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Irish Primate Cardinal Sean Brady Apologises To Victim Of Paedophile Priest

PA  |  Posted: 07/05/2012 20:09 Updated: 07/05/2012 20:10   PA

Sean Brady
Cardinal Sean Brady has insisted he won't resign over the child abuse furore

The leader of the Catholic church in Ireland has apologised to a victim of paedophile priest, Father Brendan Smyth.

Brendan Boland was among those targeted by the predatory sex attacker in 1975.

Irish Primate Cardinal Sean Brady said he had no intention of resigning, despite pressure from those who believe the then relatively junior cleric did not do enough once concerns about Fr Smyth were raised with him.

Dr Brady said there had also been "many many calls from people who want me to stay on."

But he said he hoped a coadjutor - with succession rights - would be appointed to his archdiocese as soon as possible.

A BBC documentary has uncovered new revelations about an internal church investigation into clerical child sex abuse in 1975.

It said a teenage boy who had been sexually abused by Fr Brendan Smyth gave the names and addresses of other children who were at risk from the paedophile priest to Cardinal Brady, then a 36-year-old priest.

He passed the allegations to his superiors but did not inform police or the children's parents.

Fr Smyth continued to sexually assault one of the boys for a year after that.

He also abused the boy's sister for seven years, and four of his cousins, up until 1988.

Dr Brady said he now realised that the parents of children who were being abused by Brendan Smyth should have been informed about the allegations of abuse being made against him.

"Definitely the parents should have been informed. That's quite clear," he told RTE tonight.

Dr Brady said he apologised without hesitation to Brendan Boland, and to all survivors of abuse.

He said he would also like to personally apologise to Mr Boland, and hoped to do so in the future.

He said he intended to remain on as primate "until I'm 75, or unless the Holy See indicated it didn't want me to stay".

The cardinal said there was absolutely no indication from the Holy See that it wanted him to resign.

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The leader of the Catholic church in Ireland has apologised to a victim of paedophile priest, Father Brendan Smyth. Brendan Boland was among those targeted by the predatory sex attacker in 1975. ...
The leader of the Catholic church in Ireland has apologised to a victim of paedophile priest, Father Brendan Smyth. Brendan Boland was among those targeted by the predatory sex attacker in 1975. ...
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AlanDente
Noses: made to hold glasses
196 Fans
03:19 PM on 05/08/2012
This would all be sad, but understandable, if it wasn't for the disgusting oaths of secrecy these young kids were forced to sign up to. That doesn't fit with an explanation of 'sloppiness' on the part of those investigating the allegations. It suggests that there was a culture of coverup, putting the accused before the victim and reputation management.

One of those abused went with his father to speak to the church authorities and his father was forced to wait outside while the panel asked the child some entirely unnecessary and unpleasant questions (things like 'did you get excited during the abuse' and so on). This alone speaks volumes as to their priorities at the time.

These excuses now being offered should be seen for what they are - empty. Brady is on record in 2009 saying that if any of his actions led to avoidable abuse, he would resign.

He should now keep his word and do the decent thing.
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Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
161 Fans
03:06 PM on 05/09/2012
Hello AlanDente, consider the following:

Athiests, Agnostics, Christian, Muslim, other religious, some members have faults, each group contains some criminals in their midst! No one group is worse than the other, all the same.

There are Athiests, people who do not believe in God, Agnostics, who are indifferent to God, other non-believers in prisons and prisons worldwide, committed murders, rape, fraud, crimes against children, and other kinds of crimes. It matters not, Athiests or otherwise, some followers/members have done wrong, just as bad as any minister in any church, those people who are in a position of trust, just as those Catholic priests and so forth have done wrong, no different, they are all criminals.

I am illustrating this, it doesn't matter who you are, or what you believe in, if you do wrong by committing a crime, you are a criminal, and if found guilty by those upstanding members of a jury, you should be sentenced accordingly to the Law of the Land. If you have committed a crime when in a position of trust that should be reflected in the sentence you receive. And furthermore, criminals are devious, those who do wrong are devious, they are all devious and very plausible, they are adept at fooling authority, either State or the organisations they are part of.

