SHAMED Cardinal Keith O’Brien could dodge any further Vatican action — despite
admitting he behaved inappropriately with four priests.
He was axed by The Pope in February after confessing his “sexual conduct had fallen below the standards expected”.
But it emerged the Vatican has NO active investigation into him.
O’Brien is also likely to remain a cardinal — unless Pope Francis promotes another senior Scottish Catholic.
A source close to the Roman Curia Vatican civil service said: “People expect some kind of public result, but there’s no way there will be a public examination and a published report on this. The Church doesn’t work that way.”
Another insider explained the Vatican will keep only a “loose watching brief” in case of further allegations against O’Brien, 74.
The secretary to Britain’s papal nuncio last night said Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi would not comment.
O’Brien — who has not been seen in public since quitting as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh on February 25 — could not be contacted.