SCOTLAND
Gay Star News

20 MARCH 2015 | BY JOE MORGAN

Disgraced Cardinal Keith O’Brien has officially resigned today (20 March).

Pope Francis accepted the cleric’s resignation of the rights and privileges of a cardinal after he admitted to ‘inappropriate sexual misconduct’ with four priests.

Prior to the revelation, he had launched a ‘war’ on same-sex marriage in the UK. He likened it to slavery, child abuse and moral degradation.

But he was exposed as a hypocrite, with several priests coming forward to say O’Brien had made unwanted sexual advances towards them in the 1980s. It was also alleged he had a long-term secret boyfriend.

When O’Brien resigned and fled to live in self-imposed exile, the UK lost one of its most homophobic voices and ‘respected’ leaders against same-sex marriage. Without him, same-sex marriage undoubtedly had an easier ride to becoming legal in England, Wales and Scotland.