Best wishes!
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JeannieGuzman
0 Fans
04:17 PM on 05/10/2012
Unfortunately, only the people of Ireland will have a voice in Brady's resignation. In the Early Church, as recorded in the Book of Revelation, 2nd chapter, normal, everyday Christians threw out their bishops, who were known to be "Liars." The Holy Spirit saw fit to record this act of bravery. It won't be until the people of Ireland, rise up, en force to kick Sean Brady back to the Vatican, that any changes will be made, as the Vatican is reluctant to remove him, because if She does, pressure will be put on Her to remove other Cardinals in the world-wide Church!
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Neil Barrett
10 Fans
12:34 PM on 05/08/2012
This man and the church claim moral authority over the lives of millions of Catholics, any person who can justify to himself - a failure to inform the parents of directly at risk children about the multiple allegations against priest - resulting in continued abuse has no right to claim moral authority.
To claim he was junior is no defense, he was complicit and directly signed the oath of secrecy the child was sworn to. Further more If the church wants to maintain that they have revealed truth on moral matters, infallibility , then claims that there was not enough awareness of the problem or guidelines in place at the time - are completely invalid.
Not only should he resign he should be prosecuted for conspiring to pervert the course of justice,
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gogsrule
56 Fans
12:03 PM on 05/08/2012
"Suffer the little children" indeed. He should be given a bike and told to keep pedalling in a southern direction towards Vatican City, to deliver the message that the genie is out of the bottle and paedo clergy must be prosecuted in law and excommunicated by the Church.
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macdonald863
19 Fans
11:06 AM on 05/08/2012
Then he returned to his cellar ? Another father Fritz supporter. Christianity is a joke now. Maybe it always was.
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Steve Bick
11 Fans
11:01 AM on 05/08/2012
Of course Dr Brady made a very bad mistake. All those who work with children should be alert to child sexual abuse and take the appropriate action.
The Roman Catholic Church needs some serious reform and changes. I don't think its right to make priests celibate and the Irish Church is talking about this. Also they need to have a rethink about contraception, as I think its sinful to have children if you haven't the ability to raise them as a loving parent or you can't afford to feed them
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coady12
38 Fans
10:48 AM on 05/08/2012
it makes me laugh when things like this happen, not just in ireland but all over the world, and you hypocrates still go to these places all holier than though
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meddleman
57 Fans
10:45 AM on 05/08/2012
Brady was set a test of his sense of personal responsibility and he failed. As a result children suffered terribly but he has since prospered within the Catholic Church. There is something deeply questionable about a religion which has allowed paedophiles to flourish under its protection and feels that a 'Sorry' puts it all right. I suspect that any divine being might be more demanding.
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JeannieGuzman
0 Fans
04:24 PM on 05/10/2012
Around 1969 or so a book came out called, "The Peter Principle." This is the main premise of the Book. In any Hierarchy, Church, government, the military, corporations, etc.... People are promoted as long as they are competent. Then, they are promoted to the "Heighth of their incompetence! Just the opposite happened in Cardinal Brady's case. He was promoted for being purposely incompetent. His bishop, archbishop and cardinal knew that he would do anything asked, as long as he was rewarded by one promotion after another. Now, as evidenced by his own actions, recorded by the press, he has reached the penultimate Level of his Incompetence! He should resign!
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mmfrog
3 Fans
 
10:40 AM on 05/08/2012
Can we call it what it is. It is Rape .Child abuse is a soft term. The prisons have rapists not abusers, repeatedly using abuser is a subtle way the church has of making their crimes seem less serious and actually avoiding prison too.
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ladymoth
18 Fans
10:35 AM on 05/08/2012
This shameful and Godless old man should be forced to resign.
He chose to share in the cover up of the abuse of children in Ireland in order to ensure his own progress in the immensely powerful Catholic Church.
Hypocrisy and religion have always been good bedfellows, but this should not be allowed to pass without action.
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Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
161 Fans
10:18 AM on 05/08/2012
It doesn't matter who committed the crime, they should be charged and sent to trial. It doesn't matter if they are Roman Catholic, Church of England, Methodist, Muslim or whatever their religion, whether they are vicars, priests, if found guilty within the remits of a fair trial they are criminals pure and simple. Having said that when they are in a position of trust, there is extra responsibility on these people to behave themselves, and that should be reflected in the sentence they receive.

