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Vincent Twomey calls for Cardinal Brady to resign

An Irish theologian who studied under the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has said that Cardinal Sean Brady should resign 'for the good of the Church'.

Fr Vincent Twomey, a retired professor of moral theology and a member of Benedict XVI's Students' Circle said the cardinal should go after a BBC documentary produced new evidence of his role in the cover-up surrounding the case of a notorious paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth, in the 1970s.

'I think for the good of the Church I think it is really tragic ... but I'm afraid I'm of the opinion that he should resign,' Fr Twomey told RTÉ's Prime Time programme.

He said the cardinal, who is Primate of All Ireland, had lost his moral credibility' because of the repercussions of 'the damage that was done by that awful man, Brendan Smyth'. On Wednesday Cardinal Brady released a statement saying he had had no authority over Smyth and, that he simply recorded answers to questions in the inquiry and passed all the information he had obtained to his bishop.

In the RTE interview Fr Twomey questioned the way then-Fr Brady, of whom he said he was personally very fond, had responded when asked about his handling of the case, and what it suggested about attitudes within the Church.

Read the cardinal's statement here.

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