Philip Boyce
Encyclopedia
The Most Reverend Dr. Philip Boyce (born 25 January 1940), D.D.
, O.C.D.
, is the Catholic Lord Bishop of Raphoe
. He presides over the Diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal
, part of the Province of Ulster
in Ireland
.
, a village on the Rosguill
Peninsula of north County Donegal
, Ireland
. He was educated at Derryhassen school in Meevagh parish and at Castlemartyr College, County Cork
. He joined the noviciate of the Discalced Carmelites in Loughrea
, County Galway
, making his first profession in 1959. Having completed philosophical studies in Dublin, he studied theology at the Teresianum in Rome, where he was ordained on 17 April 1966. He received a doctorate in theology (D.D.) in 1977 with a dissertation on the Spirituality of John Henry Cardinal Newman
.
During his twenty years on the teaching staff of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of the Carmelites in Rome, he taught spirituality and dogmatic theology
, and for many years was engaged in the work of formation of students preparing for the priesthood or doing postgraduate studies.
on 17 April 1966 for the Order of Discalced Carmelites
and was appointed Lord Bishop of Raphoe on 29 June 1995, and ordained and installed on 1 October 1995. The Principal Consecrator
was His Eminence
The Most Rev. Dr. Jorge María Cardinal Mejía. Both His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Emanuele Gerada
, Titular Lord Archbishop
of Nomentum, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
at the time, and His Lordship The Most Rev. Dr. Séamus Hegarty, Lord Bishop of Derry
(and formerly Lord Bishop of Raphoe), served as Principal Co-Consecrators. In May 1999 Pope John Paul II
appointed him a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
.
As part of his work on the congregation Bishop Boyce is also a member of the Vox Clara commission which, since its establishment by the Congregation on 19 July 2001, has provided advice to the Holy See concerning English-language translations of liturgical books.
In August 2011, after the release of the Cloyne report
, Bishop Boyce said that the Church is experiencing a testing time, having been rocked by a “secular and godless culture” on the outside and the “sins and crimes of priests” within. Dr Boyce, who has promised to publish a report into clerical abuse in his diocese, urged Catholics not to lose confidence in their faith and to act with hope and patience during the current difficult times for the church. He added that “The moment of history we live through in Ireland at present is certainly a testing one for the church and for all of us,” he said. “Attacked from the outside by the arrows of a secular and godless culture, rocked from the inside by the sins and crimes of priests and consecrated people, we all feel the temptation to lose confidence.”
into the handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations in the Diocese of Raphoe has concluded that "significant errors of judgment" were made by successive bishops in responding to the accusations. Bishop Boyce said he fully accepted the recommendations contained in the review, which was undertaken by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. In a statement, Dr Boyce admitted that during the past decades there had been "very poor judgments and mistakes made. "There were horrific acts of abuse of children by individual priests, that should never have happened, and if suspected should have been dealt with immediately in the appropriate manner," he said.
Boyce said he was "truly sorry for the terrible deeds that have been inflicted on so many by a small minority of priests. "We offer our humble apologies once more and seek their forgiveness for the dreadful harm that has been done to them, their families and friends." Three heads of Raphoe diocese, including Dr Boyce, were criticised for their handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations in the report on child protection practices, which was published this morning. Former Bishop Séamus Hegarty, and his predecessor, Bishop Anthony McFeely, also come under fire for their response to accusations of clerical child sex abuse. The Raphoe review said that in dealing with allegations, too much emphasis was placed on the situation of the accused priest and too little on the needs of their complainants. "Judgements were clouded, due to the presenting problem being for example, alcohol abuse and an inability to hear the concerns about abuse of children, through that presenting problem," it said. "More attention should have been given to ensuring that preventative actions were taken quickly when concerns came to light," the report added..
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, O.C.D.
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
, is the Catholic Lord Bishop of Raphoe
Bishop of Raphoe
The Bishop of Raphoe is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
. He presides over the Diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, part of the Province of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Early life
Bishop Boyce was born in DowningsDownings
Na Dúnaibh is a Gaeltacht townland and village on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland.-Name:...
, a village on the Rosguill
Rosguill
Rosguill is a peninsula situated in north-north-west County Donegal, Ireland. Lying between the peninsulae of Fanad to the east and Horn Head to the west, Rosguill is a dichotomy of heathland and ocean...