I am a Roman Catholic, but I would not excuse anyone carrying out crimes of this nature.
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DaisyMay123
66 Fans
10:23 AM on 05/08/2012
Same here Southern totally agree with all you say.
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katertaif
My wife thinks I have one fault. Everything I do!
527 Fans
09:12 AM on 05/08/2012
I was brought up as a Roman Catholic,( lapsed now) and was taught by priests as often as by lay teachers. I have always believed that to expect a man (or woman) to be celibate is totally unnatural. It IMHO it positively invites this kind of thing. Not only that, but how can a priest or nun give advice on family matters and children when they themselves have no experience of either. Finally some may remember a few years ago, when a number of C. of E. Vicars left their ministry over a disgreement about ordaining women priests I believe. Some of them became Roman Catholic priests, I even know and very much like one of them. The point is he is married with children, as I understand are the others who became RC priests. So how can the Vatican justify the fact that while most of their priests are expected to be celibate, they have a number who are not.
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khayker
2 Fans
10:00 AM on 05/08/2012
Abusing children has little to do with being celebate, more to do with perversion. The priesthood attracts these types of moral degenerates because they know they can get away with it for a long time, possibly for ever. Pedeophiles aren't looking for a family of their own, they're just looking for children to abuse in whatever setting they can get away with it in. By the way, I'm another lapsed Catholic and I find this constant apologising after the event by members of the Catholic church after the abuse has happened pathetic. How exactly does that help the victim? They need to put more measures in place to stop this type of thing happening.
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Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
161 Fans
10:41 AM on 05/08/2012
I am a Roman Catholic and very glad to be one. The point is this, these people are criminals if found guilty, their behaviour should be reflected in the sentence they receive, pure and simple. But I would caution one thing, all priests are not like this, there are many priests I know, they are not married, and they have not come from the Church of England either, they are decent and caring human beings.

Furthermore, I went to a Convent School, the nuns were amazing, they were great teachers and great scholars, we completed GCE O Levels by the age of 15, and I can also tell you they were very worldly indeed, they didn't have to be married to be worldly. The Order were German, escaped the Nazi's to England around the time of WWII, they knew life alright! The inference was some had even been rape victims of the SS, so I challenge anyone tell me nuns are not worldly I would say to them, you know very little about it, and until you do!
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katertaif
My wife thinks I have one fault. Everything I do!
527 Fans
12:54 PM on 05/08/2012
You're not wrong at all, when you say a paedophile is a pervert. I don't think that there are many priests who become so just to abuse children though. The path through to priesthood is too long and uncomfortable. While As I say you are right in what you say, I feel that enforced celibacy is another added temptation. I also agree with you that apologising after the event. In this case long after the event, amounts to more abuse. What measures are there? The church should apply the law, and not only defrock the offender, but hand him over to the police for trial.It's difficult to talk in normal terms about such a thing as child abuse and paedophiles in general. They are th elowest of th elow, but no words can help the victims.
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DaisyMay123
66 Fans
10:22 AM on 05/08/2012
I too am Roman Catholic and I too would like to know what you ask and I do know of a C of E Minister with a wife and family in a Catholic Parish in the Town I live in and I believe he is loved greatly. This day and age I don't understand why Priests can't get married but I suppose it's the old thing in the Church where they say Priests are married to the job, but I think this is wrong now.

I also think Brady should go and should go now and although he has finally apologised it doesn't withstand the abuse that this Priest who was held in a position of trust has performed on young people he knew.

