It is beyond belief. But it gets more incredible
The Cardinal defended his role saying that he had been part of a process that resulted in Smyth having his licence removed. He said that three weeks after he submitted a report to the Bishop of Kilmore, Smyth was suspended from practising as a priest in the diocese and across Ireland. But this was in 1975, and the paedophile remained free to abuse children until 1993.
He did not report the allegations about the priest to the police because, he said, he was not the designated person to do so. Amazing isn't it?
So for nearly 20 years more, although he was no longer a priest, Smyth went on with his filth. So awful were this man’s crimes that in 1994 the matter brought down the Irish government. Smyth was imprisoned and shortly after died, but only after 40 years of abuse. An unbelievable record of horror.
Cardinal Brady was in the Vatican last month with all Ireland’s bishops for a meeting with the Pope to discuss the findings of government-appointed inquiries into the Irish Church’s record of child sex abuse. One of these reports found that the government along with the Church and legal authorities had covered up a sad and sickening history of 40 years of sexual abuse and beatings by priests and nuns of thousands of children in state care.
The other report showed the extent to which senior clergy had lied and deceived to protect the Church’s reputation. Just what the Church is all about really. Oh no, wait, it’s all about truth and honesty.... silly me. Still, it’s an easy mistake to make.
Wherever you go, the Roman Catholic Church, like many other churches, has a wide remit to break or override the law of the country in which it operates. It can, for example demand that its priests are all male, which is against the sex discrimination legislation of most countries; it can also insist that any people working for it, in any role at all be followers of the faith (even if they are eg, a cleaner, administrator, teacher of non religious su
bject at one of their schools, and have no Clerical function).It seems that in Ireland the Church being above the law was taken to a higher level. The Cardinal was, at the time of his collusion, a recorder with a tribunal which meant that he took the notes of evidence on behalf of the bishop at the tribunal sessions. He also questioned witnesses and recorded their answers. The hearings were held behind closed doors at a Dominican friary and at the Norbertine Order’s Holy Trinity Abbey. They were presided over by three canon lawyers.
So they were religious courts which dealt with matters which were quite clearly civil law offences (a little like the House of Lords in England, but in this case much much more serious matters).
This man should immediately be fired by the Pope. How anyone in Ireland can have even the least confidence in sending their children to anywhere that this man has charge of is beyond my comprehension. Quite literally God only knows what he continues to hide.
Pictured: Cardinal Brady and The Vatican City State, to which he was summoned by His Holiness Pope Benedictus
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