RTE News
March 17, 2010
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0317/abuse.html
IRELAND -- Cardinal Sean Brady has said he is ashamed that he has not always upheld the values that he professes and believes in.
Dr Brady was addressing a congregation attending St Patrick's Day mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh.
He said: 'This week a painful episode from my own past has come before me. I have listened to reaction from people to my role in events thirty five years ago.
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| Seán Brady - 'Painful episode' |
'I want to say to anyone who has been hurt by any failure on my part that I apologise to you with all my heart. I also apologise to all those who feel I have let them down.
'Looking back I am ashamed that I have not always upheld the values that I profess and believe in.'
He also said he was looking forward to the pastoral letter of Pople Benedict XVI which would be an important source of renewal and repentance.
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| Martin McGuinness - Cardinal Brady should consider position |
Pope Benedict today said he hopes his imminent letter on the problem of child sexual abuse by priests will 'help repentance, healing and renewal'.
Speaking in English to pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square for his general audience, the Pope announced that he will sign his long-awaited pastoral letter dealing with paedophilia in Ireland on Friday.
It is expected to be released on Friday or Saturday.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said Cardinal Brady should consider his position in relation to the fallout from the Fr Brendan Smyth revelations.
Speaking in Washington, Mr McGuinness described the latest revelations as 'a very grave situation for the Catholic Church'.
He said he would be very surprised and he believed many Catholics would be surprised if Cardinal Brady was not considering his position at the moment.
Mr McGuinness said he was not an enemy of the Catholic Church, that he is a Catholic and believes in the Catholic Church, but said he believed this was a 'very serious situation'.
He added that Catholics throughout the island of Ireland wanted to see real leadership at this time.
He went on to say that when it comes to matters as serious as child abuse, there is a grave responsibility on everybody in positions of leadership to ensure the protection of children.
Support for Cardinal Brady
The Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, Dr Gerard Clifford, has said he believed Cardinal Brady will address all the issues regarding his handling of the inquiry in 1975 Brendan Smyth.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, Dr Clifford said the Cardinal was a man of principle and he would stick to those principles.
He said Dr Brady had given unique leadership to the Catholic Church in Ireland and had listened personally to those who had been abused. He said he had spoken to the Cardinal last night and that the controversy weighed very heavily on him.
He said the majority of messages to the Cardinal's office in Armagh so far had been ones of support.
Dr Clifford pointed out that Cardinal Brady, following the publication of Murphy and Ryan reports, had admitted the failures of the Catholic Church in the past and had apologised for them.
He said the Cardinal would continue to do that.
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