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Under-fire Cardinal Sean Brady demands priest take period of leave
Monday, 29 March 2010
A priest in the Archdiocese of Armagh has been asked to take a period of leave because of concerns about child safety.
Cardinal Sean Brady, who is himself facing criticism over his handling of child sex allegations, told the unnamed priest to step aside for a time while an investigation is carried out.
The All Ireland Primate told the undisclosed congregation during a vigil mass on Saturday.
In a statement posted online yesterday Cardinal Brady said: “The policy of Archdiocese of Armagh is that in all matters relating to child safeguarding, the safety and welfare of the child must be our paramount concern.”
It is understood the priest agreed to take the period of leave from his ministry after being asked by the Cardinal.
The statement continued: “This is to allow the civil authorities, who have been informed, to investigate this matter.”
Cardinal Brady emphasised that the priest “continues to enjoy the right to the presumption of innocence whilst these matters are being investigated” and urged anyone with allegations against any member of the clergy to come forward.
“May I take this opportunity again to invite any person who may have been abused by a priest to come forward to the diocese and/or to make contact with the civil authorities,” he said.
Despite promising to embrace a new era of openness and transparency the Catholic Church would not disclose from which parish the priest has been asked to leave.
Last night spokesman for the Archdiocese of Armagh said they had nothing to add to the Cardinal’s statement.
Last week Cardinal Brady was forced to reject calls for his resignation after it emerged that he attended two meetings in the 1970s when two children who had been abused by Father Brendan Smyth were sworn to secrecy.
Cardinal Brady is being sued in his personal capacity — as well as in his role as Catholic Primate of All Ireland — by a woman who was raped by the notorious paedophile priest over five years.
Smyth was at the centre of one of the first child sex scandals to rock the Catholic Church and was convicted of molesting about 90 boys and girls here and in Northern Ireland over a 40-year period.
It is alleged Cardinal Brady and the others at the meetings failed to pass information provided by the victims to police.
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So to be accused is to be guilty (if he has been accused, we don't know). McCarthyism arrives in Northern Ireland-and is welcomed by both sides of the community!
Considering what 'both sides' consented to and participated in recent years, if find the comments here nothing short of rank hypocrisy. How many peoples children were terrorised, mutilated and murdered? Oh but that was for the right reason wasn't it.
I leaving, the stench is revolting.
Posted by James | 29.03.10, 23:31 GMT
Totally agree Ruth Wilson. It's a pity that he didn't disclose the earlier cases.
Posted by Robbo | 29.03.10, 22:46 GMT
Anybody else getting sick of the career victim hysteria arouind this issue. Gerry Conlon, Annie Maguire, surviviors of the real holocaust - they're what I call victims. Bad sexual expereinces happen to countless people at all times of their lives. Just get on and get over it.
Posted by Glad to be out of Ireland | 29.03.10, 22:01 GMT
Michell, if you renounce Catholicism, why do you care? Non-Catholics seem to be obsessed with this
Posted by conor | 29.03.10, 20:53 GMT
It is a sad predicament when priests are abusing children and bishops are doing nothing to stop them. How would they feel if someone was abusing their children?
Posted by Hugh Mungus | 29.03.10, 18:36 GMT
mr brady resign show some respect, for the children, if not yourself, and to the pope ,all i can say if you feel no shame ,then you show disrespect to god.
Posted by past sins | 29.03.10, 17:36 GMT
churchmen are like politicians refuse to tell the truth and refuse to resign ,,,oh yes and bankers are the same ,,and all 3 groups are there to help us
Posted by hg | 29.03.10, 17:34 GMT
Read paragraph six in the article again, Centaur!
As for your comment, Ruth Wilson, Cardinal Brady is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
Posted by Hugh Mc. | 29.03.10, 17:03 GMT
This is why we need a secular society. Then Sean Brady wouldn't have the choice of resigning and he wouldn't be able to protect the perverted priests. Only when religion is removed from our state, can we expect to have these twisted morons dealt with properly.
Posted by P Crowson | 29.03.10, 16:57 GMT
As someone who was raised in the Catholic faith I wholly agree with you Michelle. I for one am finished with this sick church and pervert leaders. No more.
Posted by robin | 29.03.10, 15:52 GMT
These utterly wicked men are above the law !!!!! They maintain that Church' Canon Law' trumps our mere Common Law. So, because they are 'Men of God', they hide and shield the paedophiles within their ranks, and shift them around, a la Brendan Smyth, knowing many other children, in many countries, will fall foul of these ultimate perverts. From Bishop Ratzinger down, this policy has been faithfully followed for decades. Let us pray they are hounded out and prosecuted.
Posted by Anyonebutunited | 29.03.10, 15:43 GMT
Why are the police not nvestigating these crimes? Are priests and bishops etc above the law?
When are we going to see arrests made?
Posted by Centaur | 29.03.10, 15:07 GMT
Does us all a favour cardinal sean Brady and take some leave yourself, maybe some permanent leave and take all the sex offender priests with you!
Posted by Ed the mechanic! | 29.03.10, 14:14 GMT
I just cannot believe this ongoing saga in the Catholic Church as of late.
The fact Carinal Brady helped cover those two cases up should mean he loses the choice to resign.
its the moral duty of the Church to sack him, and hand over any proof to the local authorities on both him and the scum he covered for.
Instead what happens? the Pope plays the victim card, ignorantly.
This is the very reason I, and no doubt others, renounced Catholicism.
Posted by Michelle | 29.03.10, 13:12 GMT
I suspect that if there hadn't been so much media interest, this episode would have brushed under the carpet just like all the rest. This is more to do with Sean Brady trying to be SEEN doing and saying the right thing.
Posted by Ruth Wilson | 29.03.10, 11:17 GMT
brady himself should stand down, for in protecting paedophiles you help them abuse children, the fact he doescnot cdo so, speaks volumes, and the fact the vatican is not cleaning up this mess by making him resign, also says they put church before the abuse of the most innocent, we see children as innocents a lot of paedophile priests see them as prey.
Posted by opinion | 29.03.10, 07:34 GMT