Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the UK's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has resigned as the head of the Scottish Catholic church after being accused of "inappropriate acts" towards fellow priests.The writers point out that although Britain will not have a vote in the conclave, since Cardinal Murphy O'Connor will be present at the pre-conclave gatherings, Britain will still have a voice.
News that Pope Benedict had accepted the cardinal's resignation as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh came after the Observer disclosed a series of allegations by three priests and one former priest.
O'Brien has denied the allegations and had been expected to continue in his post as archbishop until mid-March, when he was due to retire at age 75.
However, in a statement released by the church on Monday, it emerged that the pope had accepted O'Brien's resignation a week ago, on 18 February.
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Confirming he would not now go to the conclave, O'Brien said: "I thank Pope Benedict XVI for his kindness and courtesy to me and on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Scotland, I wish him a long and happy retirement.
A few days ago, the BBC reported that Cardinal O'Brien suggested that Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry.
Well-rounded commentary on this in The Guardian from Andrew Brown.
ReplyDeleteYes, the article is very good. I'm even beginning to feel a bit sorry for the pope, even in the knowledge that he's reaping what he sowed. He's an old man, and it's a sad way to leave office.
DeleteI even feel sympathy for the cardinal in his current predicament. Brown hits the spot when he remarks "Celibacy is difficult and sometimes lonely for anyone. The traditional remedy for loneliness, in Scots and Irish Catholicism, involved medication with whiskey and manly bonding. If your inclination is in any case towards men this is not going to be very helpful."
DeleteI do, too, Lapin. All these old men having to grapple with the idea that they got it wrong all those years when they thought themselves specially tuned in to God.
DeleteWe all get it wrong at one time or another, but most of us are not burdened with the idea that we have a pipeline to the will of God.
I think O'Brien's pro-married clergy comments amounted to---since he'd already tendered his resignation to Rome---some combination of "WTF do I have to lose?" and "Pay no attention to the abusive cleric behind the curtain: see re my quasi-liberal opinion!"
ReplyDeleteI don't know the motivation behind O'Brien's after-his-resignation statement, but he spoke the truth. I don't mean to minimize the harm the pope and the cardinal have done, but I can't help feeling somewhat sorry for them.
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