‘Archbishop of Ardstraw’ appointed

THE ancient Diocese of Ardstraw – the original Derry Diocese – has a new archbishop, one Séamus Horgan from Ennis, Co Clare.

Archbishop Horgan’s ordination took place in his hometown recently, where he was consecrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin (Vatican Secretary of State) with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelisation) and Bishop Fintan Monahan (Killaloe).

The Banner County man also became first person to be appointed Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan.

Somewhat bizarrely though, the new Archbishop of Ardstraw won’t have any direct dealings with Ardstraw the place.

Fr Roland Colhoun of Newtownstewart explained, “The reason I was invited to the ordination (of Archbishop Horgan) is that I live in the Parish of Ardstraw East (Newtownstewart) and the new Nuncio has been given the title Archbishop of Ardstraw (in Irish, ArdeaspagArd Sratha).

“He won’t live in Ardstraw nor have any practical link with Ardstraw. The explanation is this: Every bishop must have a diocese, but an ‘Apostolic Nuncio’ is not in charge of a diocese. The long-established solution is for the Holy See to bestow the title of diocesan Bishop on the Nuncio, using the name of a diocese that no longer exists. Canon Law then calls him a titular bishop (CCC 376). The same system is applied for an auxiliary bishop. Ardstraw hasn’t functioned as a Diocese since the 12th Century (1152 AD).

However, the name endures, and the title continues to be given. The previous Titular Bishop of Ardstraw was Most Reverend Karl Reger, Auxiliary to the Diocese of Aachen in the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany (1986-2006).

“He died four months ago at the age of 93, and the Ardstraw title became available once again.”

Fr Colhoun also expounded upon the diocesan history of Ardstraw.

“The first Bishop of Ardstraw was St Eugene, founder of the great monastery on the River Derg in the sixth century,” he continued.

“Ireland had no towns or cities until they began to be established by the viking invaders in the tenth century.

“Rural monastic abbots rather than urban bishops were the principal figures of ecclesiastical authority. A perfect example is Eugene of Ardstraw, who was both abbot and bishop.”

However, explained Fr Colhoun, in the early 12th Century, when the Irish church began to make the transition from monastic dominion to diocesan governance, Ardstraw was chosen as the seat of the regional diocese.