Pocono News Section

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Reflects on Tumultuous Time

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Reflects on Tumultuous Time - Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 4:23PM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2009 @ 04:23pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus John Dougherty sat down Wednesday with Eyewitness News and reflected on the Vatican's decision to act on his retirement 2-years after he submitted his letter of resignation.

"It would be close to a surprise. A little bit of a I've got to adjust here and this is not going to be the easiest thing in the world. This is the way the church wants things and so I couldn't be happier than trying to accommodate whatever the church asks of me." said the 77-year-old Dougherty.

For 14-years, he held the 2nd highest-ranking position in the diocese. That included the last 6-years when Bishop Joseph Martino oversaw dozens and dozens of church and school closings and mergers. The moves were unpopular with many diocese members who felt neglected.

"My impression of the priests around me and the bishops and everybody else, my impression is they couldn't do better than they're doing but we have to do better and we will. We'll work this out," said the former Auxiliary Bishop.

The Most Reverend Dougherty also sees the need to reach out to the dwindling number of priests who served the many parishes in the 11 county diocese.

"I could cry a little bit about that sometimes. I need their support as a fellow priest, as a bishop, and I want to give them mine."

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Dougherty also has a personal message for the more than 300,000 area catholics who make up the Scranton Diocese.

"I can never get over your love for God and your kindness to me."

Former Auxiliary Bishop Dougherty will remain living at Saint Peter's Cathedral Rectory where he'll perform other priestly duties while serving the diocese. He says he'll provide any guidance to the future Bishop of Scranton if called upon. There is no timetable to replace him or Bishop Emeritus Martino. Their resignations were both accepted by the Vatican this week.