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Home Page > News > Yet another Irish bishop admits child abuse failure as Vatican may force Cardinal Brady to resign

Yet another Irish bishop admits child abuse failure as Vatican may force Cardinal Brady to resign

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, March 25, 2010, 10:36 AM

Updated Thursday, March 25, 2010, 10:54 AM

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Speculation is mounting that Pope Benedict may seek the resignation of Cardinal Sean Brady as the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland as another Irish bishop admits he failed to handle a sex abuse case properly.

This comes amid fresh scandal in Ireland, with the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Dr William Lee, admitting he managed a sex abuse allegation case in the 1990s in a “seriously inadequate” fashion.

Lee waited two years before divulging the information he had about the priest to the relevant authorities.

"I particularly regretted that I had not sought the immediate withdrawal of the priest from all ministry and that others associated with the new ministry were not informed that allegations had been made. I set about initiating a full review of the case," Lee said in a statement.

Bishop John Magee, 73, stepped down in March last year after an independent report found that his diocese put children at risk.

The Belfast Telegraph newspaper is reporting that Brady, who has become embroiled in a sex abuse scandal, may well be next.

Rumors are rampant that the Pope will ask Brady to resign after it was confirmed yesterday that Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of the disgraced Bishop of Cloyne.

He is a former private secretary to three popes.

The Pope only accepted his resignation yesterday, thus prompting speculation that Pope Benedict would now seek Brady's resignation as well.

Talk within the Vatican walls is that an Australian prelate is to head an investigation into the Irish Church, due to begin in April.

Cardinal George Pell, the 68-year-old Archbishop of Sydney, has headed similar investigations in dioceses in his native Australia.

A possible outcome of the Apostolic Visitation, which Pope Benedict announced last Saturday, is that Pell may propose Brady's resignation or removal.

Brady said last week he was "ashamed" that he swore two victims of clerical sexual abuse to secrecy after they reveled that they were abused by notorious pedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

However, the Cardinal insisted he was not stepping down unless asked to by the Pope. He said he will take until May 23, Pentecost Sunday, to reflect and consult with colleagues and then he will announce his affirmed decision.

Pope Benedict, meanwhile, has not yet accepted the resignations of three bishops criticized in last November's shocking Murphy report into abuse cover-ups in the archdiocese of Dublin. He is expected to shortly.

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glorybe1929 | May 26, 2010, 02:24 PM EDT

Oh Sweet Jesus when are these people going to see YOU and not this institution that breaks every Biblical Word from Jesus Christ. Get you brains together and know Jesus would not agree with any of the stuff that goes on in the Catholic Church. He abhors it all, except for moments that His people still come to Him, rather than the Great Harlot.

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jacersisityourself | Mar 27, 2010, 11:15 AM EDT

Well said semperfidelis. I'll be with you in the room when kickstar enters. We won't have to shoo him out. We won't even have to hit him. He's got so much hatred that he'll do himself in. As is evident to all IC readers, by his postings, he's already self-bashing. That's what Nth Irish Orangemen do, you see. Self-destructive.

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semperfidelis | Mar 27, 2010, 08:08 AM EDT

kickstar, I don not in anyway wish silence for those who commit such horrible crimes against children,what a stupid comment. I don't defend that in any way, shape or form. I grieve for the victims and for my church which has been terribly damaged by these evil doers,and think they should be thrown out of the church and into jail. At that same time,I don't assume that all priests are monsters because of the gross failings of a minority of bad priests and the cowardly response of some bishops.I was educated my christian brothers and nuns and never , not once, was approached in an inappropriate way, othet than the occasional rap of the knuckles, which I deserved.To call the pope the devil,etc doesn't further your argument, just makes you look silly.I have raised 2 kids into strong productive young adults and for years my family welcomed kids from the north of ireland into our homes for the summer through project children. So don't you dare accuse me of supporting, excusing, or condoning crimes against children in anyway, and if you were in a room with me and accused me of such, I guarantee you,you wouldn't like the result.Your writing indicates you hate what has happened, and for that I commend you but you also show bias against the whole church and its members, and a certain glee that this hurts the church, and that I don't agree with.

