Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Cardinal Brady did not officiate at ceremony due to pressure, says bishop

THE CATHOLIC primate Cardinal Seán Brady did not attend a confirmation ceremony in Dundalk, Co Louth, yesterday despite being listed as the chief celebrant for the occasion.

Bishop Gerard Clifford, auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, who carried out the confirmation, said Cardinal Brady was “under pressure” at the moment so he offered instead to officiate at the ceremony at the Church of the Holy Family in Muirhevnamore in Dundalk.

“I happened to be in Armagh [on Monday night] and I mentioned to him that I would do the confirmation . . . being under pressure as he is at the moment, I suggested to him that I would do the confirmations,” said Bishop Clifford.

Bishop Clifford said he supported Cardinal Brady and that he should not resign.

“I think he shouldn’t resign. I think I would ask the question, ‘What would Seán Brady’s resignation do for child safeguarding?’ ” he said.

“I know Cardinal Brady extremely well. I have been working with him for the last 16, 17 years and his concern, his interest has always been, and no doubt, please God, will continue to be the protection and safeguarding of young people,” he added.

Bishop Clifford said that over these “critical days” young people and those who have been abused and survivors of abuse were “very much in our minds”.

“And all I would say is that Cardinal Brady, I know, has done more than most people for survivors of abuse,” he added.

Bishop Clifford said that Cardinal Brady had worked proactively to bring the issue to the agenda of the Catholic bishops’ conference.
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