The O'Brien Moment: a Spiritual Leader in Edinburgh
By Stephen Houghsociety
Cardinal Keith O'Brien has been forced into retirement slightly earlier than expected. If the accusations against him are false then we've seen a despicable use of media power to spread lies and cause scandal. It's one of the nastiest of modern sins. But if the accusations are true there's an opportunity here for a moment of Church-changing, life-enhancing heroism. Cardinal O'Brien has within his hands the potential to preach the Gospel with more power now than ever before, to touch more people's hearts than at any other time in his priestly life. He's holding a stick of spiritual dynamite in his anointed hands. It has been said that the three things we most fear in life are death, suffering and disgrace – I wrote a post about it a few years ago here. Death comes to us all, suffering too in varying degrees; but few of us face the sort of public humiliation which now faces Cardinal O'Brien. It's easy for me to say it (and I'm not sure anyone has the strength to bear it unassisted) but a chastened, humbled Keith O'Brien – completely open about himself, his past, his present – could be a greater treasure for the Catholic Church than anyone they might choose to be Pope over the next month. Edinburgh could have a spiritual leader who could change the world.
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