Cardinal's Sin Isn't What He Did, It's What He Said
By Alison Philipps
He lost everything and for what? For breaking his vow of celibacy? No, because he was a hypocrite. And a nasty one, too Keith O’Brien is today hiding in a safe house undoubtedly considering how his life has gone so wrong. He’s lost his job as Britain’s top Catholic, he’ll soon lose his title of Cardinal, and he has lost the faith and respect of people in parishes all over the world. And for what? For a drunken fumble with a young priest 30 years ago? For breaking his vow of celibacy? No, I don’t really think so. He lost everything because he was a hypocrite. And a nasty one, too. Almost exactly a year ago Keith O’Brien went on the radio and said if gay marriage were to be legalised, “further aberrations would take place and society would be degenerating even further than it already has into immorality”. He called it a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right”. But what was he thinking? I mean, what was he really thinking when he used words like aberration, grotesque and immorality? Was he thinking for a moment about those nights when, fuelled by booze, he allowed himself to be ruled by desire and he fondled and kissed young priests? Was he thinking about how, presumably despite his conflicting emotions, he had enjoyed those moments? If he ever did think of those times, which I’m certain he must have done, what a horrific life he must have been living, so torn between what he truly felt and what he was saying in public. He was at that moment already the worst victim of his own hypocrisy. If, despite his experiences, Keith O’Brien still opposed gay marriage, he was perfectly within his rights to say so. But why repeatedly use such violent, ugly and angry language in public, knowing it would cause such offence and upset to gay people and their families? Why add more heartache for people, inside and outside the church, coming to terms with their sexuality or that of a family member? Why add to the difficulties so many people already have telling their families that they are gay, particularly if their parents or relatives are practising Catholics? These people often struggle with telling their parents the truth about their lives because they fear they will be judged, criticised and ostracised. Keith O’Brien’s words just made that more likely than ever. But why say any of that stuff when your job and life’s work is supposed to be one based on love? Gay radio and television presenter Evan Davis tweeted this week: “I think people who struggle to suppress their homosexual urges find that expressing anti-gay views gives them fortitude in their torment.” Well, Keith O’Brien was certainly finding plenty of fortitude in that respect. I am sure he did some wonderful things during his priesthood. But his words were cruel. And his actions were hypocritical. And this is the reason he has fallen. He has asked for forgiveness for his actions, saying there have been times his “sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal”. He will spend the rest of his life in retirement. Keith O’Brien will have plenty of time to think about who is to blame for his sorry predicament. He may want to blame the testimonies of the men he was involved with all those years ago. He may want to blame some mysterious conspiracy within the Catholic Church. But he has only one person to truly blame for his situation – himself. Perhaps once he realises that, he won’t be asking for forgiveness for what he has done, but instead be asking for forgiveness for what he said, and all the people he hurt along the way. Truly the worst of British BARELY a day goes by now when I don’t get the feeling someone somewhere is having a good old laugh at this country’s expense. On Monday it was Rolls-Royce, which, trading off its Britishness since for ever, paid no corporation tax last year despite a pre-tax profit of £1.4billion. Then there was that other British institution Butlin’s, which has been advertising jobs in Poland and Romania while telling unemployed British workers there’s no vacancies at the moment. Last week it was RBS, which as you’ll recall, you, me and the other mugs still paying tax in this country own more than 80 per cent of after repeatedly bailing it out. Yet now, despite reporting four consecutive years of losses, they’ve decided to hand out £400million to their already overpaid bankers. Big laughs all round. This country has become a cosy home for people and companies that know all about rights yet nothing about responsibilities. Rolls-Royce, Butlin’s and RBS are a disgrace to this nation. Their Britishness has been at the heart of their success but they are laughing in our face and ignoring the fate of our unemployed young people. And most tragically it seems our government is either incapable or incompetent at doing anything at all to wipe that smile off their faces. PS APPARENTLY, couples row 104 times a year about mess. Ikea reckons it could all be remedied with better storage solutions. I reckon it could all be remedied if men just picked up their flipping socks.
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