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| Brady faces more pressure to go | Brady faces more pressure to go |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland is facing further pressure to resign after he admitted knowing about the sexual abuse of two children. | The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland is facing further pressure to resign after he admitted knowing about the sexual abuse of two children. |
| Cardinal Sean Brady has said he was at meetings in 1975 where two abused children signed vows of silence over complaints against Fr Brendan Smyth. | Cardinal Sean Brady has said he was at meetings in 1975 where two abused children signed vows of silence over complaints against Fr Brendan Smyth. |
| The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said his position had become untenable. | The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said his position had become untenable. |
| TUV leader Jim Allister and Sinn Fein MLA Sue Ramsey have also said Cardinal Brady should consider stepping down. | TUV leader Jim Allister and Sinn Fein MLA Sue Ramsey have also said Cardinal Brady should consider stepping down. |
| The complaints of abuse were investigated by Cardinal Brady in his capacity as secretary to the bishop of Kilmore. | The complaints of abuse were investigated by Cardinal Brady in his capacity as secretary to the bishop of Kilmore. |
| The two children are reported to have been aged 10 and 14 when the meetings took place in 1975. | The two children are reported to have been aged 10 and 14 when the meetings took place in 1975. |
| "Cardinal Brady is personally implicated in collusion with clerical child sexual abuse," RCNI director Fiona Neary said. | "Cardinal Brady is personally implicated in collusion with clerical child sexual abuse," RCNI director Fiona Neary said. |
| "In recent public statements regarding clerical child abuse he did not make public his role in pressuring and bullying victims to remain silent. He did not make public his own failures to disclosure a known abuser to civil authorities. | "In recent public statements regarding clerical child abuse he did not make public his role in pressuring and bullying victims to remain silent. He did not make public his own failures to disclosure a known abuser to civil authorities. |
| "Sexual abuse that could have been prevented was not, and Brendan Smyth continued to abuse children. Cardinal Brady's position is now untenable." | "Sexual abuse that could have been prevented was not, and Brendan Smyth continued to abuse children. Cardinal Brady's position is now untenable." |
| Marie Collins, who was abused by a priest in the Dublin diocese, has called for the remit of the Murphy Commission to be extended to every diocese in Ireland. She said Cardinal Brady had lost his credibility. | |
| Writer and broadcaster Father Brian D'Arcy, who is a rector of the Passionist Monastery at the Graan in Enniskillen, said he believed Cardinal Brady was in a difficult position. | Writer and broadcaster Father Brian D'Arcy, who is a rector of the Passionist Monastery at the Graan in Enniskillen, said he believed Cardinal Brady was in a difficult position. |
| "I have this awful picture of two young children who had already been abused by a cleric in a Roman collar now having to tell that abuse to two or three different clerics taking notes and then being asked to solemnly swear that it would be secret. | "I have this awful picture of two young children who had already been abused by a cleric in a Roman collar now having to tell that abuse to two or three different clerics taking notes and then being asked to solemnly swear that it would be secret. |
| "Now if Canon law demands that, then Canon law is wrong." | "Now if Canon law demands that, then Canon law is wrong." |
| On Monday, a victim of Fr Smyth called Samantha told the BBC the church needed to "root out the rot and start from the top". | On Monday, a victim of Fr Smyth called Samantha told the BBC the church needed to "root out the rot and start from the top". |
| "This is not a witch hunt, this is about what is right," she added. | "This is not a witch hunt, this is about what is right," she added. |
| Samantha was abused by Fr Smyth while she was at boarding school from 1974 to 1979. | Samantha was abused by Fr Smyth while she was at boarding school from 1974 to 1979. |
| 'Not a resigning matter' | 'Not a resigning matter' |
| Cardinal Brady has said he will only resign over claims he helped cover up abuse if he is asked to do so by the Pope. | Cardinal Brady has said he will only resign over claims he helped cover up abuse if he is asked to do so by the Pope. |
| Cardinal Brady said he had been following his bishop's orders and there were no guidelines for dealing with such investigations at that time. | Cardinal Brady said he had been following his bishop's orders and there were no guidelines for dealing with such investigations at that time. |
| He said his actions were part of a process that removed Smyth's licence to act as a priest and said he did not believe this was a resigning matter. | He said his actions were part of a process that removed Smyth's licence to act as a priest and said he did not believe this was a resigning matter. |
| In an interview with Irish broadcaster RTE last December, the cardinal said he would resign if he found that a child had been abused as a result of any managerial failure on his part. Former Canon law professor, Monsignor Maurice Dooley, has also said Cardinal Brady was right not to have gone to Irish police with the allegations. | |
| Monsignor Dooley said that as Fr Brady had been conducting in camera investigation within the Church, he would have been violating his responsibilities if he had reported to police. | Monsignor Dooley said that as Fr Brady had been conducting in camera investigation within the Church, he would have been violating his responsibilities if he had reported to police. |
| Monsignor Dooley also said other people were responsible for subsequent activities, particularly Fr Brady's religious superiors at the time. | Monsignor Dooley also said other people were responsible for subsequent activities, particularly Fr Brady's religious superiors at the time. |
| Pope Benedict has had to deal with sex abuse scandals in various countries | Pope Benedict has had to deal with sex abuse scandals in various countries |
| Smyth was a notorious child sex offender who was believed to have abused at least 20 children over a 40-year period in the north and south of Ireland. | Smyth was a notorious child sex offender who was believed to have abused at least 20 children over a 40-year period in the north and south of Ireland. |
| He was eventually convicted and jailed for more than 90 offences, many of them committed after the Brady meetings. | He was eventually convicted and jailed for more than 90 offences, many of them committed after the Brady meetings. |
| However, campaigners believe the cleric could have abused hundreds of children as he was moved around parishes, diocese and countries by the Church. | However, campaigners believe the cleric could have abused hundreds of children as he was moved around parishes, diocese and countries by the Church. |
| The revelations come as the Catholic Church worldwide grapples with accusations that it covered up abuse by priests. | The revelations come as the Catholic Church worldwide grapples with accusations that it covered up abuse by priests. |
| In recent months paedophile scandals have rocked the church in Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany. | In recent months paedophile scandals have rocked the church in Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany. |