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Cardinal Keith O’Brien is likely to face a Vatican inquiry over the allegations of sexual misconduct that led to his resignation as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, according to The Independent newspaper.
It said Vatican spokesmen refused to confirm whether an investigation would be launched but the Scottish Catholic Media Office said it expected an inquiry would take place once Benedict XVI’s successor is chosen.
The paper suggested the inquiry would be conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, who has taken over the archdiocese as administrator, has said “there is little doubt that the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic Church in Scotland has been dealt a serious blow and we will need to come to terms with that”.
“Many reproaches have been aimed at the Church and at individuals over this matter,” he said. “The most stinging charge which has been levelled against us in this matter is hypocrisy — and for obvious reasons.”
Archbishop Tartaglia said it would take for the Church in Scotland to recover its credibility and moral authority.
“The answer to this sad episode is not to throw in the towel. We need, rather, to renew our faithfulness to Jesus Christ and to go about our business humbly.”
Meanwhile, Catherine Deveney, the journalist who reported the accusations against Cardinal O’Brien in The Observer, has told how the story unfolded.
“This is not about the exposure of one man’s alleged foibles. It is about the exposure of a church official who publicly issues a moral blueprint for others’ lives that he is not prepared to live out himself,” she wrote.
“Homosexuality is not the issue; hypocrisy is. The cardinal consistently condemned homosexuality during his reign, vociferously opposing gay adoption and same-sex marriage.
“The Church cannot face in two directions like a grotesque two-headed monster: one face for public, the other for private.”
Sources:
Image: Daily Record
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