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leomurphy | Mar 26, 2010, 11:01 PM EDT

I think the sooner all the facts are provided, the better. If any of these bishops were in private industry, they would have been fired a long time ago.

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kickstar | Mar 26, 2010, 10:54 PM EDT

When Brady Runs south after the PSNI come to Arrest him for Perverting the course of Justice will the Dublin Government give him Asylum, Or will he have to Hide among the stones of the Vatican where many of his Contemporaries find Parole.

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kickstar | Mar 26, 2010, 09:43 PM EDT

I think it is time to make the Logical Leap. Those who Support Abusing Clergy And Cover-up Silencers of Popes Cardinals and Bishops Also Support Pedophile Child Sexual Abuse.

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kickstar | Mar 26, 2010, 09:26 PM EDT

'semperfidelis' Yeah you guys like "Silence" , You like people to keep their mouths shut (Depending of course what horror Act a Child may be being forced to carry out) You support the use of people as tools...Don't you 'semperfidelis' You don't ever want to get in the same room as me...I defend Children...Not Sodomize them.

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maryjeandc | Mar 26, 2010, 05:40 PM EDT

All who covered up should resign. But where will they get new leadership having excluded half the human race and all the married people?

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jacersisityourself | Mar 26, 2010, 04:32 PM EDT

I like the way this debate is forming... God’s anger against the creatures He formed? God is coming into this debate a lot now... A brilliant new debate on the existence or not of God, only a day old but with hundreds of comments already that freethinker666 and others might be interested in can be viewed here (join in if you wish to, no membership required) >>> http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/probably-isnt-enough-in-the-argument-against-God/asc/ <<<

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semperfidelis | Mar 25, 2010, 10:05 PM EDT

Kickstar: You misspoke in your comment for it's obvious in your comments that thinking isn't one of your strong suits, you blurt off the top of your head, snide little comments. Same goes for you,freethinker, 100 to 1 there's a vast number of Catholics smarter than you, for it's a foolish and stupid person who resorts to insults to make their point. Better to be silent,and let people wonder if you're a tool, excuse me, a fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

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irishathens | Mar 25, 2010, 10:04 PM EDT

Jacer, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't realise I'd hit the nail on the head. I now believe God is so angry with their attitudes and false mea culpas He in His wisdom has decided to force their hands.

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kickstar | Mar 25, 2010, 08:18 PM EDT

I think this pope is the Devil...he certainly looks like him I bet under his skirt he has a pointy tail and his left boot is a cloven hoof.

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jacersisityourself | Mar 25, 2010, 06:55 PM EDT

Oh right... I see, thank you irishathens... you're saying the attacks against the overwhelming numbers of good members of the Irish Church is not the work of the devil. Conversely, that means that it must be the work of God. I must check that out.

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irishathens | Mar 25, 2010, 04:31 PM EDT

This is hypocritical..How can the Pope fire a man who is guily of the same crime as himself. New verified cases are coming to light daily in Germany, the latest US scandal means that none of them can hide any longer. I really feel sorry for the decent priests and nuns and hope they haven't all been brainwashed into believing that all of this is propoganda and the devils work against the church.

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KathyCallahan | Mar 25, 2010, 04:18 PM EDT

After the murphy and ryan report watersheding all that is left to do is tell the whole entire story like the Irish do best. Prosecute and root out the seeds of inter generational Roman predatory deceit, oppression and degradation of the Irish, all of the usurping deception and duping into humiliating submission schemes that were thrust onto my ancestors and yours who were living on the verge of starvation, eviction and destitution. Take a look on the top front page of the NYT today and see the now iconic photograph circa 1960's of the scandal. See Irish pedophile zombie monster priest Leonard Murphy presiding over freckled faced Irish catholic school boys no more than eight years old who may be deaf but can see, ‘hear’ and feel the total abuse and domination of Murphy year in and year out in the religious school. It's a sight for sore eyes to see.

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