Tag Archives: Sean Brady

More as we get it.

Previously: ‘I Hope This Arrangement Will Be Satisfactory’

‘Allowing Him To Retire Is Part Of The Cover-Up’

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From this week’s The Anglo-Celt

Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be the grand marshal at the 2015 New York St Patrick’s Day Parade.

He’s from Cavan.

Like recently retired Cardinal Seán Brady.

No, really.

Just like him.

You’ll recall Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, was the man sent to Ireland in March 2010 by Pope Benedict to lead the Apostolic Visitation to Ireland and examine the country’s four archdioceses in the wake of the sex abuse scandals.

In May of 2012 the New York Times reported Dolan authorised payments of as much as $20,000 to sexually abusive priests – when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee – as an incentive for them to agree to be dismissed from the priesthood.

The documentary Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House of Good documented the crimes of one of those men, Fr Lawrence Murphy, who abused hundreds of deaf children.

You may also recall how the Survivors Network Of Those Abused By Priests reported on October 23, 2013 how:

“[US District Court] Judge Rudolph Randa [yesterday] ruled that a deaf survivor of  Fr. Lawrence Murphy is bound by an agreement he reached with church officials even though he was deceived in order to secure that agreement. The agreement was reached in an archdiocesan program designed by [Cardinal Timothy] Dolan in 2003. We believe the purpose of that program was to quickly and quietly settle with victims while deliberately misleading them about the archdiocese’s prior knowledge of the criminal history of abusers. At the same time, it induced victims to accept nominal restitution in exchange for waving all future legal rights. If the victim would later discover they had been deceived by Dolan and the archdiocese, as we now know they were, they would have no legal recourse.”

Previously: Meanwhile, In New York

This Is The Guy Who Investigated Abuse In The Irish Church

And Well He Might Yawn

Related: “Seán Brady Had Evil People Reporting To Him”

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Cardinal Sean Brady, who is due to offer his resignation as the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, when he turns 75 on Saturday – as is necessary under canon law.

Cardinal Sean Brady secretly interviewed victims of the late Fr Brendan Smyth in 1975, including Brendan Boland, then aged 14, and never told the authorities of what the victims, including Mr Boland, said.

Cardinal Brady also never told the parents of other children who were being abused, the names and addresses of whom were given to Cardinal Brady by Mr Boland. Smyth went on to abuse at least one of those children, and many others.

In yesterday’s Sunday Times, Justine McCarthy wrote about Cardinal Brady’s pending resignation, saying:

“An unspoken gentlemen’s agreement among Ireland’s establishment that Brady be allowed to glide serenely off centre stage is a kick in the stomach for survivors, especially for those who, as children, were raped and molested by the late Fr Brendan Smyth.”

Ms McCarthy also wrote how Cardinal Brady recently confirmed to the Sunday Times that he never cooperated with the Garda investigation into Smyth, which led to Smyth being jailed in 1997, and that, indeed, he didn’t even know about it.

Why did he not know? Was he on Mars? How else did he escape the wall-to-wall news in November 1994 that the Irish government [led by Albert Reynolds] had collapsed following a controversy sparked by a UTV documentary over the state’s failure to extradite Smyth to Northern Ireland, where he had been arrested and bailed on child sexual abuse charges? A month after the government fell, Brady was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Armagh, making him the heir apparent as the doyen of the Irish church. The following year, two other priests who were present when Brady co-signed an oath of secrecy by Brendan Boland, aged 14, were interviewed by gardai investigating Smyth. One of those priests was Monsignor Francis Donnelly, a priest of the Armagh archdiocese. Did Donnelly never mention his garda interview to his boss and fellow inquisitor Brady?

Anyone?

Sunday Times article unavailable online.

(Photocall Ireland)

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Brendan Boland (above), who was abused by the late Fr Brendan Smyth, who was made sign an oath of secrecy in the company of Cardinal Seán Brady (top) in 1975 following a canonical inquiry into the allegations of abuse and who has written a book called Sworn To Silence

On February 15th, 1995, as part the Garda investigation into Smyth’s activities in the State, Msgr Francis Donnelly, a priest of the Armagh archdiocese, was interviewed at his parochial house in Dundalk. He spoke of the inquiry in which he took part almost 20 years previously involving Brendan Boland. However, Msgr Donnelly refused to make a formal statement on the matter to gardaí.

