Vatican to prod UK cardinal over abuse

The Vatican has appointed its former sex crimes prosecutor to look into claims of sexual misconduct by the former leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, a report says.

Pope Francis will send Bishop Charles Scicluna to Scotland from April 8-10 to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct committed by Scottish Roman Catholic Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) quoted O’Brien’s successor, Archbishop Leo Cushley, as saying.

The Vatican’s former sex crimes prosecutor would “listen to and report the testimony offered by past and present members of the clergy … concerning any incidents of sexual misconduct committed against them by other members of the clergy whomsoever,” Archbishop Cushley stated in two letters sent to his clergy this week.

Reports said the Vatican kept the news secret for five months as part of a deal reportedly brokered by the head of the Vatican’s Congregation of Bishops, through which the British cardinal would retire quietly in order not to embarrass the Church.

The sexual scandal came into the limelight after British paper, the Observer, revealed that three priests and a former priest in Scotland had complained to the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, Nuncio Antonio Mennini, about allegations of O’Brien’s inappropriate behavior against them about 30 years ago.

O’Brien admitted to sexual misconduct during his career, issued an apology and resigned in February last year.