new pope

Seem's like the old boys job is not over yet:

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has missed Sunday Mass after being accused of inappropriate behaviour.

Bishop Stephen Robson told St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh the Church "cannot not be saddened" by the news.

Three priests and one ex-priest have reportedly complained about the leader of the Scottish Catholic Church's behaviour some 30 years ago.

The Scottish Catholic Church said the cardinal, 74, contested the claims.

He is also taking legal advice, it added.

Cardinal O'Brien is due to retire next month when he turns 75.

He will have a say in who succeeds Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff stands down on 28 February. He is Britain's only representative in the election for a successor.

Pope Benedict XVI has now given his final Sunday blessing at the Vatican before he steps down.

Pope informed

Cardinal O'Brien was due to celebrate Mass in St Mary's Cathedral to celebrate the eight years of Pope Benedict holding office.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Robert Pigott

Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The cases raised by Cardinal O'Brien's four accusers go back to the 1980s - so why are they being raised now just as he prepares to leave for Rome and the election for a new Pope?

It seems that it wasn't a conclave that prompted the complaints initially - the letter complaining about Cardinal O'Brien was written to the Vatican ambassador, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, in the week before the Pope's unexpected resignation.

It seems to have been timed instead for Cardinal O'Brien's planned retirement in the next few weeks.

Two of the priests mentioned the "immense power" an active bishop has over his clergy, but with the Pope's resignation they have decided to publicise their allegations, evidently in an attempt to prevent Cardinal O'Brien taking part in the conclave.

It's unlikely to work.

Firstly any decision by Cardinal O'Brien to stay at home might be read as an admission of guilt, and secondly, Church law makes it very hard to prevent a cardinal who is qualified to vote from doing so.
But he did not appear and Bishop Robson, who is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, made a statement at the cathedral.

He said: "A number of allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been made against the cardinal.

"The cardinal has sought legal advice and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course.

"As always in times of need such as this we cannot not be saddened by the events of the last 24 hours.

"It is to the Lord that we turn to now in times of need."

A spokesman for the Vatican said "the Pope is informed about the problem and the question is now in his hands".
 
from the article above I saw this - Julian Cook, professor of smokescreens at Roehampton University

a professor of smokescreens? jeez there must be something I can take a phD in then...

Steve Gibbs, professor of talking crap and posting too much online @ the school of life university
 
So it transpires that the "bigot of the year" is actually a closeted, self-loathing, hypocritical bigot. Didn't see that one coming....


Yep i just hope he gets all that coming to him and gets locked up if its true, no hiding this all has to be handled correctly.

How could this guy live a lie in such a position.
 
Yep i just hope he gets all that coming to him and gets locked up if its true, no hiding this all has to be handled correctly.

How could this guy live a lie in such a position.

Because he is only answerable to god, who if he exists, will forgive him, and if he doesn't, well, nothing will happen!
 
Because he is only answerable to god, who if he exists, will forgive him, and if he doesn't, well, nothing will happen!

So does he just say sorry, I am sure he made a statement last night saying sorry to them. So is that it finished surly there needs to be a full criminal investigation into this and if found guilty must be punished under UK Law. I think there may be a lot more to come of this and we might have yet another Jimmy Savile scandle as more people come forward.

Rather sad that a man like this with all his power and trust could do such a thing.
 
Rather sad that a man like this with all his power and trust could do such a thing.


Which one Saville or the Priest! Any photo like that is going to get the priest dragged into the Saville saga with even more ridiculous allegations than are already being proven.

The problem with the taking this further is those that have suffered at Father O'Brien hands have to seek justice through the police. If they go ahead and do that then rightly so the book should be thrown at him problem all to often in these cases though is the police do nothing much like the church has till now and wait for someone to come to them first.

One thing that is interesting though is he has come out and said its time for the catholic church to allow priests to marry and have families. After they go on about how family is man and woman with children etc yet they continue to make sure all priests are celebate singletons so don't actually practice what they preach!

Conclave will commence soon and we'll see what the next pope has to offer hopefully its more forward thinking for the next generation rather than hiding behind closed doors and pandering to the elderly Catholics. I'd like to see everything in the church brought up to date and show they aren't just archaic and helping to hide further things like have been brought to fruition recently.
 
no children involved and no criminal act has been reported yet. But i hear when the next pope is elected it,s going to be PINK smoke coming out of the chimney at the vatican , maybe just a puff though.
 
One thing that is interesting though is he has come out and said its time for the catholic church to allow priests to marry and have families. After they go on about how family is man and woman with children etc yet they continue to make sure all priests are celebate singletons so don't actually practice what they preach!

A great idea but probably a bit too progressive for a religious hierarchy firmly trapped in the middle ages, maybe in a few more centuries or so.

Thank god for the reformation
 
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