Cowen shows little separation between Church and State

IT is just about the last bastion of deference to the Catholic Church in this country, but it also just happens to be the most important one — Government Buildings.

Brian Cowen’s responses to the Ryan and Murphy reports, and now the storm raging over Cardinal Seán Brady’s involvement in helping to hush-up paedophilia in the Church, have been worryingly vague, belated or displaying an unhealthy obsequiousness to the Vatican.

Cardinal Brady’s involvement in trying to hush-up paedophilia allegations against Fr Brendan Smyth in 1975 have convulsed the nation since their emergence on Saturday, but Mr Cowen has refused to be drawn into the affair.