I am deeply ashamed that Priests in the Church have been abusing youngsters and I could be wrong about this but I think when there was first mention of any abuse anywhere the immediate local contact hierachy decided to "hush it up" so word of it didn't arrive at the Vatican. These days is it different as the Vatican has things in place that should prevent this in future, but we remain to see if that works.
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katertaif
My wife thinks I have one fault. Everything I do!
527 Fans
12:58 PM on 05/08/2012
Like you DaisyMay, I do not understand why priests should have to be celibate, especially when there are some who are not. It seems like one law for one, and another law for another. The priest I mentioned in my intial post is also very well regarded, and I believe advisor to the Bishop in the Dioscese. If he can do it and the one you mention can do it.they all should be able to
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majdf18148
I have nothing to declare but my curiosity
248 Fans
08:31 AM on 05/08/2012
I am of a forgiving nature but if I had suffered the abuse and subsequent cover up of it I would find it very hard to forgive anyone even remotely concerned with the issue. The Catholic Church has this almost eeirie thought process that an apology, for depraved abuse of vulnerable children, made many years after the event should suffice.In my opinion it falls a long way short. The Holy Roman Catholic Church should hang its collective head in shame.
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Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
161 Fans
10:28 AM on 05/08/2012
"The Holy Roman Catholic Church should hang its collective head in shame."

It actually has done that, the Pope has apologised, about the shame bit, I am sure they feel plenty of shame! But personally, I am not shameful to be a Roman Catholic, Members of the Church like myself do not condone what these people have done, they are wrong to have done what they did, of course they are, they should be charged and sent to trial, but you cannot blame all the Members of the Church for the actions of other people, and that includes me! Those carrying out these crimes are criminals if found guilty, simple as that, and those injured should be compensated, although money doesn't make up for what happened that is for sure, but it is a way of trying to make amends, as compensation is in all personal injury claims, you could argue this is a criminal form of personal injury.
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DaisyMay123
66 Fans
10:52 AM on 05/08/2012
madjf18148 I am glad you are of a forgiving nature but you have it totally wrong.

The Church has already apologised when the Pope visited the UK in September 2010 I wonder just how many times people expect the Church to apologise when they have already done so. This doesn't change the fact that some Priests have abused youngsters.

Being a Catholic I personally am ashamed that this abuse has happened but not all Catholic Priests are abusers, it's wrong to say that. From experience the Priests I have known wouldn't dream of abusing youngsters and have been exceptional Priests in their vocation and worked so hard in the Parishes.
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JeannieGuzman
0 Fans
04:33 PM on 05/10/2012
The Papal Apology to which you refer was nothing more than an expected PR Event! The Pope was forced into a position of making an apology! If he hadn't, the Papacy would have even less credibility than it does! Cardinal Sean Brady's apologies are similar. If he were truly sorry, he'd keep his word and resign! Evidently, he's not!
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blujag
25 Fans
08:05 AM on 05/08/2012
Sometimes wonder if some of the parents knew about it and said and done nothing, as they were afraid of the church.
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DaisyMay123
66 Fans
10:23 AM on 05/08/2012
you could be correct there blujag
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DaveJohnWard
68 Fans
 
05:21 AM on 05/08/2012
The power of the Catholic Church over the Irish political and judicial systems continues to amaze.
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SuperHeretic
A proud Rationalist.
321 Fans
03:43 AM on 05/08/2012
The church is defending pedophiles?

Business as usual for the church. No wonder sexual predators joined the priesthood in droves. They could prey upon victims and get off scott free.

It's a pedophile's paradise.

That priest, and the people who protected him, should be in prison. The question is: Why aren't they?
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mirola
Read between the lines
39 Fans
08:20 AM on 05/08/2012
Because Brendan Smyth is dead and everyone protects everyone in church.

Maybe if the catholic church would allow clergy to get married and have families some of the 'sexual frustration' and abuse to 'get rid of it' can be prevented.
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gyra7
5 Fans
08:55 AM on 05/08/2012
I'm in total agreement with you. At one time, of course, Catholic priests ,monks and nuns, could marry, it was only when the the church became 'Roman' that this changed. People were forced to reject their spouces and children in order to remain within the church. However it didn't prevent Popes from having relationships and children!
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