Scottish Cardinal Resigns after Sex Accusations

By David Gibson
Religion News Service
February 25, 2013

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/02/25/scottish-cardinal-resigns-after-sex-accusations/

Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Edinburgh and St. Andrews, Scotland. Wikimedia photo courtesy Gavin Scott.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland resigned on Monday in the wake of explosive charges that he had made “inappropriate” sexual advances to four men, three of them priests and one now a former priest, starting in the 1980s. He said he would skip next month’s conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI.

In a statement, O’Brien said Pope Benedict had accepted his resignation effective immediately, and he appeared to allude to the events surrounding his sudden exit.

“Looking back over my years of ministry: For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologize to all whom I have offended,” said the cardinal, who turns 75 next month, which is the mandatory retirement age for bishops. Cardinals retain the right to vote in a conclave until they are 80.

The resignation adds to the air of crisis and tumult that has surrounded the Vatican since Benedict earlier this month announced his intention to resign on Feb. 28, the first pope to voluntarily relinquish the office in 700 years.

In the weeks since Benedict’s announcement, the media has been filled with reports of infighting and scandals that allegedly drove the pope to step down; the latest revelation was a charge that Benedict recently learned of a number of gay churchmen in the Vatican who have allegedly been subject to blackmail.

The accusations against O’Brien, reported over the weekend by a British newspaper, The Observer, were unrelated to the Vatican scandals but still fuel the sense of melodrama enveloping the upper levels of the church.

In the United States, there have been demands for Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired archbishop of Los Angeles, not to attend the conclave following details that have emerged about how he mishandled the sexual abuse of children by priests under his authority. Mahony has refused to bow to the demands and will vote for the next pope.

O’Brien, archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, is the most senior Catholic churchman in Great Britain and would have been the lone vote for the British church in the conclave. The number of electors is now down to 115; an Indonesian cardinal last week said his health would prevent him from making the journey to Rome.

O’Brien had previously said through his spokesman that he is contesting allegations. The cardinal has been known to speak his mind on various issues, and last Friday had made headlines by calling for discussion of a married priesthood.

But in recent years he also become an increasingly vocal opponent of gay rights and last year was named “bigot of the year” by the gay rights charity Stonewall.

In his statement on Monday, O’Brien said:

“I thank Pope Benedict XVI for his kindness and courtesy to me and on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Scotland, I wish him a long and happy retirement.  I also ask God’s blessing on my brother Cardinals who will soon gather in Rome to elect his successor.  I will not join them for this Conclave in person.  I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me – but rather on Pope Benedict XVI and on his Successor.  However, I will pray with them and for them that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they will make the correct choice for the future good of the Church.”