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| Senior Scottish Catholic admits O'Brien scandal has damaged church's authority | Senior Scottish Catholic admits O'Brien scandal has damaged church's authority |
| (6 days later) | |
| Scotland's most senior Catholic has admitted that the scandal over the resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien has been a serious blow to the church's moral credibility and religious authority. | Scotland's most senior Catholic has admitted that the scandal over the resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien has been a serious blow to the church's moral credibility and religious authority. |
| In a sermon in Glasgow, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, now the de facto leader of Scotland's 760,000 Catholics, said it was obvious why O'Brien's resignation and admissions of sexual misconduct left the church open to the "most stinging charge" of hypocrisy. | In a sermon in Glasgow, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, now the de facto leader of Scotland's 760,000 Catholics, said it was obvious why O'Brien's resignation and admissions of sexual misconduct left the church open to the "most stinging charge" of hypocrisy. |
| Tartaglia, who also now runs the cardinal's former diocese until his successor is found, said: "I think there is little doubt that the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic church in Scotland has been dealt a serious blow, and we will need to come to terms with that. | Tartaglia, who also now runs the cardinal's former diocese until his successor is found, said: "I think there is little doubt that the credibility and moral authority of the Catholic church in Scotland has been dealt a serious blow, and we will need to come to terms with that. |
| "[It] will take time, perhaps a long time to recover these intangible but important realities." | "[It] will take time, perhaps a long time to recover these intangible but important realities." |
| Scotland's three remaining Roman Catholic bishops are to urge the next pope to quickly appoint a new generation of bishops in the wake of the O'Brien scandal, senior sources said. "There would certainly be a strong desire for the early appointments of new bishops," said one official. | Scotland's three remaining Roman Catholic bishops are to urge the next pope to quickly appoint a new generation of bishops in the wake of the O'Brien scandal, senior sources said. "There would certainly be a strong desire for the early appointments of new bishops," said one official. |
| The Scottish church currently has five vacancies in its eight dioceses after O'Brien dramatically resigned in late February, as both leader of the Scottish church and the most senior British Catholic, after the Observer published allegations of sexual misconduct against him from fellow priests. | The Scottish church currently has five vacancies in its eight dioceses after O'Brien dramatically resigned in late February, as both leader of the Scottish church and the most senior British Catholic, after the Observer published allegations of sexual misconduct against him from fellow priests. |
| Senior sources said on Monday that the vacancies had left it in effect rudderless, and unable to introduce any significant reforms. "That is in itself a major crisis," said one source. | Senior sources said on Monday that the vacancies had left it in effect rudderless, and unable to introduce any significant reforms. "That is in itself a major crisis," said one source. |
| Its bishops conference will convene for a regular meeting this month to discuss the scandal, which intensified further on Sunday when O'Brien issued a statement that he had been guilty of sexual misconduct since he was first made a priest in 1965. | Its bishops conference will convene for a regular meeting this month to discuss the scandal, which intensified further on Sunday when O'Brien issued a statement that he had been guilty of sexual misconduct since he was first made a priest in 1965. |
| The Vatican has refused to add anything further after O'Brien's latest disclosure and apologies: all its normal business and offices have closed down after Benedict XVI retired last Thursday. | The Vatican has refused to add anything further after O'Brien's latest disclosure and apologies: all its normal business and offices have closed down after Benedict XVI retired last Thursday. |
| Church sources said nothing further would be done on the O'Brien case or the Scottish church's crisis until a new pope was in office. | Church sources said nothing further would be done on the O'Brien case or the Scottish church's crisis until a new pope was in office. |
| There are anxieties that replacing O'Brien as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh could take up to a year, while Scotland's Catholic church could be low down the next pontiff's list of priorities because it is relatively smalls. | There are anxieties that replacing O'Brien as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh could take up to a year, while Scotland's Catholic church could be low down the next pontiff's list of priorities because it is relatively smalls. |
| Despite O'Brien's sweeping admission that there had been a series of times when his "sexual conduct" had fallen below the right standards "as a priest, an archbishop and a cardinal", a church spokesman was adamant that there had never been any gossip about his sexuality among his staff or bishops, or complaints made. | Despite O'Brien's sweeping admission that there had been a series of times when his "sexual conduct" had fallen below the right standards "as a priest, an archbishop and a cardinal", a church spokesman was adamant that there had never been any gossip about his sexuality among his staff or bishops, or complaints made. |
| "I have never heard anyone make any reference to that. I have never heard a hint or suggestion of that," he said. | "I have never heard anyone make any reference to that. I have never heard a hint or suggestion of that," he said. |
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