Kenneth Kearon

Kenneth Arthur Kearon (born 4 October 1953) is an Irish Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe in the Church of Ireland.[1][2]

The Right Reverend

Kenneth Kearon
Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe
ChurchChurch of Ireland
DioceseDiocese of Limerick and Killaloe
PredecessorTrevor Williams
Other post(s)Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council (2005–2014)
Orders
Ordination1981 (deacon)
1982 (priest)
Consecration24 January 2015
by Michael Jackson
Personal details
Born (1953-10-04) 4 October 1953
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
DenominationAnglican
SpouseJennifer Kearon
Alma mater

Early life and education

Kearon was born on 4 October 1953 in Dublin, Ireland.[3] He attended Mountjoy School and Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy in 1975, incepting M.A. in 1979. He was also a student at the Church of Ireland Theological College and Jesus College, Cambridge. He was conferred with a M.Phil. in 1992 following study at the Irish School of Ecumenics.[4]

Ordained ministry

Kearon was ordained in the Church of Ireland as a deacon in 1981 and as a priest in 1982.[5] He served in the parishes of St. John's, Coolock, All Saints, Raheny, and as Rector of Tullow, from 1991 until 1999. In recent years he has served as Canon in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Kearon became Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics serving from 1999 until 2005. He was Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, from his commissioning on 18 January 2005[6] until late 2014. During this time he courted controversy by suggesting in an email that he believed Archbishop Rowan Williams was 'fostering schism'.[7]

Episcopal ministry

In September 2014, it was announced that Kearon had been elected as the next Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe.[8] On 24 January 2015, he was consecrated a bishop during a service at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.[9] The principal consecrator was Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, and the co-consecrators were Pat Storey, Bishop of Meath and Kildare, and Patrick Rooke, Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.

During the Irish referendum campaign on abortion in 2018, Kearon expressed support for the removal of the constitutional ban on abortion, arguing that modern biology supports the contention of early church fathers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas that life does not begin at conception.[10][11] Later the same year, he also supported the removal of references to blasphemy in the constitution.[12]

Kearon retired as Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe on 31 October 2021.[13][14]

Personal life

In 1978, Kearon married Jennifer Poyntz.[3] As such, his father-in-law is Samuel Poyntz.[9] They have three daughters.[15]

Honours

Kearon holds honorary degrees from General Theological Seminary (2006),[16] and Berkeley Divinity School (2015).[17]

Despite his highest earned degree being M.Phil. from Trinity College Dublin, Kearon is often referred to as the Rt Revd Dr.[18]

Publications
  • 'Medical Ethics: an Introduction' (Columba 1995)

References
  1. "Church of Ireland - A Member of the Anglican Communion". Ireland.anglican.org. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. "Father of three, 61 to be next Bishop of Limerick". Limerickleader.ie. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. "LIMERICK AND KILLALOE, Bishop of". Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. November 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  4. "New Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics".
  5. "Kenneth Arthur Kearon". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  6. "picture caption". Church Times. No. 7402. 21 January 2005. p. 4. ISSN 0009-658X. Retrieved 29 July 2021 – via UK Press Online archives.
  7. "Williams 'fostering schism', aide fears". Sunday Telegraph.
  8. "Canon Kenneth Kearon elected as bishop of Limerick and Killaloe". Episcopal News Service. The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  9. "The Consecration of Kenneth Kearon as Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe". Anglican Communion News Service. Anglican Communion Office. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  10. "Church of Ireland bishop supports repeal of Eighth Amendment". Irish Times. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  11. "Kearon supports abortion repeal". Church Times. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  12. "Church of Ireland backs removal of blasphemy offence". Irish Times. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  13. "Retirements announced: Bishop of Limerick, Bishop of Tuam".
  14. "Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick announces his retirement".
  15. "New Church of Ireland Bishop". Irish Times. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  16. "General Seminary Celebrates 184th Commencement". Anglican News. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  17. "Honorary Degrees Awarded at 2015 Convocation". Berkeley Divinity School. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  18. "About our Diocese". Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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