Top UK Catholic resigns after allegedly being captured by sexual abberation

Britain's top Catholic cardinal stepped down today after allegations of inappropriate behavior with priests, dating back to the 1980s, became public. Keith O'Brien is an outspoken conservative in the church, describing homosexuals as "captives of sexual aberration" and same-sex marriage as "shaming" the United Kingdom. [NYT]

• [peregrinus]

  Cardinal sin.

  • [GawainLavers]

    That poor guy.

• [welcomeabored]

  “hardened his stance”?  Oh no he didn’t!

  Meanwhile, in Vegas, does this change the odds significantly on the ‘Italian Regional’ candidates?

  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/24/1189522/-Papal-Madness-2013

• [Víctor Jiménez Merino]

  Funny, I usually describe catholic church ministers as “captives of dogmatic aberrations”…

  • [mickcollins]

    not to mention same words he uses, “sexual aberrations”,  what with diddling with the kids and celibacy.

• [gracchus]

  A conservative Christian who’s a public voice for anti-gay bigotry turns out to be a closet case who used his position of authority to prey on the vulnerable, you say? Who’d've seen that one coming?

  Any indications if he’s part of the Vatican’s “velvet mafia” (now with real velvet!) that the Italian press discussed in regard to a blackmail scheme?

• [voiceinthedistance]

  Great to see that religious and moral hypocrisy aren’t confined to our shores here in America.  Fundamentalists may have perfected the craft, but the Catholic church has been honing their skills longer.  

  To his credit, he confined his efforts to his own kind, vs. ruining the lives of children.  I’m sure Ratzinger gave him an “Atta Boy” for that point.

  • [$19428857]

     ”..his own kind.. ” comes off as a little like “those people”.

    • [voiceinthedistance]

      Not a little like “those people”, EXACTLY like it.  I don’t denigrate him for his gayness, but for his egregious hypocrisy.

      I could care less who he copulates with, as long as he doesn’t rail against others who engage in the very same behavior he uses his pulpit to preach against.

      • [Nathan Hornby]

        *couldn’t care less

        Otherwise I’m with you 100%!

        • [voiceinthedistance]

          Sorry, Nathan.  Crass non-Oxford American idiom used in an attempt to subvert order in the English language.  Logical cliches are so last century.  translation:  bassackward

        • [monkey magic]

           Works if “I could care less?”. Maybe.

  • [smut clyde]

    he confined his efforts to his own kind, vs. ruining the lives of children

    It’s as if the element of consent is what made it a sackable offense.

• [tonbo]

  He isn’t a hardline conservative, he recently had an interview where he wanted the next pope to consider women priests and married priests… He’s considered a liberal radical more than a conservative hardliner.

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283200/Keith-O-Brien-Let-priests-wed-says-UKs-senior-Catholic-overturn-centuries-tradition.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

  • [gracchus]

    That says more about the Church’s extreme conservatism than it does about his supposed liberalism.

    He’d still be a Cardinal if he extended his “liberalism” to allowing homosexual priests and allowing them to marry each-other — steps actual liberals would agree with.

    • [Brainspore]

      He’d still be a Cardinal if he extended his “liberalism” to allowing homosexual priests and allowing them to marry each-other…

      Actually that seems pretty unlikely too.

      • [gracchus]

        Well, yeah, you’re right. But he would have been able to resign in protest (albeit before becoming Cardinal) instead of disgrace.

  • [SedanChair]

    Oh the Daily Mail says he’s a liberal? All right then.

  • [Nathan Hornby]

    Cited from the Daily Mail…

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    Philosophical beard.

• [Brainspore]

  But he was preying on post-adolescents! This is progress people!

• [Boundegar]

  I wonder if this has anything to do with the (rumored) breaking scandal behind Benedict’s resignation?  Also, spelling error in the headline.

  • [Stooge]

    Without the spelling error the anagram wouldn’t work.

    • [mickcollins]

      are they rationing abbes?

• [CaptainPedge]

  Candidate for next pope?

• [$19428857]

  This may be pedantic, but O’Brien isn’t the the “top UK Catholic”. He was the top Catholic of Scotland. The Catholic Church is organized into national churches within Catholicism. Ireland, England and Wales, and Scotland each have their own, co-equal primate, although they are not called that in England and Wales or Scotland for political and legal reasons dating back to the dissolution of the Catholic hierarchy in the UK in 1653. To call him the “top UK Catholic” implies a higher, non-existent role for O’Brien.

  • [Stooge]

    Not pedantic, just wrong: O’Brien is a cardinal, whereas the current Westminster archbishop isn’t.

• [Lawrence English]

  CNN is reporting that the resignation has been planned since November for his 75th birthday. If true, this is not sudden and not because of newly revealed allegations. However, the date has been moved up, ahead of Pope’s resignation, and I couldn’t get a clear understanding why that mattered. The date change may be related to the allegations.

• [Ashley Yakeley]

  Original story.

• [That_Anonymous_Coward]

  *makes a note in the records*
  Once again those screaming the loudest have the most to hide.

• [l337n00b]

  Sex with adult men… forced to resign.  Sex with children… protected.

  Thanks Catholic church!

  (In no way meant to suggest he shouldn’t resign, I don’t know the facts on the ground and it is quite possible that he is guilty of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or something else resign-worthy)

• [Xof]

  “Top” does not exclusively mean “supreme commander / superior.” As no rational person would argue that a Cardinal is not higher in honor and dignity (and, thus, rank) than an Archbishop, the headline is exactly correct.