CARDINAL Seán Brady has vowed to reflect on the views of child abuse victims, amid continuing calls for his resignation over allegations that he was involved in a cover-up of abuse by the notorious paedophile priest, Fr Brendan Smyth, 35 years ago.Although Dr Brady made no direct reference to his own future as Primate of All-Ireland, he questioned whether "wounded healers" who had made mistakes in the past should have a part in shaping the future of the Irish Catholic Church.
In a homily delivered during a St Patrick’s Day Mass in Armagh, Dr Brady spoke of the personal shame he felt at his own past failings – a reference to his role in investigating abuse by Fr Smyth – and how the Church was facing "momentous times".
The cardinal attended two meetings with child victims of the Norbertine priest in 1975 at which they were forced to sign an oath of secrecy.
Dr Brady, who was acting as diocesan secretary, took no further action against Fr Smyth beyond passing reports of the meeting to his immediate superior, the then Bishop of Kilmore, the late Bishop Francis McKiernan.
Fr Smyth continued to abuse a large number of children in Ireland and the US up to the time of his arrest and conviction in 1994.
Dr Brady told Mass-goers at St Patrick’s Cathedral: "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. 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."
Dr Brady acknowledged the "hopelessly inadequate response" of Church leaders to clerical sex abuse in the past.
The cardinal also called for a stop to what he termed as "the drip, drip, drip of revelations of failure" as the bishops had to "own up to and take responsibility for any mismanagement or cover-up of child abuse".
Abuse survivor Andrew Madden branded Dr Brady’s promise of careful reflection as nonsense as there was no indication the cardinal intended to resign.
In a separate development, the Norbertine Order said it had been deeply saddened by the controversy surrounding Dr Brady and apologised to him.
In a statement, the community, based at Kilnacrott, Co Cavan, said the action taken by Bishop McKiernan resulted from the order’s failure to remove the paedophile priest permanently from ministry.
Meanwhile, Dr Brady welcomed the announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he will sign his promised pastoral letter to Irish Catholics today.
The Pope said the letter was being written as a token of his deep concern "to address this painful situation".
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