Friday, May 04, 2012

Clerics and politicians increase pressure on Brady

CARDINAL Sean Brady was under increasing pressure today to resign as he has lost his "moral credibility".

Retired Professor of Moral Theology Fr Vincent Twomey said the cardinal had lost his moral authority as head of the Irish church. 

The former Maynooth professor said the Catholic Church must address issues arising from an ineffective church inquiry into child sex abuse committed by Fr Brendan Smyth. Cardinal Brady's role in that inquiry when he was a priest has come under increasing scrutiny. 

Fr Twomey asked: "Where is the humanity, the imagination that can't realise that these children have suffered so much? For the good of the church, I'm afraid I am of the opinion that should resign." 

A growing number of politicians have also called on the cardinal to consider his position over claims he failed to alert parents of abuse victims or the police or gardai after hearing testimony from a 14-year-old victim in 1975. 

Cardinal Brady said he had given his inquiry report to his bishop but was appalled years later to learn no effective action was taken against Smyth who continued to abuse children for many more years. 

As the cardinal confers with advisers today, it emerged that church sources claimed the cardinal was willing to resign two years ago over the Smyth affair but the Vatican was not willing to allow it. 

Thwarted
 
Senior church sources confirmed Dr Brady wanted to step down in March 2010 as details of a legal action against him by Smyth abuse victim Brendan Boland were made public. 

It was believed his attempts to step aside were thwarted as the Vatican wanted to wait until after the Apostolic Visitation when senior churchmen from outside Ireland carried out investigations into how the Irish church handled allegations of abuse by clerics. 

Passionist priest Fr Brian D'Arcy said some believe he did offer to resign. But changing cardinals would not change the church, he added. 

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness both called on the cardinal to consider his position while Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Dr Brady should "reflect" on allegations in a BBC documentary that his role in the 1975 inquiry was more significant than he claimed.
 
Shocking
 
Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore, said the BBC programme's contents were "shocking" and he blamed the latest church crisis on Brendan Smyth's superior Abbot Kevin Smith. 

Bishop Leo O'Reilly, whose diocese covers Co Cavan, where Smyth's order was based, said: "I find it incomprehensible that Abbot Smith did not take effective action to stop Brendan Smyth committing further abuse against children."