Ex-primate acknowledges culture of ‘secrecy and silence’ over clerical child sex abuse. Retired Archbishop of Armagh Cardinal Sean Brady has stated there was a culture of “secrecy and silence” in the Catholic Church which believed issues of child abuse could be managed internally.
Cardinal Brady, who as far back as 1975 heard allegations of sexual abuse against Fr Brendan Smyth, is to give evidence at the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry in Banbridge, Co Down on Thursday.