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  Clerical Sex Abuse Victim Renews Call for Cardinal Sean Brad to Resign

Belfast Telegraph
May 12, 2010

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/clerical-sex-abuse-victim-renews-call-for-cardinal-sean-brad-to-resign-14805041.html

A prominent victim of clerical child abuse last night renewed her call for Cardinal Sean Brady to resign by the end of the month.

Marie Collins said the cardinal should take responsibility for binding to secrecy two children raped by notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth in 1975.

“Cardinal Brady is refusing to take responsibility for his actions in 1975. But he must do so,” Ms Collins said.

She was responding to a controversial speech by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, in which he warned that “strong forces” in the Catholic Church would prefer scandals about paedophile priests to be kept secret.

Yesterday the only bishop to publicly support the archbishop's comments was the Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh.

Despite being contacted numerous times yesterday, the country's other bishops maintained silence in the wake of the emotional and hard-hitting speech.

In his address to the Knights of Columbanus, Dr Martin appealed to bishops to take responsibility for failures to protect children from paedophile clerics.

A spokesperson for Dr Martin would not confirm if he had Dr Brady in mind in his address.

The spokesman said the archbishop was invited to speak on the Church's future in Ireland, and made this the occasion for “a full and frank, and comprehensive speech”.

Last night, Dr Brady was unavailable for comment on Dr Martin's speech.

Praising Dr Martin's courage, Marie Collins said she still wanted Dr Brady to resign on May 23.

“Archbishop Martin has challenged bishops to take responsibility for their past failures,” said Ms Collins.

“I am still hoping Cardinal Brady will resign, because he must take responsibility for his part in the Brendan Smyth case.”

 
 

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