Myles McKeon

Myles McKeon (3 April 1919 – 2 May 2016) was an Irish-born Australian bishop who was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bunbury.^[1]

Career[]

McKeon was born in Drummin, Ireland and educated at St Jarlath's College, Tuam. He attended University College Dublin and studied for the priesthood All Hallows College Dublin. At All Hallows he was ordained priest for the diocese of Perth, Western Australia, on 22 June 1947 by Bishop Henry Vincent Marshall of Salford. On 23 May 1962 he was appointed an Auxiliary Bishop of Perth as well as Titular Bishop of Antipyrgos. He was consecrated as a bishop by Bishop Lancelot Goody. In March 1969 he was appointed Bishop of Bunbury. On 18 February 1982, aged 62, he resigned as Bishop of Bunbury.

It should be remembered that it was during Bishop McKeon's tenure that at least 29 cases of clergy sexual abuse of children, mainly boys occurred. According to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse of Children more than 10% of priests at any one time in the 1970's and 1980's in the Bunbury Diocese where active paedophiles. It would be impossible for the Bishop not to be aware of this as he knowingly accepted into the Diocese, and moved on to other parishes, known sex offenders. The Bishops only interest was the protection of the church's reputation (in the short term) and never the protection of children. However, while this approach was typical of Bishops generally here in Australia and overseas, it does not excuse the utter neglect towards a basis duty of care. This policy certainly enabled paedophiles to operate almost without question during his 13 years as Bishop.

References[]

^ Roman Catholic Diocese of Bunbury Archived 2016-04-12 at the Wayback Machine

External links[]

Catholic Hierarchy website

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[1] Roman Catholic Diocese of Bunbury Archived 2016-04-12 at the Wayback Machine

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