Cardinal Keith O'Brien is being investigated for sexually assaulting a priest only hours after he was ordained a cardinal.
According to HeraldScotland.com, O'Brien allegedly made an attempt to grope a Scottish priest at the Scots College in Rome in October 2003. The priest, who is now based in London, made a formal complaint to the the Vatican's Congregation of Bishops last September, after which the newly-appointed cardinal was summoned immediately to Rome.
The complaint was the first which eventually led to the cleric's downfall. The priest, who was known to Cardinal O'Brien, is not one of the four complainers whose allegations went public last month.
Allegations of sexual misconduct within the Vatican could be more detrimental to the former Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh that any other claims he is facing, according to senior sources within the Catholic Church. O'Brien, who becamea cardinal on October 21, 2003, under Pope John Paul II, could become only the fourth cardinal in 200 years to be stripped of his position.
"If Pope Francis wasn't familiar with the problems faced by the Church in Scotland, he certainly is now," said one source.
O'Brien has retreated into privacy following revelations that he "behaved inappropriately" towards three priests and a now former priest, who alleged he was abused by the CArdinal while at a seminary as a teenager in the 1980s.
Following these claims, the cardinal has been relieved of his post as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and subsequently admitted his sexual conduct had "fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal."
Said a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland: "A number of complaints have been passed directly to the Vatican.
"The detail and nature of them is not known to the Bishops' Conference of Scotland."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Mar 18, 2013, 11:49 PM EDT
Sean O'Brady represented the brits at the conclave because you brits had nobody but a discredited Scottish Cardinal.
glounlathan | Mar 18, 2013, 06:22 PM EDT
Cardinal O'Brien should not have done it, but I wonder if the priest were ever in a rugby scrum. Maybe it was not what he thought it was, Was it really only a bit of boisterous behavour? But people in the Cardinal's position need to more careful but his critics should bear that they may be destroying someone because they have never been on the rugby team.
helmet365 | Mar 18, 2013, 04:27 AM EDT
The general reaction to his behavior is a bit overdone.I would say he picked the wrong priest, most would not take it too serious. Hetro footballers and other sports people do it on occasions and laugh,its a man thing. Keith O'Brien should apoligise in these cases if he offended and continue his good work. There is no such thing as sin,we are just flawed and incomplete.
falconflash | Mar 18, 2013, 01:25 AM EDT
When you see stories like this, it makes you want to ban gays from the military too.
PhlutiePhan | Mar 17, 2013, 08:30 PM EDT
As a conservative Catholic Navy vet, I can tell you that OB is not the only one. The new pope needs to tell the American Church to "go and clean up their rooms".
glounlathan | Mar 17, 2013, 07:40 PM EDT
Grow up! If O'Brien were a golfer or an olympic athlete both British and Irish would claim him. Give up the pettiness, and move on. There were terrific Englishmen and Irishmen. Wilberforce and Daniel O'Connell are but two who come to mind, and of course we must not forget the great women like Florence Nightengale and Mother Jones.
anglo-norman | Mar 17, 2013, 07:16 PM EDT
seanomelb-So O'Brien is british cos he comes from Antrim?
seanomelb | Mar 17, 2013, 06:18 PM EDT
Cardinal Sean O"Brady represented Britain in the conclave that elected the new pope Francis. O"brien withdrew from the voting procedures and poor old England does not have a cardinal
seanomelb | Mar 17, 2013, 06:12 PM EDT
What is wrong with that groping british Cardinal
glounlathan | Mar 17, 2013, 02:00 PM EDT
Correction to last post. 'There are alot more good dedicated people around than there are .
glounlathan | Mar 17, 2013, 01:49 PM EDT
Sin is everywhere and not only in the Catholic Church. An old poet made a reference once stating that the foundation of the Church of England was the lust of Henry the Eight (I dare not print the actual quote here). Equally Louis XIV of France was as catholic as a Cardinal in a Whore house. So let's get the politics and bigotry out of all of this and give more accomodation to decency in our arguements. Many bullies in many churches have denied good men and women their place, and I agree that the garden should be weeded for there are alot more good dediciated people around than there not are abusers.
pilib04 | Mar 17, 2013, 12:57 PM EDT
How shocking. Of course there is no truth to this. LOL.
SingleDonald | Mar 17, 2013, 11:36 AM EDT
I too would have been outraged, after being groped by Cardinal O'Brien, or any other man. Yet, I don't see CharlieM's connection. J. Edgar Hoover MAY have been gay, but there is no evidence that he ever abused anybody, adults or kids. Ed Koch was likely a closet homosexual, yet he was never accused of abusive conduct. As far as Congesss is concerned, members have had all sorts of scandals, both Congressmen & Senators. The "closet cases" may apply to denying one's alternate lifestyle. They, however, do not apply to secretive abuse.
mamaginnty | Mar 17, 2013, 11:01 AM EDT
All I can say is if he dared to do it to grown men, and not that long ago, he has done more to children over the decades. Join the dole lines Mr O'Brien.
starwatts | Mar 17, 2013, 09:45 AM EDT
I wish the Church would do a better job or a job at all about vetting the leaders in the church. There are plenty of good priests out there that could be promoted through the ranks and not bring scandal to the church. The rest should be gone. Maybe the next generation of priests will do a better job.
CharlieM | Mar 17, 2013, 09:32 AM EDT
I agree with BoysofBantry: strip him of his priesthood (and thus his episcopal title). Olovely, what planet have you been on these last few years? Have you ever heard of the US Congress? How about J. Edgar Hoover? Ever hear of him? Ed Koch? Wake up and leave your blinding hatred behind.
CavanAncestor | Mar 17, 2013, 09:29 AM EDT
nti-Catholic rumor mongering, instead of reporting, is the daily fare of irish Central. I'm not saying this is a false accusation but it seems you try the clergy completely in absentia and convict them. The insipid remarks of some of the commentators show the bias of some of your readers. That's fine. That's their privilege. You are supposed to have a grewatewr burden for at least a stab at objectivity.
BoysofBantry | Mar 17, 2013, 09:13 AM EDT
Strip him of his position, any financial compensation and send him home to his cottage in the North where he can learn to prepare his own meals, light a turf fire, and wash his own clothes. Then have him register as a perp in the community.
olovely | Mar 17, 2013, 08:59 AM EDT
Only the Catholic Church could produce a hypocritical closet case this heinous.