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  Editorial - The Cardinal Brady Affair

Waterford Today
March 24, 2010

http://www.waterford-today.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9149&Itemid=1&ed=875

IRELAND -- It would seem that hardly a month goes by without some new controversy surrounding the Catholic Church in Ireland and child sexual abuse. This time however the scandal goes all the way to the very top and involves the Primate of Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady. It would appear that in 1975 he was asked by his superior to investigate claims by two children into allegations of sexual abuse against the notorious priest Fr. Brendan Smyth. Fr. Smyth is perhaps the most notorious of serial child abusers in the annals of not only the church but also of the state. For decades he sexually abused children that were in his care and it was only at the end of his life that he was finally stopped. It was into these set of circumstances that Cardinal Brady, then a lowly priest, was dropped. What has outraged so many commentators and campaigners against child sexual abuse is the fact that not only was Fr. Smyth not reported but that apparently the two children making the allegations were made to sign a document saying that they would keep everything about the affair secret.

This of course according to some could have serious legal implications. However the fact remains that Cardinal Brady was involved in a potent mix, something that would come back and haunt him some 35 years later. So far he has said that he will only resign if the Pope asks him to. He has received backing from other members of the hierarchy such as Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. Then again there are those such as the One in Four group which are calling for his resignation. Marie Collins who was herself a victim of abuse said that the Cardinal once proclaimed that if he were found to be involved in anyway whatsoever in letting a child abuser continue on he would resign. It is clear that the battle lines have been drawn. On St. Patrick's Day Cardinal Brady in his church homily apologised profusely for any hurt that he may have caused and went to describe the hurt and confusion that the drip, drip, drip of allegations against members of the church has caused. He also made the point that it was difficult to use the standards of today to judge actions, well meaning actions, by those in the church. However it was pointed out by some commentators and even in editorials that the Ryan and Murphy reports stated quite clearly that when it came to allegations of abuse by children that the church merely wanted the whole thing hushed up and that everything be done to preserve the power and position of the church at all costs. But it is a salient point. And it would appear that you come down on either one side or the other.

You adopt the position of the church and say times were different then and that we did the best that we could. Or else you hold the line that abuse is abuse, is abuse, and that the only thing that matters is the well being of the child. It would seem that the latter is the more logical position. But no matter how many times that the head of Cardinal Brady is called for that he will survive. The church will not give up its leading light so easily. But that is not to say that yet again the Catholic Church in Ireland is damaged. Of course it is. Cardinal Brady has said himself that this is the most urgent time in its history since the founding of the church by St. Patrick and that the upcoming Eucharistic Congress in 2012 in Dublin is vital for the church. But by then will the people still be around to hear the message. No doubt they will be. But not everyone will be so uncritical and unthinking in their approach towards the church. It would seem like the Cardinal himself said the drip, drip, drip of allegations have made their mark.

 
 

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