Cardinal apologises for sex conduct

Cardinal Keith O’Brien last night admitted that his sexual conduct had at times “fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal”.

The cardinal, who was Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric, stepped down from his post as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh last week, a day after three priests and a former priest made allegations of “inappropriate” behaviour against him.

In a statement issued by the Catholic Church in Scotland last night, O’Brien apologised and asked forgiveness from those he had “offended”.