Just four days after Msgr Donnelly was interviewed by gardaí, on February 19th, the then Msgr [Seàn] Brady was ordained Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh with a right to succeed Cardinal Cahal Daly as primate. Two months previously, on December 13th, 1994, it was announced that Msgr Brady had been appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh.

Dr Brady will be 75 on August 16th next when, as canon law requires, he must submit a letter of resignation to Rome, which is accepted at its discretion. To allow Dr Brady “retire naturally as if he did nothing wrong is part of the cover-up” of his role in the Smyth saga, Brendan Boland said yesterday.

New book includes evidence of Cardinal’s role in Brendan Smyth inquiry (Patsy McGarry, Irish Times)

Previously: How Much?

Brady’s Response: The Main Points

Cardinal Brady: More Than Just A Notetaker

Pic: BBC

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You may recall how Brendan Boland, from Dundalk, was one of two boys sworn to secrecy in 1975 by Cardinal Seán Brady, after he was sexually abused as a child by the late Fr Brendan Smyth.

Fr Smyth raped and abused more than 100 children between the 1940s and 1990s.

In yesterday’s Sunday Times, Justine McCarthy reported on how Mr Boland has written a book, Sworn To Silence, which was published last Thursday.

In her article Ms McCarthy told how Cardinal Brady offered Mr Boland €10,000 to settle his High Court case for damages and to include legal costs for 14 years’ litigation but that Boland settled the case for €100,000 plus costs in 2012.

Ms McCarthy also wrote:

In his book, Boland, a technical support engineer who works in the UK, said he asked a garda who worked on the investigation which led to Smyth’s imprisonment in 1997 if Brady was interviewed as part of their inquiries. He received an inconclusive answer.

Two other priests who attended the secret interview with Boland in March 1975 were interviewed by gardai in 1995.

A spokeswoman for the Catholic hierarchy has confirmed that Brady was not interviewed by gardai.

“Cardinal Brady had no knowledge of a garda investigation in the early 1990s regarding Smyth,” the spokeswoman said. “If he had been approached by the gardai he would have made a statement.”

A political controversy over the State’s failure to extradite Smyth to Northern Ireland brought down the Fianna Fail-Labour government in November 1994. Brady was installed as a cardinal and the primate of Ireland the following month.

Sworn To Silence (Brendan Boland)

Previously: Lose The ‘Wounded Healer’

Brady And The Victims

Cardinal Brady: More Than Just A Note Taker

Related: Revelations spark calls for cardinal to step down (Irish Independent)

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

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[From top: Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday, and later stands next to Cardinal Seán Brady as he was interviewed on RTÉ’s Six One News last night]

Yesterday Pope Francis declared John Paul II and John XXIII as saints in St Peter’s Square in Rome.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended the ceremony and met with Pope Francis afterwards, during which he invited the pontiff to Ireland.

Afterwards, Mr Kenny was interviewed by RTÉ.

During this interview, he stood next to Cardinal Seán Brady, who was given names and addresses of children who were being abused, or who were at risk of being abused, by Fr Brendan Smyth, in 1975, but failed to ensure they were protected.

Mr Kenny told Six One:

“I have to say that I invited him to Ireland and, while it’s not an official responsibility of the Government, I did say that if the church authorities extended an invitation and that he’s willing to travel, the Government will see to it that everything is done to make that visit a real success.”

Meanwhile, RTÉ journalist Tony Connolly reported:

“Controversy surrounds both men [John Paul II and John XXIII], particularly John Paul the second, who faced criticism over his handling of clerical sex abuse cases. However, the church insists that it’s their very humanity in itself which is a prerequisite for sainthood.

Watch back here

Previously: Cardinal Brady: More Than Just A Note Taker

(H/T: Ringos Dove)

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Jane McCormick writes:

I have been waiting for the right moment to send in this illustration and today might just be the day, having just read former Irish Times journalist Don Buckley’s excellent letter in response to the Irish Times/Martyn Turner cartoon debacle. I made this image in response to the involvement of Cardinal Seán Brady in the Fr Brendan Smyth child abuse cover-up in Cavan in the 1970s.

Previously: Cardinal Brady: Accused

Cardinal Brady: More Than Just A Note Taker