Bishop Durning is the head of the Archdiocese of New York.
History
When a priest in Manhattan, Father Grady, is murdered, Durning talks with Detectives Lennie and Green. During mentions a phone call he received from one of his parishioners, Allen Boswell, who accused him of sleeping with his wife. During told the detectives didn't take the complaint seriously and Boswell accused him of covering for Grady. It is later revealed another priest, Father Evans, was the real target and is tied to a confession he took from the killer, Angel Cabrera, about another murder that sent an innocent man, Freddie Ortega, to prison. When McCoy subpoenas Evans to testify against Cabrera, During goes to McCoy to urge him not to compel Evans to testify. During argues that while neither he nor the church want to impede justice, McCoy is putting Evan between a rock and hard place and no matter what he does he can't win. He begs McCoy to try and find another way to resolve the case so McCoy offers Cabrera a generous deal to try and protect Evans. When Cabrera turns it down, McCoy is forced to call Evans and During watches in horror as he testifies to what Cabrera told him. (L&O: "The Collar")
When Father Richard Hogan is arrested for murdering a drug dealer named Scott Giddins for causing one of his parishioners' son, David Parker, to overdose, Hogan claimed God told him to do it. Bishop Durning testifies that God would not have given such a message, as he teaches that sinners should be saved, not killed. (L&O: Under God)