THE former cardinal Keith O’Brien was unusually outspoken. On gay marriage, euthanasia and abortion he held uncompromising and always widely-published views. But his resignation yesterday following newspaper allegations of “inappropriate contact” with four other priests in the 1980s—allegations that he denies—was muted. “For any failures, I apologise to all whom I have offended,” he said.
As Britain’s most senior priest, Cardinal O’Brien was eligible to vote in the conclave later this week to decide who will next be pope. Although he was on the verge of retirement, his resignation is a shock. It also goes some way to illustrate how the Catholic church is changing in Britain.
Most obviously, the church is acting more swiftly. When Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the former archbishop of Westminster, was interviewed on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday, just after the allegations had been printed in the Observer, he suggested it would be up to Cardinal O’Brien whether or not he wanted to attend the conclave and that he was soon to resign anyway. The speed at which Cardinal O’Brien stepped down seems to question this priestly autonomy.
More here-
http://www.economist.com/blogs/blighty/2013/02/cardinal-keith-obrien
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