Fr. Vincent Twomey: Cardinal Sean Brady needs to resign

From the Irish Central site:

Fr Vincent Twomey told Irish television that Brady has lost the confidence of his flock after failing to report Fr Brendan Smyth’s abuse to the authorities after a 1975 investigation.

The theologian is the retired Professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth University and widely regarded as the leading religious authority in Ireland.

A conservative Catholic, Twomey’s observation that Brady has lost his moral authority and ‘should resign’ is a damning verdict the most recent revelations about his involvement in the Smyth case.

The retired Professor told the Prime Time programme on RTE 1 that there are issues which the church must address about Cardinal Brady’s failure to alert parents to other victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

“For the good of the church, it is really tragic, but I’m afraid I am of the opinion that he should resign,” said Fr Twomey.

In a May 3rd statement, Cardinal Brady said:

With others, I feel betrayed that those who had the authority in the Church to stop Brendan Smyth failed to act on the evidence I gave them. However, I also accept that I was part of an unhelpful culture of deference and silence in society, and the Church, which thankfully is now a thing of the past.

Fr. Twomey is a former doctoral student of Fr. Joseph Ratzinger and the author of Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age (A Theological Portrait) (Ignatius Press, 2007).


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About Carl E. Olson 1229 Articles
Carl E. Olson is editor of Catholic World Report and Ignatius Insight. He is the author of Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?, Will Catholics Be "Left Behind"?, co-editor/contributor to Called To Be the Children of God, co-author of The Da Vinci Hoax (Ignatius), and author of the "Catholicism" and "Priest Prophet King" Study Guides for Bishop Robert Barron/Word on Fire. His recent books on Lent and Advent—Praying the Our Father in Lent (2021) and Prepare the Way of the Lord (2021)—are published by Catholic Truth Society. He is also a contributor to "Our Sunday Visitor" newspaper, "The Catholic Answer" magazine, "The Imaginative Conservative", "The Catholic Herald", "National Catholic Register", "Chronicles", and other publications. Follow him on Twitter @carleolson.