Pope accepts Cardinal Brady’s resignation

Cardinal Sean Brady

Pope Francis has accepted Cardinal Sean Brady’s resignation as leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Cardinal Brady said it had been a great joy and privilege for him to serve as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland since 1996.

“I am pleased that Pope Francis has today accepted the resignation which I offered to him on the occasion of my 75th birthday,” said Cardinal Brady.

“I warmly congratulate Archbishop Eamon Martin who today becomes Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland.”

Cardinal Brady, whose final years as a clerical leader were dogged by abuse scandals, said he would pray that God may give to Archbishop Eamon in abundance all the graces he needs.

“I assure him of my help and total support at all times,” continued the Cardinal, who was first appointed a bishop by Pope St John Paul II.

The Primate of All Ireland announced plans to step down on age grounds last month after turning 75, the age which bishops are required by canon law to tender their resignation.

However survivors of clerical sex abuse criticised the move as “too little, too late”.

Cardinal Brady was heavily criticised for swearing two victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth to secrecy during an internal church inquiry in 1975 into the abuse of two children.

His resignation letter to the Vatican coincided with a call from Irish clerical abuse survivor Marie Kane, who met Pope Francis on July 7, for the cardinal to stand down immediately. Pope Francis later promised to hold bishops accountable for the protection of children and begged forgiveness from victims.

Separately, the Dundalk man who exposed Cardinal Brady’s role in the church inquiry said he was not resigning, but rather retiring ‘as if he has done nothing wrong’.

Brendan Boland, who was abused by the notorious serial paedophile Smyth, revealed that five more of the dead cleric’s victims have come forward since the publication of his book ‘Sworn to Silence’.

The Cardinal previously said he truly sorry for the suffering of victims, but stressed he would not resign over the controversy.

However he made no direct reference to the claims as he addressed massgoers in Armagh.

Instead he recalled the Pope’s motto “miserando atque eligendo” which he said “challenges and inspires me with its message of God having mercy and at the same time choosing us, despite our sinfulness”.

“It reminds me that I too need to say sorry and to ask forgiveness,” he added.

“And I do so again, now. At the same time, Pope Francis’ motto inspires me to trust in the mercy of God and to pray for the strength to do always as Jesus would have me do.

“The people of the Archdiocese of Armagh and the people of Ireland will remain in my prayers for the rest of my life. I ask the favour of your prayers to help me continue to serve God as best I can all the days God gives me.”

Abuse victim Brendan to launch book in Dundalk this Thursday

Local man Brendan Boland will be launching his book ‘Sworn to Silence’ this Thursday evening at  6.30pm at Easons in the Marshes Shopping Centre.

The abuse victim wrote the book to focus on his life, the abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth and the cover up by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Brendan, from Dundalk, was an 11-year-old altar boy when he was first sexually abused by Fr Smyth in the mid-Seventies.

The abuse lasted for two years before he reported the matter to Fr Sean Brady – now a Cardinal – in 1975.

However, after giving evidence about the abuse of him and others, he was sworn to secrecy at a meeting in the Friary Church.

Cardinal Brady signed two reports about the abuse of Boland and another boy and passed them on to his bishop, but the police were never informed.

It was not until 1994 that Smyth was convicted of dozens of offences against children over a 40-year period.

In 2012 Boland accepted a public apology from Cardinal Brady but said that his healing, and that of many other abuse victims, would not begin while the Cardinal remained as Primate of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The book has been published by O’Brien Press and was with by Brendan in conjunction with Darragh MacIntyre.

For further information call Easons at 042-9356527.

Boland to release book on abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth and cover up in Catholic Church

Abuse victim Brendan Boland has written a new book called ‘Sworn to Silence’, which focuses on his life, the abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth and the cover up by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Brendan, from Dundalk, was an 11-year-old altar boy when he was first sexually abused by Fr Smyth in the mid-Seventies.

The abuse lasted for two years before he reported the matter to Fr Sean Brady – now a Cardinal – in 1975.

However, after giving evidence about the abuse of him and others, he was sworn to secrecy at a meeting in the Friary Church.

Cardinal Brady signed two reports about the abuse of Boland and another boy and passed them on to his bishop, but the police were never informed.

It was not until 1994 that Smyth was convicted of dozens of offences against children over a 40-year period.

In 2012 Boland accepted a public apology from Cardinal Brady but said that his healing, and that of many other abuse victims, would not begin while the Cardinal remained as Primate of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

His book will be published on July 17^th.

Archbishop Brady in the firing line once again

The recent debate over the abortion legislation has brought the Catholic Church and, more importantly, Archbishop Sean Brady into focus once again. In recent days the Primate of All-Ireland has made his views known on the abortion legislation but that has only led to criticism of him about why he can stand up so much on this issue and failed to do so on the issue of child abuse in the past. The above poster has gone viral on the internet, particularly on social media sites, and we’d like to know what your view is on the topic?

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