A "sad day" as Cardinal Brady's resignation is accepted

Anglo Celt
September 8, 2014

http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2014/09/08/4032374-a-sad-day-as-cardinal-bradys-resignation-is-accepted/

Sean Brady.

The Bishop of Kilmore has paid tribute to former Cardinal Sean Brady after it was announced today that Pope Frances has accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland in line with canon law following his 65th birthday.

Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin now automatically succeeds to both positions under canon law.

Bishop Leo O'Reilly said it was a "sad day" for him personally and for Dr Brady's many friends in his native Diocese of Kilmore.

"I have known and worked closely with Cardinal Seán, firstly as a colleague on the staff of Saint Patrick’s College, Cavan, as a fellow priest of the Diocese of Kilmore and, since my appointment as Bishop of Kilmore in 1998. On this day of mixed emotion, I wish to acknowledge Cardinal Seán’s innate decency and personal kindness, and I will miss his support, wisdom and outstanding leadership of the Bishops’ Conference.

"Cardinal Seán is much loved here in the Diocese of Kilmore.  He was born in Laragh parish and educated in Caulfield National School and Saint Patrick’s College, Cavan.  He was ordained priest for the diocese of Kilmore on 22 February 1964.  From 1967 to 1980 he taught languages at Saint Patrick’s College and he served as diocesan secretary for seven years until 1980.  On his return from the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, where he served as Vice Rector and Rector from 1980 to 1993, he was appointed as parish priest of Castletara (Ballyhaise) in Co Cavan.  In 1994 Cardinal Seán was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh by the then Pope, now Saint, John Paul II, and he has served the Bishops’ Conference and his diocese faithfully and patiently since that time.

"Cardinal Seán is a humble pastor of deep faith and is gifted with a strong pastoral instinct. These defining qualities have equipped him well over the last twenty years as he led the Catholic Church through our most turbulent period since the Penal Laws.  Cardinal Seán has worked tirelessly to achieve peace in Ireland; he prioritised and oversaw the development of robust child safeguarding guidelines for the Church; in the area of pastoral ministry he led the introduction of the permanent diaconate to Ireland; and at all times he promoted Gospel values and the faith in our contemporary society which is much less receptive to hearing the message of the Good News than in previous times.

"Throughout his tenure Cardinal Seán has never forgotten his roots and he has been a great friend to me and to his home parish and diocese.  Whilst this is a sad day, I wish Cardinal Seán good health in his retirement which no doubt will be far from inactive and, as he has always encouraged us to pray more, I ask that you join me to remember Cardinal Seán in your prayers now and always.

"On this occasion I wish Cardinal Seán’s successor, Archbishop Eamonn Martin, every blessing and happiness in new role as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland," said Bishop Leo.

 

Congratulations

In a statement this morning, Cardinal Brady congratulated Dr Martin and thanked the priests and people of the Armagh archdiocese and of Ireland as well as members of the other churches for “their welcome, friendship and so much kindness over many years”.

He said he hoped “to live near Armagh and to continue pursuing these aims by helping out pastorally wherever I can and whenever I am needed. I am looking forward to retirement and, no doubt, it will take me some time to get used to it, but it will be good to have more time for family, friends and to follow the football!”

In a separate statement, Dr Martin thanked Cardinal Brady and said it was “a day for us to recognise the years of service which you have given to the Church in Armagh and beyond”.

He added: “At the same time he always presents as a gentle and humble man who is never fully comfortable in the limelight. I want to thank Cardinal Sean personally for the kindness he has shown me since I came to Armagh last year, and for allowing me every opportunity to get to know the diocese. I know that I can count on his prayers and support in the years to come.”

Criticism

However, last month, a victim of clerical abuse says to allow Dr Brady to retire without sanction over his role in the Fr Brendan Smyth abuse investigation would be part of a “cover up”.

The cardinal had been heavily criticised over the handling of the Brendan Smyth child abuse affair in which Dr Brady received reports of the abuse and passed them on in confidence to church hierarchy.

One of Smyth’s victims, Brendan Boland, recently published a book on the ordeal, called Sworn to Silence, which contains the handwritten record of the oath sworn by the then 14-year-old Mr Boland to keep the inquiry secret.In 2012, Dr Brady apologised “without hesitation” to Mr Boland for the abuse he suffered at the hands of Smyth.To allow Dr Brady “retire naturally as if he did nothing wrong is part of the cover-up” of his role in the Smyth saga, Mr Boland said.A church spokesperson said Dr Brady was not aware of a Garda investigation in the mid-1990s into the activities of Fr Smyth: “If he had been approached by the gardaí he would have made a statement.”Mr Boland, however, said he has no desire to meet Dr Brady. “It’s not going to happen. I’d feel like an altar boy again. He would control everything. I don’t want him to be in control any more.”At the time of the inquiry in 1975, Dr Brady was a 36-year-old canon lawyer, a teacher at St Patrick’s College in Cavan Town and part-time secretary to then Bishop of Kilmore, Francis McKiernan, who appointed him to the inquiry.Smyth was jailed in Belfast in 1994 for abuse of children perpetrated in the North in the 1980s. In 1997, he was jailed in the Republic and died later that year. He abused children over a 40-year period.