Sexual harassment in the Vatican, another cardinal resigns

chika ebuzor

March 20, 2015 10:04 PM

Sources say at least five men, comprising of three priests, a former priest and a former seminarian all accused the priest of either sexually harassing them or pressuring them into sex.

Cardinal Keith O'brien

His Holiness Pope Francis on Friday March 20th, officially renounced the rights and privileges of Cardinal Keith O’Brien 77, a Scottish priest due to allegations of sexual harassment. The Cardinal will be allowed to keep his prestigious title of Cardinal, but will be refused the right to attend future conclaves.

Details of his sexual harassment scandals were exposed in March 2013. Official sources say the number of people accusing the erstwhile cardinal of sexual harassment raised dust in the Vatican hence the need for the acceptance of a compulsory resignation and public renunciation of the Cardinal.

Sources say at least five men, comprising of three priests, a former priest and a former seminarian all accused Cardinal O’Brien of either sexually harassing them or pressuring them into sex, in allegations that went back to the 1980s. O’Brien was accused of being sexually active up through at least 2009.

Another Vatican source-Rev. Ciro Benedettini, was quoted as saying that ”the Cardinal’s resignation was not a punishment resulting from a process or any formal proceedings against the cardinal” Rather, he said it was Cardinal O’Brien’s decision to do the honourable thing by resigning.

Clergy men all around the world, welcomed the Pope’s decision to act fast on this issue by publicly renouncing the Cardinal.

chika ebuzor