Seán Brady (cardinal)

On 24 November 2007, Archbishop Brady was created Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quirico e Giulitta as a symbol of the new cardinal's role in helping the pontiff to minister to the diocese of Rome. Following his elevation to the cardinalate, he joined Cahal Cardinal Daly, Desmond Cardinal Connell and Keith Cardinal O'Brien as one of four living Irish cardinals, a record in Irish history. Senior Vatican figures suggested that the archbishop's positive contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process weighed heavily in Pope Benedict's decision to make him a Cardinal.

Cardinal Brady, as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, was elected President of the Irish Episcopal Conference.

On 12 June 2008, Pope Benedict named him a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Culture.[10]

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.[11] He also served as the Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy of Ireland, of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a centuries-old Order of Chivalry dedicated to supporting the Christians of the Holy Land.

In April 2010, Cardinal Brady, who was under pressure to resign and had publicly stated he was considering his position over his role in the cover-up of the activities of a paedophile priest, was officiating at a confirmation ceremony in the parish church of Kildress in County Tyrone, when he fell ill. He remained in a conscious state while waiting for an ambulance to arrive at the church. He is known to suffer from a blood pressure condition.[12] He was admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital for observation.[12]

On 4 November 2008, Cardinal Brady criticised the Government's plan allowing for the recognition of cohabiting and same-sex couples, describing the plan in the negative sense as "perhaps the greatest revolution in the history of the Irish family" and that instead the Government were obliged by the Constitution to guard the institution of marriage "with special care".[13]

On 26 October 2009, Cardinal Brady said that further cuts to the Republic of Ireland's overseas development budget would have a devastating impact on the lives of some of the world's poorest people. In a letter to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, he said: "These vulnerable people have had no part to play in creating the multiple crises now facing them – climate, financial, food – yet the challenges they face are unprecedented. I appeal to you not to turn your back on them. We must ensure that we maintain our current level of aid spending until such a time as we are in a position to build it up again."[14]

Cardinal Brady said in January 2010, that it was "blatantly unjust" and "a complete red herring" to say that the Catholic Church has no right to be involved in schools that receive State funding, in a strong defence of the role of the church in education. He said that parents had a right to have their children educated in accordance with their philosophical and religious convictions and the State had a duty to support this with public funds. The presumption the Catholic Church wanted to control as many schools as it could, irrespective of parental demands, was increasingly seen to be unfounded, he added.[15]

In December 2010 Cardinal Brady said a European Court of Human Rights ruling did not oblige the State to introduce legislation authorising abortion. The European court ruled Ireland has failed to properly implement the constitutional right to abortion where a woman is entitled to one where her life is at risk. Cardinal Brady said the judgment "leaves future policy in Ireland on protecting the lives of unborn children in the hands of the Irish people and does not oblige Ireland to introduce legislation authorising abortion".[16]

In November 2011 Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore announced that due to cost-cutting measures, the Irish embassy to the Holy See would close and that the duties of the ambassador would be dealt with by the secretary-general of the department. Cardinal Brady said that the closure "means that Ireland will be without a resident Ambassador to the Holy See for the first time since diplomatic relations were established and envoys were exchanged between the two states in 1929". He added that "This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries" and went on to say that "It is worth recalling that for the new Irish State, the opening of diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1929 was a very significant moment. It was very important in asserting the identity and presence of the Irish Free State internationally in view of the fact that Irish diplomatic representation abroad was then confined to the legation in Washington, the office of the high commissioner in London, the permanent delegate to the League of Nations, and the Embassy to the Holy See".[17]

In March 2010 it became widely known that Brady had participated in an internal Church legal process into the actions of Brendan Smyth in 1975. The process required all participants to maintain the confidentiality of the tribunal. Smyth went on to abuse dozens of children before being brought to justice in 1994.[21] Taken alongside his statement in December, this led to widespread calls for Brady's resignation.[22][23] The information of this internal process had been publicly available as far back as 10 August 1997 in an article by Declan White in the Mirror.[24]

One of those who was a child interviewed in the internal process is suing Cardinal Brady on the grounds that complaints about Smyth were not reported to the Garda, that steps were not taken to prevent Smyth from committing further assaults, that the children were required to sign oaths not to discuss the complaints and that the failure to report the complaints led to the plaintiff and others not receiving appropriate medical treatment.[25]

The then Labour Party spokesman on social and family affairs, Róisín Shortall, T.D., said Brady was "hopelessly compromised by what has emerged". She said, "There should be a Garda investigation to determine whether or not the failure to report Fr Smyth's crimes to the civil authorities was, itself, a criminal offence."[26]

On 17 March 2010, the deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, called for Brady to resign.[27]

In May 2010, Brady said that he would not resign as archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.[28]

Standing outside Armagh Cathedral, Brady acknowledged there were some who would not agree with his decision but vowed to lead the Church's efforts to improve child protection measures. "It certainly wasn’t an easy decision" he said. "I have listened to a lot of people, reflected as I said I would, I listened to survivors, to priests, to religious people up and down the length of this diocese and I have decided to continue in my present role, to play my part in this diocese. Because I want to maintain the momentum towards better child safeguarding and not alone that, also the momentum towards renewal of the faith, which is essential here and a big challenge."

Brady said the vast majority of people he had spoken to wanted him to remain in post. "I was on pilgrimage to Lourdes yesterday with 800 people from this diocese and not one said they had no confidence in me, they said they wanted me to stay and continue this work." Brady told mass-goers at his Saint Patrick's Day homily in March that he would take a period of time to reflect on his future in the church. He confirmed he would stay on following the announcement yesterday of an all-island audit into how the Church handles abuse allegations. He said he had asked for his own diocese to be inspected by Vatican officials.[29]

In September 2010, Brady asked whether Irish people had lost their capacity for mercy and forgiveness. "Have we become too aggressive and impatient in relation to the weaknesses and failings of others," he asked. Speaking at a mass in Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, held to mark the 200th anniversary of St Nathy's College there, he said: "I sometimes wonder if we are in danger of losing our sense of mercy and forgiveness in Ireland today."[30]

In May 2012 the BBC television programme This World found that Brady had the names and addresses of children being abused by the paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, but "did not ensure their safety".[31]