SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland
Rosemary Goring
Literary editor/columnist
Monday 20 May 2013
It was in many ways admirable of Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh, to leap to the defence of the disgraced Cardinal Keith O’Brien.
Speaking of the Cardinal’s banishment from Scotland by the Vatican, he expressed his disgust. Never mealy-mouthed, he likened the cleric’s forced exile for what Rome has termed “the purpose of spiritual renewal, prayer, and penance” to the CIA’s tactics of extraordinary rendition. Decrying this draconian act, Mr Holloway urged compassion towards the elderly Cardinal O’Brien, who should be allowed to return to Dunbar, where he had hoped to spend his retirement.
“Doubtless,” he said, “a time will come when Cardinal O’Brien will want to be reconciled with those he has offended”. That could only happen, though, when the hullabaloo has died down, and the cardinal is allowed to live peacefully in his own home. Mr Holloway was in no doubt, however, that forgiveness would be forthcoming, that being the essence of Christianity.
I agree that the Vatican’s long reach is disturbing. That it can make a priest pack his bags and leave the country, in the knowledge that he cannot return without the Pope’s approval, is decidedly sinister. As Mr Holloway points out, even in the Middle Ages steps were taken to prevent this sort of interference from Rome.
The Vatican insists that the cardinal’s compulsory expulsion is “not a banishment order”, but few would interpret it otherwise. Indeed, it is simply another indication that the church behaves today, as in the past, as if it were above the laws of any nation. Although some of those who accused the cardinal of abuse are said to be content with the action taken to remove him from the scene, others are far from happy. While no complaint has been made to the police about the alleged incidents, it does not appear that the church has instigated any official investigation into the events. If it has, then it is remaining tight-lipped. In this, as in spiriting the cardinal out of Scotland, the Vatican is acting in an imperious manner better suited to medieval times than our supposedly transparent age.
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