CARDINAL SEÁN Brady has apologised again for his handling of complaints against child abuser Fr Brendan Smyth and expressed shame that he has not always upheld the values that he professes and believes in.
He said over the coming weeks he would reflect on what he had heard from those who had been abused and discern the will of the Holy Spirit.
Meanwhile, last night the Norbertine congregation, of which Fr Brendan Smyth was a member, apologised to Cardinal Brady for failing to remove the priest permanently from exercising his ministry. In a statement it said throughout Smyth’s time as a priest, he was subject to its authority in all matters concerning his behaviour.
It also emerged yesterday that Pope Benedict will be signing his pastoral letter to the Irish faithful tomorrow. It is expected to be read out in parishes throughout Ireland at the weekend.
In his homily during Mass yesterday morning at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, Cardinal Brady said: “This week a painful episode from my own past has come before me. I have listened to reaction from people to my role in events 35 years ago. I want to say to anyone who has been hurt by any failure on my part that I apologise to you with all my heart.”
Cardinal Brady conducted canonical inquiries into allegations of child sex abuse by Smyth 35 years ago, involving two young people, without reporting the allegations to civil authorities.
In his homily, Cardinal Brady also said: “I also apologise to all those who feel I have let them down. Looking back I am ashamed that I have not always upheld the values that I profess and believe in.”
More generally he said, “we as bishops, successors of the Apostles in the Irish church today, must acknowledge our failings. The integrity of our witness to the Gospel challenges us to own up to and take responsibility for any mismanagement or cover-up of child abuse. For the sake of survivors, for the sake of all the Catholic faithful as well as the religious and priests of this country, we have to stop the drip, drip, drip of revelations of failure.”
Cardinal Brady said the two years between now and the 2012 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin “will be among the most critical for us since the time of St Patrick” and that he believed God was “calling us to a new beginning”.
“None of us knows where that new beginning will lead. Does it allow for wounded healers, those who have made mistakes in their past to have a part in shaping the future?” he asked.
Later yesterday he welcomed the announcement by Pope Benedict that his pastoral letter to the Irish faithful would be signed tomorrow. Vatican commentators said it was probable the letter would be released this weekend so its contents can be read at next Sunday’s Masses all over Ireland.
Responding to what Cardinal Brady said, Dublin abuse victim Andrew Madden said “if the Catholic Church in Ireland is to be led by a man who accurately reflects it in its current state, then perhaps it is only right and fitting that it be led by a man who has participated in the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by a priest”. Christine Buckley of the Aislinn centre in Dublin, said she still thought Cardinal Brady should resign.
Dublin abuse victim Marie Collins said that the cardinal “said last December that if he was aware his failure to act had allowed other children to be abused he would resign. Now he has become aware and admitted such a scenario exists why does he not live up to his own words and resign? ”
