Irish cardinal admits inquiries into child rapist priest were only to protect church
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/25/irish-cardinal-admits-inquiries-into-child-rapist-priest-were-only-to-protect-church
Seán Brady tells historical abuse inquiry in Northern Ireland that Catholic clerics kept investigations into Brendan Smyth secret to protect churchs good name
Irish cardinal admits inquiries into child rapist priest were only to protect church
Henry McDonald Ireland correspondent
Thursday 25 June 2015 11.17 EDT
Senior figures in Irelands Catholic church set up inquiries into historical sexual abuse by solely to protect the church from scandal, the former leader of Irelands Catholics has admitted.
Dr Seán Brady, the former primate of All Ireland, told an inquiry into historical abuse on Thursday that he and other Catholic clerics were sworn to secrecy about these tribunals so that the good name of the church could be protected.
Brady was giving evidence on Thursday at the historical abuse inquiry in Northern Ireland, a wideranging investigation into the abuse of children at state and church-run care homes and other institutions across the region.
The retired clerics evidence focused on the scandal surrounding Father Brendan Smyth, a serial child rapist who continued to abuse for decades after the church first learned that he was a paedophile.
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