Abusive priest ordained despite concerns

THE RETIRED Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady, was due to give evidence this week to Northern Ireland’s historical abuse inquiry over his role in a 1975 secret church tribunal into allegations of child sexual abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth.

The then Fr Seán Brady acted as a notary at the canonical inquiry into abuse by Smyth, which required the young victims to take an oath of secrecy over their testimonies.

The Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry (HIA) is investigating the notorious Norbertine priest’s crimes as a number of former residents of institutions under its remit made allegations concerning Smyth.

The HIA inquiry is examining what systemic failings allowed Smyth to continue to abuse children from the 1960s up to the 1990s. This week it emerged that concerns over Smyth’s behaviour were raised in the 1940s and a senior cleric in Rome who advised against ordaining him was overruled. Counsel for the Norbertine Order told the inquiry concerns about Smyth existed prior to ordination.

Meanwhile, Fr Kevin Smith, the former abbot of the Norbertine Order at Kilnacrott Abbey in Co Cavan, told police that he only became aware of Fr Smyth’s sexual abuse of children in 1989. But evidence shows that Abbot Smith told UTV journalist Chris Moore in 1994 that Fr Smyth had received treatment in 1968 and 1973 as well as institutionalised treatment in 1974.

The inquiry also heard that a priest reported Smyth to the Bishop of Kilmore when he learned that he had raped a 14-year-old girl in 1973. However, the child’s mother declined to report the crime to police.