Mission aborted all for the sake of vanity

THE 1975 oath of secrecy extracted from two child sex abuse victims to which Cardinal Seán Brady was a witness is simply another vivid and catastrophic illustration of the consequences that arise when there is no accountability within an organisation and the vanity of leaders takes absolute precedence over the vitality and integrity of its mission.

What other organisation in the world facilitates the continued incumbency of a challenged leader merely on his own say-so, with the echo of a few sychophants audible in the background?

If there is no process of validation how is the calibre, acceptability and trust of a leader to be judged, tested and respected, especially when the mandate to lead is compromised or impaired?