British Cardinal Accused of "Inappropriate Acts"

Radio New Zealand
February 23, 2013

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/128884/british-cardinal-accused-of-%27inappropriate-acts%27

Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric has denied claims in a newspaper report that he behaved inappropriately towards priests and trainee priests in his care.

The Observer newspaper says three priests and one former priest have made official complaints about Cardinal Keith O'Brien to the Vatican's representative in Britain.

They have also demanded his immediate resignation, the paper said.

The allegations date back to the 1980s.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O'Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.

Cardinal O'Brien, who was born in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, has been the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh since 1985. He is also the president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland.

He stood down from some front-line duties in the Catholic Church in Scotland last year due to his age. He is due to retire next month.

As the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal O'Brien will be part of the conclave to choose the next Pope after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal O'Brien has been an outspoken opponent of plans to legalise same-sex marriage and was named "bigot of the year" by gay rights charity Stonewall last November, prompting a storm of controversy.

He recently told the BBC that he believed priests should be able to marry and have children if they wished to do so.