Brady repeats rejected offer of apology to abuse victim

CARDINAL Seán Brady has reiterated his offer to meet a survivor of clerical child abuse and make a personal apology to him, a spokesman has confirmed.

He was responding to calls from Brendan Boland who again called on the Catholic Primate to make a public apology instead of the personal apology offered. Mr Boland, who was abused by Fr Brendan Smyth in Dundalk, Co Louth, in the 70s, maintains the offer of a personal apology shows Church leaders are not willing to accept their responsibilities.

However, a spokesman for the Cardinal said he had apologised publicly for child abuse suffered on many occasions, one of which was a at 10am mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, for St Patrick’s Day last year — a Mass broadcast live by RTÉ Radio 1.