Cardinal should resign now

CARDINAL Desmond Connell should resign. That is the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from the unprecedented heckling of the cardinal at the weekend.

In the conservative world of Irish Catholicism it is no exaggeration to describe the incident as mind boggling. That it took place in the course of his sermon at Mass in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral makes it all the more remarkable. It was a graphic illustration of the deep-seated feelings of anger over his handling of the scandal of child abuse by members of the clergy in his diocese.

Clearly, despite a public apology, people remain unconvinced by the cardinal's assertion that the welfare of children and not the interests of the Church is his main concern.