Cardinal Sean Brady offers resignation to Pope Francis hours before his 75th birthday
CARDINAL Sean Brady has stood down as the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland on the eve of his 75th birthday.
Following months of speculation, Dr Brady today confirmed he wrote to Pope Francis one month ago asking to resign from his position as Archbishop of Armagh.
Current Vatican practice states he must resign before he turns 75. Archbishop Eamon Martin will take over the post.
I look forward to the day when my resignation will be accepted
In a statement, the clergyman said: "I did so in anticipation of my seventy-fifth birthday, which I will celebrate tomorrow.
"I look forward to the day when my resignation will be accepted and when Archbishop Eamon will take over as Archbishop, a position for which, I believe, he is excellently prepared".
Archbishop Eamon Martin, 52, is the next in line to take over as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, which will take place as soon as Pope Francis accepts the resignation.
Archbishop Martin was appointed last year by the Vatican as "coadjutor" – a role in which he runs the day-to-day affairs of the Church in Ireland.
Cardinal Brady was elevated to the cardinalate seven years ago by Pope Benedict XVI. He will remain a member of the College of Cardinals for the rest of his life, entitling him to vote in Papal conclaves for the next five years, or until he reaches the age of 80.
Cardinal Brady has faced calls to stand down from clerical sex abuse survivors.
Last month Pope Francis promised to hold bishops accountable for the protection of children and begged forgiveness from victims after he celebrated a Mass with six survivors at the Vatican.
One of the six, Irish woman Marie Kane, said she asked the pontiff to remove Cardinal Brady from his post because of the way he handled abuse allegations against paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth.
Ordained a priest 50 years ago, Cardinal Brady then taught at at St Patrick’s from 1967 until 1980.
In 1980, he was appointed vice rector of the Irish College in Rome – before becoming rector in 1987 – and remaining there until 1993.
In February 1995, he was ordained Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh and on the retirement of Cardinal Cahal Daly one year and a half later, he became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in October 1996.
