Cardinal O'Brien Interviewed about Church's Attitude to Child Sex Abuse before Allegations Eme

The Telegraph
February 25, 2013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9892194/Cardinal-OBrien-interviewed-about-Churchs-attitude-to-child-sex-abuse-before-allegations-emerged.html

[with video]

Before allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' forced Cardinal Keith O'Brien to resign on Monday, he gave an interview about the Church's attitude to sexual abuse.

Cardinal O'Brien, who resigned today over allegations of "inappropriate behaviour", was being interviewed on February 22 about the prospect of the former archbishop of Los Angeles, who resigned over claims he protected priests accused of child sex abuse, voting for the next pope.

Cardinal O'Brien said it was down to Cardinal Mahony, to examine his "own conscience" as to whether or not he would take part in the upcoming papal conclave.

Roger Mahony, 76, was last month relieved of all his church duties for allegedly trying to conceal abuse cases involving dozens of priests in the US.

He was stripped of those duties by his successor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, who took over from him in 2011.

Catholics on both sides of the Atlantic said it would be wrong for the disgraced cardinal to attend the conclave, the secretive gathering of cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel which will choose a new pontiff sometime in mid-March.

But Cardinal Mahony posted a message on his Twitter account saying he would defy his critics and turn up for the conclave.

Cardinal O'Brien, who will now not be part of the conclave that will choose the next Pope, said: "I would say it is up to his own conscience as to whether or not he should go forward to take part in the forthcoming conclave. It's difficult for anyone to make a judgment on someone else.

"If Cardinal Mahony is being judged on what he did in 1980. Well, of course, the rules were a wee bit different in all aspects of society on what we did with allegations of child sexual abuse, 20 or 30 years ago."