Friday, May 04, 2012

Church’s most conservative theologian begs Brady to go

ONE of Ireland’s most conservative and respected Catholic theologians has said that Cardinal Sean Brady has lost his moral authority and should resign.

Fr Vincent Twomey has pleaded with the church to reexamine its role and asked where is the humanity to connect with the pain of children who have been abused.

The retired Professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth, told Primetime on RTE 1, that there were issues about the failure to alert parents to other victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, that the church must address.

“For the good of the church, it is really tragic, but I’m afraid I am of the opinion that he should resign,” he said.

Meanwhile, it emerged today that Cardinal Brady was willing to resign over the Brendan Smyth affair two years ago but the Vatican refused because it had "no idea" who to replace him with, according to church sources.

The cardinal was locked in meetings with advisers yesterday amid a growing chorus of calls for him to stand down over his handling of child rape allegations against the paedophile priest in 1975.

The Irish Independent learned Dr Brady was willing to step down but dithering by the Vatican delayed the selection of a successor.

It came as government ministers on both sides of the Border ratcheted up the pressure on Cardinal Brady to resign.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness both called on him to consider his position.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny held firm on his call for the cardinal to "reflect" on the BBC programme that contained new revelations on the handling of clerical abuse.

But the Labour Party went further with strong statements from Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore and Mr Quinn.

Asked if he had indicated his willingness to resign to the Pope two years ago, a spokesman for the Catholic Communications Office would neither confirm nor deny the claim, which was given currency yesterday by well-known priest Father Brian D'Arcy.

The cardinal's press spokesman would only say: "We do not have any information on this speculative statement." 

He suggested the Irish Independent "contact Father D'Arcy".

However, senior church sources confirmed Cardinal Brady wanted to step aside in March 2010 as details of a legal action against him by Smyth abuse victim Brendan Boland emerged.

The cardinal's attempts to step aside were thwarted as the Vatican wanted to wait until after the Apostolic Visitation.

Fr D'Arcy said yesterday that "some people in the church believe that Cardinal Brady did offer his resignation two years ago but that it was rejected by the Vatican".

The Fermanagh-based Passionist priest added: "If he did offer his resignation before and he was to offer his resignation again, we'd be back to square one if it was rejected."
 
Assertion

However, he repeated his assertion that a change in All-Ireland Primate wouldn't lead to a change in the church. 

One church source said the cardinal was now "paying the price for the Vatican's indecision".

"I don't think people appreciate how badly the cardinal took this and he has now been boxed into a corner by the Vatican," the source said.

"He cannot resign unless it is approved by Rome first. Sean Brady is being punished now for something he actually took responsibility for. The hope now is that he may be allowed to step aside before the Eucharistic Congress in June -- otherwise this will cast a shadow over it."

It was not clear whether Dr Brady ever formally offered his resignation to the Vatican in 2010.

Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown would have to decide whether to allow the cardinal to stand aside and appoint a diocesan administrator in his place.

The church's refusal to confirm or deny that the cardinal was willing to resign two years ago came as one bishop described the BBC programme as "shocking" and laid the blame for the latest church crisis at the door of Brendan Smyth's superior Abbot Kevin Smith.

Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore, which 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."

He said he wanted to express his "deep sorrow" to all victims of paedophile priests and described the abuse of victims featured in the BBC programme as a "betrayal of their faith and trust in priests".

The BBC 'This World' programme claimed Cardinal Brady's role in the investigation of Brendan Smyth was greater than he had made out.

It also raised questions over why the parents of abuse victims identified by Brendan Boland were never contacted by the church.

In the North, the PSNI confirmed it was "studying the contents of the programme".