By Henry Mcdonald
Guardian
May 18, 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/18/irish-cardinal-defies-calls-resign-abuse
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| Primate of All Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady will not resign over the cover-up scandal. Photo by Peter Morrison/AP |
Dr Sean Brady to stay on as head of Irish Catholics despite role in covering up abuse of teenagers by Fr Brendan Smyth
The leader of Ireland's Catholics has defied calls to step down over the cover-up of the country's most notorious paedophile priest scandal.
Cardinal Sean Brady said he would stay on as head of the Irish church even though he had previously hinted he may resign.
In a statement last night Brady asked Pope Benedict XVI for "additional support for my work, at episcopal level".
Speaking on the steps of Armagh cathedral, the spiritual home of Irish Christianity, Brady said: "It certainly wasn't an easy decision. I have listened to a lot of people, reflected as I said I would. I listened to survivors, to priests, to religious people up and down the length of this diocese and I have decided to continue in my present role, to play my part in this diocese.
"Because I want to maintain the momentum towards better child safeguarding and also the momentum towards renewal of the faith, which is essential here and a big challenge."
The Catholic primate said he wanted to be involved in addressing the "vital work of healing, repentance and renewal, including engagement with survivors of abuse, as well as the many other challenges and opportunities which confront the diocese of Armagh and the church in Ireland at this time".
He said he would advertise for a full-time director of child safeguarding who would be responsible for handling all future suspicions and allegations of child abuse, and for reporting these directly to the civil authorities.
But victims of clerical child abuse have accused Brady of thumbing his nose at them over his refusal to resign. One, Marie Collins, criticised the cardinal's stance despite revelations earlier this year that he had known since 1975 that a notorious paedophile priest, Fr Brendan Smyth, had abused children. Smyth continued to sexually molest and abuse children for 18 years after the cardinal attended a secret church hearing into his activities.
As a priest, the cardinal took part in a church-run investigation into allegations of child sex abuse by Smyth which involved Brady swearing two of Smyth's teenage victims to secrecy over their ordeal.
Collins, who is a spokeswoman for the One in Four campaign group, said Brady had expressed no regret to her for having sworn the teenagers to secrecy in 1975 after recording their statements in the inquiry. She criticised his failure to mention his action in the statementand accused him of having allowed Smyth to continue abusing for 18 years.
John Kelly, of the Survivors of Child Abuse group, said the cardinal's decision not to resign was that of "a decent man who had not done the decent thing".
Brady's statement came two months after media revelations that he had kept the gardai in the dark about Smyth's abuse of the two victims.
In March, Brady said he had explained that he was not the designated person to go to the gardai but he admitted feeling ashamed that he had not always upheld the values he professed and believed.
The Catholic church in Ireland has been engulfed by waves of scandals involving clergy abusing children.
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