Cardinal O’Brien’s sexual abuse inquiry by pope

This video from Britain in 2013 is called Cardinal Keith O’Brien‘s accuser ‘warned of damage to Church’.

From the BBC:

4 April 2014 Last updated at 13:36 GMT

Vatican launches investigation into Cardinal Keith O’Brien

The Vatican is to investigate claims of sexual misconduct which led to the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, it has emerged.

Cardinal O’Brien resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in February 2013 following allegations of improper conduct in the 1980s.

He admitted at the time that his sexual conduct had “fallen beneath the standards” expected of him as a bishop.

The inquiry will be carried out by Maltese bishop Charles Scicluna.

He will take testimony from clergy in the archdiocese in an attempt to discover what evidence there is against the cardinal or any other clergy.

It will be the first time that such an investigation has taken place in Scotland.

The BBC’s religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said it was very rare for the Pope to actively and publicly investigate a cardinal in this way.

Cardinal O’Brien had been instructed to spend time in repentance and reflection outside Scotland after he acknowledged that his sexual behaviour had fallen short of what was expected.

He had faced allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour from three serving priests and a former seminarian.

His successor as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Leo Cushley, wrote to clergy earlier this week, urging them to co-operate with Bishop Scicluna in the inquiry.

Archbishop Cushley said: “I believe that this is a positive step towards truth and eventual reconciliation.

“This may not be an easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.

“In this sense I also hope that all those who wish to approach him will feel free to do so. It is important that such work be conducted in a way that protects those who wish to contribute to it.”

15 thoughts on “Cardinal O’Brien’s sexual abuse inquiry by pope”

Having came from a perverted society as Great Briton, and looking at the history of this country, it would follow that the church would attract these sort of people, it is hoped that now same sex couples in Britain can now marry that some of the sexual deviant energy can now be neutralized in to those who are able to make moral decisions.

LikeLike

Reply ↓

petrel41 on April 5, 2014 at 8:04 am said:

Cardinal O’Brien has a history of homophobia, attacking people who love each other for wanting to marry. While attacking these VOLUNTARY relationships, he secretly pressured young priests into UNWANTED sexual acts.

LikeLike

Reply ↓

My diocese set up a Board of Inquiry finally, after so many priests were de-frocked in the US scandal. One of my former pastors was among the first to be kicked out, and if he had still been living there was another one who undoubtedly would have been. There are so many priests who are good, yet they were all tinted with the same tar brush as the abusers. My brother, also a priest, is afraid to even put a hand on an altar boy’s shoulder in congratulations because of the possibility of future false accusation. Because, there have been some false ones, by men who discovered they could sue the church for a lot of money by accusing a priest of sexual abuse. Some very close friends have been falsely accused, their reputations ruined, and their lives turned upside down because of this. But the truth is, it happens. People get hurt.

LikeLike

Reply ↓

donwreford on April 5, 2014 at 9:29 am said:

Not only the priests have this problem but this is now wide spread with men, they avoid contact with boys as in teaching and so on as this has become a fear beyond priesthood.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