By Joanna Sugden
The Times
May 18, 2010
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7129475.ece
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| Cardinal Sean Brady Photo by Paul McErlane/EPA |
The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has indicated he will not resign following a cover-up of child abuse in the Church.
Cardinal Sean Brady had said he would step down if he found that a child had been abused as a result of his managerial failures.
Calls for his resignation came earlier this year after it emerged he was present at meetings more than 30 years ago where children who complained they were abused by a priest were sworn to secrecy.
But last night the Cardinal gave the clearest signal yet that he intends to stay on in his post.
“In the years that remain to me as Archbishop of Armagh, I am fully committed to building on the substantial progress made in child safeguarding in recent years and to working to bring about the healing, repentance and renewal set out for the Church in Ireland by Pope Benedict XVI,” the Cardinal said.
“I am fully committed to the path that as a Church we must take to the truth that will set us free.”
The Primate asked for a Bishop to be appointed to support him after the cover-up of abuse in the Dublin diocese came to light.
Children who said they were abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth in 1975 were asked to sign vows of silence at a meeting attended by the Cardinal, then the secretary to the Bishop of Kilmore. He did not report the case to the civil authorities.
Last night the 70-year-old Primate said his Diocese of Armagh would appoint a full-time director of child safeguarding to handle all future suspicions and allegations of abuse and report directly to civil authorities.
In his statement - following the announcement of an all-island audit into how the Church handles abuse allegations - the senior cleric said he has asked for his own Diocese of Armagh to be inspected by Vatican officials.
Cardinal Sean Brady praised the work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, which will oversee the review.
He said diocesan staff have been asked to fully participate in the new Independent Safeguarding Authority in Northern Ireland.
It will allow the sharing of soft information on clergy, and the Cardinal urged a similar system be set up in the Republic, and to allow cross border sharing of information.
The Cardinal warned about the dangers of complacency in relation to child protection.
“The tragic experience of the past reminds us that constant vigilance is needed as well as full adherence to robust, comprehensive and ongoing systems of accountability,” he said.
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