Scottish cardinal to atone for sexual misconduct

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Scottish cardinal who resigned as archbishop after admitting to sexual misconduct will leave Scotland for several months of prayer and atonement, the Vatican said Wednesday in a rare sign of accountability for a "prince of the church."

Cardinal Keith O'Brien recused himself from the March conclave that elected Francis as the new pope after a newspaper reported unnamed priests' allegations that he acted inappropriately toward them. There have been no indications that the priests were minors at the time.

O'Brien subsequently acknowledged he had engaged in unspecified sexual misbehavior. He resigned as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, apologized and promised to stay out of the church's public life.

On Wednesday, the Vatican said O'Brien, once Britain's highest-ranking Catholic leader, would leave Scotland for several months of "prayer, penance and spiritual renewal" for the same reasons he decided not to participate in the conclave.

The statement didn't say if the arrangements were imposed on O'Brien by the Vatican as a punishment, or if he had volunteered for them. The Vatican said merely that his departure came "in agreement with the Holy Father." The Vatican spokesman declined to provide further explanation and the spokesman for the Scottish church didn't respond to calls and emails seeking comment.

The distinction is significant because victims of clerical abuse have long denounced the lack of accountability among the church hierarchy for having covered up the crimes of pedophile priests: In the church, bishops, and even more so cardinals, often seem virtually untouchable.

Even though O'Brien is not accused of abusing minors, his case has been watched to see if Pope Francis would take any action against a member of the church elite. The Vatican, for example, has refused to even confirm whether it was investigating the allegations against O'Brien.

O'Brien initially rejected the claims, saying he was resigning because he did not want to distract from the conclave. In staying home, O'Brien became the first cardinal ever to recuse himself from a conclave because of personal scandal.

He eventually issued a statement admitting that there had been times "that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal."

It wasn't clear what would happen to O'Brien after his months of prayer. The Vatican statement said merely that a decision would be "agreed with the Holy See."

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