Seán Baptist Brady was born in Drumcalpin, County Cavan, on 16 August 1939 and ordained a priest in Rome by Cardinal Traglia on 22 February 1964. He taught at St Patrick's College, Cavan (1967–80), then was Vice-Rector and from 1987 Rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. Appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh in December 1994 and consecrated on 19 February 1995 by Cardinal Daly, he succeeded as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland on 1 October 1996, presiding over the Irish bishops' conference until 2014 and playing a low-profile role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Benedict XVI created him a cardinal on 24 November 2007, with the title of Santi Quirico e Giulitta. His tenure ended under the shadow of the abuse crisis: in 1975, as a teacher, he had acted as notary in an internal Church process investigating the paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, in which victims signed oaths of silence — one victim gave him the names of other children, and he passed the statements to his bishop but did not inform the police. The story broke in March 2010; the BBC's 2012 This World found he had held the names and addresses of children at risk, a charge he said “deliberately exaggerate[d] and misrepresent[ed]” his role. Francis accepted his resignation on 8 September 2014. His motto is Jesum Christum cognoscere — “to know Jesus Christ.”
Consequential Quotes
If I found myself in a situation where I was aware that my failure to act had allowed or meant that other children were abused, well then, I think I would resign.
Have we become too aggressive and impatient in relation to the weaknesses and failings of others… I sometimes wonder if we are in danger of losing our sense of mercy and forgiveness in Ireland today.
Major Works & Initiatives
Primate of All Ireland
Eighteen years in Armagh, through the peace process.
Rector of the Irish College
Formed a generation of Irish priests in Rome.
Grand Prior
Grand Prior of Ireland for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
Controversies
The Brendan Smyth affair
In 1975 Brady, then a teacher, acted as notary in an internal Church process into the paedophile priest Brendan Smyth: victims signed oaths of silence, one gave Brady the names of other children being abused, and Brady forwarded the statements to his bishop without informing police. Smyth abused dozens more before his 1994 conviction. The BBC's 2012 'This World' reported Brady had held the names and addresses of children at risk; he said the programme misrepresented his role. He declined to resign in May 2010, staying until his age-75 resignation in 2014.