarty was an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin between 2002 and 2010.
The United Dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh is a diocese of the Church of Ireland located in central Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh.
The Diocese of Kerry is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in south-western Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly.
The Diocese of Kilmore is a Latin Church diocese which is mainly in the Republic of Ireland although a few parishes are in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses which are subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh.
Brendan Kelly is an Irish former Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora between 2018 and 2022.
St Muredach's College is an all-boys secondary school on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. It was founded in 1906 to provide a Catholic education for boys in the Killala Diocese. The school building, which was designed by William Henry Byrne, is included on the Record of Protected Structures maintained by Mayo County Council.
The Bishop of Kerry is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kerry, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly in Ireland.
The Bishop of Elphin is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.
Vincent Hanly was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman who served as the Bishop of Elphin from 1950 to 1970.
Laurence Gillooly CM was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Elphin from 1858 to 1895. The son of Laurence Gillooly and his wife Margaret, he was born at Bothair Garbh, Gallowstown, County Roscommon, near Roscommon Town. His older brother, Timothy, also became a priest.
George Joseph Plunket Browne (1795–1858) was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman. Born to a "well-known Roscommon family", he served as Bishop of Galway from 1831 until 1844, and afterward as Bishop of Elphin, until his death on 1 December 1858. He was charged with being a "Cullenite" in 1855, that is, a follower of ultramontane Paul Cardinal Cullen.
William Crean is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Cloyne and chairperson of Trócaire since 2013.
Denis Nulty KC*HS is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin since 2013.
Kevin Peter Doran is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate, bioethicist and theologian who has served as Bishop of Elphin since 2014.
Michael Gerard Duignan is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Clonfert since 2019 and additionally as Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh since 2022.
Paul Dempsey is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as auxiliary bishop of Dublin and titular bishop of Sita since 2024.
