Cardinal apologises to victim of paedophile

Brendan Boland was among those targeted by the predatory sex attacker in 1975.

Irish Primate Cardinal Sean Brady said he had no intention of resigning, however, despite pressure from those who believe he, as a then relatively junior cleric, did not do enough once concerns about Smyth were raised.

As part of a church inquiry in 1975, Cardinal Brady – at the time a teaching priest at a boarding school, a part-time diocesan secretary and a canon lawyer – acted as notary in interviews with two of Smyth’s victims.

They were sworn to secrecy, but Cardinal Brady has insisted he should not quit as he had the job of writing the report. His seniors, and those of Smyth’s order, were responsible for acting to stop him.

Smyth – who is believed to have abused hundreds of children over 40 years – was jailed in the mid-1990s and died in prison.

Dr Brady said there had also been “many many calls from people who want me to stay on” but added that he hoped a coadjutor with succession rights would be appointed to his archdiocese as soon as possible.

A BBC documentary, aired last week, reignited the row over the internal church investigation and revealed a teenage boy who had been sexually abused by Smyth gave the names and addresses of other children who were at risk from the paedophile priest to the Cardinal, then a 36-year-old priest.

The allegations were passed to his superiors but not to police or the children’s parents.

Smyth continued to sexually assault one of the boys for a year after that.

He also abused the boy’s sister for seven years, and four of his cousins, up until 1988.

Dr Brady said he now realised that the parents of children who were being abused by Smyth should have been informed about the allegations of abuse being made against him.

“Definitely the parents should have been informed. That’s quite clear,” he said last night..

Dr Brady said he apologised without hesitation to Brendan Boland, and to all survivors of abuse. He said he would also like to personally apologise to Mr Boland, and hoped to do so in the future.

He said he intended to remain on as primate “until I’m 75, or unless the Holy See indicated it didn’t want me to stay”.

The cardinal said there was absolutely no indication from the Holy See that it wanted him to resign.