SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland

Saturday 18 May 2013

Hugh Dougherty

Three months of agony may well be over for the Scottish Catholic in the pew, now that the Vatican has finally taken action on the Cardinal Keith O’Brien affair.

But uncertainty remains over what may happen at the end of his six-months’ purdah, and there are disturbing questions about what really went on in seminaries in the past. And why was Cardinal O’Brien made both archbishop and cardinal when his failings must have been well known to many in the Scottish hierarchy and in the Vatican?

But, above all, ordinary Catholics are hurting. It has been shaming, embarrassing and faith-challenging to watch the whole sorry tale staggering on over three months, as the church ties itself in knots over its internal procedures, giving credence to the charge of it keeping parishioners and media alike guessing. There has been a lack…