IRELAND
Religion News Service
Andrew Coffman Smith | September 8, 2014
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (RNS) For years, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, refused to heed repeated calls for him to step down over alleged cover-ups of sexual abuse of children by clergy.
Now at 75, the age cardinals are required to step down, Brady finally tendered his resignation, which Pope Francis accepted on Monday (Sept. 8).
“It has been a great joy and privilege for me to serve … and also to travel and meet people from all over Ireland in my role as primate,” he said in a statement referring to his title as archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland.
Since he became head of the Catholic Church in Ireland in 1996, Brady has been dogged by allegations of child abuse cover-ups. His tenure, during which he became cardinal in 2007, has also been plagued by falling church attendance and strained relations with the Irish government.
In 2012, Brady publicly apologized for mishandling allegations of abuse after it emerged that in 1975 he was present at church meetings with two teenagers who alleged they were sexually abused by the Rev. Brendan Smyth. Instead of going to the authorities, the priests swore the alleged victims to secrecy, victims groups charged.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.