Priest convicted of covering up abuse – but not in Ireland

Sean Brady modelling the latest Vatican fashion

Reading the piece in the Journal today regarding Monsignor William J Lynn being found guilty of covering up sexual abuse by priests in America, brings Cardinal Sean Brady to mind.  In America dogged prosecutors armed with the law pushed to have the Monsignor convicted of what to any thinking person is a crime.

In Ireland a few years back, we had Mr Brady coming on TV with not a single hint of remorse claiming it was the ‘times’ so therefore I’ve done nothing wrong.  The Irish state has not bothered to even attempt to prosecute him.

Let me remind you what Mr Brady did; he made two young children sign some archaic Latin documents forcing them into silence and a lifetime of hell after they told him of the horrific abuse they had suffered at the hands of a fellow priest, and never informed the police.

Not informing the police meant a sexual predator was able to continue raping children for many years to come. Silencing the children guaranteed a lifetime of suffering and anguish.  No thinking moral human being could possibly defend these actions.  Unless of course you happen to be a priest attached to one of  worlds most morally bankrupt organisations.

Ask yourself this – Were a teacher to have been found to have forced two school children into silence after they informed on their abuser and he then told his principal who then decided not to tell the police.  What do you think would happen?  Do you think as a society we would be happy to accept the same defence from the hypothetical teacher as we did from the very real Mr Brady?

Of course not.  They would be prosecuted and vilified in the press. Why has this not happened to Brady?  I honestly don’t know.  If it’s some cultural hangover or a lack of political will due to some childhood fear of the church still lingering in the older politicians, I can’t say.

All I know is it’s wrong and that every time Brady opens his mouth and spews some arrogant bile from the pulpit or in front of the TV, he should be treated with the contempt he deserves.