UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News
Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric has been reported to the Vatican over claims of inappropriate behaviour going back 30 years, a newspaper says.
The Observer said three priests and one former priest have made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O’Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.
They have demanded his immediate resignation, it said.
A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O’Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice. …
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says the allegations seem to have been publicised now because the four complainants do not want Cardinal O’Brien to go to the Vatican to participate in electing a new pope.
The chances of him not going, however, are “very remote”, as not only has he denied the allegations but it is very difficult to prevent a cardinal from exercising their papal vote, unless he is detained by the state.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former archbishop of Westminster, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme he was “very sad” to hear of the allegations made against Cardinal O’Brien.
“There have been other cases which have been a great scandal to the Church over these past years.
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