Father Bob Maguire, a “people’s priest” and social justice activist, passed away at the age of 88.
The television celebrity and Roman Catholic priest spent his life advocating for the weak and marginalized, yet they battled over his forced retirement from ministry.
He passed away this morning at Melbourne’s Cabrini Hospital, according to the Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
The 88-year-old’s family stated in a statement that the previous months had been challenging as his health deteriorated.
Why was Father Bob forced to retire?
Since 1973, Fr. Bob has served as the parish priest of Sts. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church in South Melbourne. He only left after a disagreement with the Catholic Church authority on the need that priests to retire at age 75.
What is Father Bob Maguire doing now?
Fr. Bob passed away at the age of 88 on Wednesday morning in his beloved Melbourne. He was a “dear and much-loved member of our family,” according to his relatives, and his “energy and good humor will be sorely missed.”