Cardinal Sean Brady Offers Resignation to Pope Francis

By Brynmor Pattison
Irish Mirror
August 15, 2014

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/cardinal-sean-brady-offers-resignation-4052641

Cardinal Sean Brady and Pope Francis

Cardinal Sean Brady has offered his resignation to Pope Francis.

The Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, who was made a cardinal in 2007, confirmed he had offered to step down in keeping with canon law.

The religious law states that bishops must resign by the age of 75 - and Cardinal Brady turns that age tomorrow, Saturday, August 16.

The move should see Archbishop Eamon Martin take both places in the hierarchy.

A statement by Cardinal Brady read: "Last month I offered my resignation to Pope Francis in accordance with the requirement of Canon Law.

"I did so in anticipation of my seventy-fifth birthday which I will celebrate tomorrow.

"On 18 January 2013 Pope Benedict XVI acceded to my request for episcopal support and Archbishop Eamon Martin was appointed as Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh.

Abuse victims urge Pope to sack Cardinal Brady during visit to Vatican

"This means that as soon as Pope Francis accepts my resignation Archbishop Eamon will become Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.

"Archbishop Eamon has been warmly welcomed into the diocese.

"He has worked tirelessly in getting to know its priests, religious and lay faithful, as well as by becoming involved in every aspect of the life of the Church in Armagh and beyond.

"I look forward to the day when my resignation will be accepted and when Archbishop Eamon will take over as Archbishop, a position for which, I believe, he is excellently prepared."

Cardinal Brady had recently faced calls for his sacking for failing to protect children from paedophile monster Brendan Smyth .

Although he has also apologised to the victims of Smyth, he previously said he would not resign over the affair.

Cardinal Brady has led the church in Ireland for more than 17 years during which time a series of investigations exposed shocking levels of clerical abuse.

In 2010 he asked Pope Benedict XVI to appoint an assistant to the Armagh Archdiocese and Fr Martin, a Derry-born former teacher, was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh.

The 52-year-old has pledged to work to heal the wounds of those who have lost trust in the institution after a period of unprecedented turmoil.

Carlow-based Marie Kane, 43, had personally asked Pope Francis to remove Dr Brady over the controversy and said that nothing will change until those who were involved in “cover-ups” in this country are removed.