NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
Historical abuse inquiry live: Cardinal Brady admits ‘shroud of secrecy’ over sex abuse investigations
By Lesley Anne McKeown
PUBLISHED
25/06/2015
Clerics involved in investigating child sex abuse were bound to secrecy so the Catholic church’s “good name” could be protected, a former primate of Ireland has claimed.
Cardinal Sean Brady, who resigned on age grounds last year, was giving evidence to the Historical Abuse Inquiry (HIA) in Banbridge, Co Down.
He said: “These were unspeakable crimes.
“There was a confidentiality resting upon us too.”
Live updates from Belfast Telegraph reporter Rebecca Black @RBlackBT
The Cardinal faced fierce criticism after it emerged he had attended meetings where two teenage victims of paedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth were sworn to secrecy in 1975.
He added: “There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view not to destroying the good name of the church.
“The scandal that somebody who was ordained to serve people should so abuse the trust for their own pleasure was appalling and it was.
“To offset that, the scandal was kept a secret – very, very secret.
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