Peninsula of north County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was educated at Derryhassen school in Meevagh parish and at Castlemartyr College, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He joined the noviciate of the Discalced Carmelites in Loughrea
Loughrea
Loughrea is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains.The town expanded in recent years as it increasingly becomes a commuter town for the city of Galway.- Name :...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, making his first profession in 1959. Having completed philosophical studies in Dublin, he studied theology at the Teresianum in Rome, where he was ordained on 17 April 1966. He received a doctorate in theology (D.D.) in 1977 with a dissertation on the Spirituality of John Henry Cardinal Newman
John Henry Cardinal Newman
John Henry Newman, D.D., C.O. , also referred to as Cardinal Newman and Blessed John Henry Newman, was an important figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century...
.
During his twenty years on the teaching staff of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of the Carmelites in Rome, he taught spirituality and dogmatic theology
Dogmatic theology
Dogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...
, and for many years was engaged in the work of formation of students preparing for the priesthood or doing postgraduate studies.
Religious career
Dr. Boyce was ordained a priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on 17 April 1966 for the Order of Discalced Carmelites
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
and was appointed Lord Bishop of Raphoe on 29 June 1995, and ordained and installed on 1 October 1995. The Principal Consecrator
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
was His Eminence
His Eminence
His Eminence is a historical style of reference for high nobility, still in use in various religious contexts.-Catholicism:The style remains in use as the official style or standard of address in reference to a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, reflecting his status as a Prince of the Church.A...
The Most Rev. Dr. Jorge María Cardinal Mejía. Both His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Emanuele Gerada
Emanuele Gerada
The Most Reverend Dr. Emanuele Gerada, D.D. , was a Maltese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and Titular Archbishop of Nomentum....
, Titular Lord Archbishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Nomentum, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
The Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...
at the time, and His Lordship The Most Rev. Dr. Séamus Hegarty, Lord Bishop of Derry
Bishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
(and formerly Lord Bishop of Raphoe), served as Principal Co-Consecrators. In May 1999 Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed him a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
.
As part of his work on the congregation Bishop Boyce is also a member of the Vox Clara commission which, since its establishment by the Congregation on 19 July 2001, has provided advice to the Holy See concerning English-language translations of liturgical books.
In August 2011, after the release of the Cloyne report
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne
The Diocese of Cloyne is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...
, Bishop Boyce said that the Church is experiencing a testing time, having been rocked by a “secular and godless culture” on the outside and the “sins and crimes of priests” within. Dr Boyce, who has promised to publish a report into clerical abuse in his diocese, urged Catholics not to lose confidence in their faith and to act with hope and patience during the current difficult times for the church. He added that “The moment of history we live through in Ireland at present is certainly a testing one for the church and for all of us,” he said. “Attacked from the outside by the arrows of a secular and godless culture, rocked from the inside by the sins and crimes of priests and consecrated people, we all feel the temptation to lose confidence.”
Child protection
A review , published on 30 November 2011, by the National Board for Safeguarding ChildrenNational Board for Safeguarding Children
The National Board for Safeguarding Children was established in 2006 in order to develop policies that would foster the prevention of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Its main goals are to offer advice on best practice, to assist in the development of procedures and to monitor...
into the handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations in the Diocese of Raphoe has concluded that "significant errors of judgment" were made by successive bishops in responding to the accusations. Bishop Boyce said he fully accepted the recommendations contained in the review, which was undertaken by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. In a statement, Dr Boyce admitted that during the past decades there had been "very poor judgments and mistakes made. "There were horrific acts of abuse of children by individual priests, that should never have happened, and if suspected should have been dealt with immediately in the appropriate manner," he said.
Boyce said he was "truly sorry for the terrible deeds that have been inflicted on so many by a small minority of priests. "We offer our humble apologies once more and seek their forgiveness for the dreadful harm that has been done to them, their families and friends." Three heads of Raphoe diocese, including Dr Boyce, were criticised for their handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations in the report on child protection practices, which was published this morning. Former Bishop Séamus Hegarty, and his predecessor, Bishop Anthony McFeely, also come under fire for their response to accusations of clerical child sex abuse. The Raphoe review said that in dealing with allegations, too much emphasis was placed on the situation of the accused priest and too little on the needs of their complainants. "Judgements were clouded, due to the presenting problem being for example, alcohol abuse and an inability to hear the concerns about abuse of children, through that presenting problem," it said. "More attention should have been given to ensuring that preventative actions were taken quickly when concerns came to light," the report added..