The former Bishop of Galway, Dr Eamonn Casey, is expected to arrive in London today from Miami, at the end of his five-year service as a missionary in Quito, Ecuador.
Dr Casey has been visiting missionary colleagues in Central and South America since his work in Quito ended in June; he has also travelled in the US. The 71-yearold former bishop left Ireland in 1990 following revelations of his affair with Ms Annie Murphy with whom he had a son, Peter, now aged 24.
RTE reported yesterday that Dr Casey might be appointed to a ministry outside Westminster, following negotiations about his future to find a suitable location and financial support.
A source close to Dr Casey said he had no immediate plans to travel to Ireland but he hinted halfjokingly that he might possibly fly on to Cork or Shannon.
It was indicated that he might return to Ireland within months. The bishop has previously said he would like to return home.
A report last month that he might work in the Westminster diocese was, according to RTE, rejected by a spokesman for Cardinal Basil Hume, who said such a move would be inappropriate.
Yesterday a spokesman for the Irish Catholic hierarchy said he was unaware of any negotiations about Dr Casey's return to Britain, prior to finally settling in Ireland.
Dr Casey had worked in London in the 1960s when he was involved in organising housing schemes for homeless Irish people.
Dr Bill Murphy, the Bishop of Kerry, said yesterday he was sympathetic to the former bishop's wish to return to Ireland. Speaking on Radio Kerry, he said there was no problem about him returning to Ireland.
"He has a passport, he is a citizen. He left Ireland freely and he can return freely." Asked about Dr Casey returning to work in Ireland and in Kerry, Dr Murphy said that a lot of hurt was caused to people by his actions and there would have to be a lot of consultation.
People universally believed that he should return but a lot of those he had spoken to said he should retire rather than continue his ministry, he said.
