POPE BENEDICT XVI, CARDINAL KEITH In his final Lenten report from India, O’BRIEN send condolences and prayers IAN DUNN focuses on those helped by after Swiss bus crash that killed school SCIAF’s partner The Association for children, including British boy. Page 8 People with Disabilities. Pa ges 12-13

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PRESERVING MARRIAGE VIGIL THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS IN Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow (right) marked the feast day of St Patrick, and the culmination of the city’s festival in tribute to the patron saint of Ireland, with the celebra- tion of Mass at a packed St Andrew’s Cathe- dral last Saturday. In addition to honouring the Irish community, he spoke of the current efforts to ‘airbrush our Christian heritage out of our consciousness.’ He is seen here with Grace Gormley, a parishioner of St Joseph’s, Tollcross, and pupil at St Paul’s Primary, POLL DEFENDED Shettleston. Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s cele- ahead of Scotland for brations of the feast day finished at St Mar- garet’s Church, Stirling where he passed on Marriage prayer vigil Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing to the Kiltegan opposing government Fathers on their 80th anniversary. Don’t miss reports this week on St Patrick’s Day cele- plans to redefine marrige brations from Coatbridge, Glasgow, Stirling, Paisley and beyond, pages 2, 3, 4 and 15 Page 3 PIC: MARK CAMPBELL ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY Vatican reports on abuse in Ireland I Cardinal Brady hopes that the Irish Church emerges stronger from the crisis By Ian Dunn trust in their pastors and found that ‘this time of trial’ has also ‘brought to whose care they had been entrusted,’” ‘innocent young people were abused by light the continuing vitality of the Irish he said. THE official Vatican report into the clerics and religious to whose care they people’s Faith.’ The cardinal added: “While those problem of clerical abuse in Ireland had been entrusted, while those who “The visitators have noted the exem- who should have exercised vigilance expresses a ‘great sense of pain and should have exercised vigilance often plary way in which many bishops, often failed to do so effectively, in shame’ and calls on the Church failed to do so effectively.’ priests and religious live out their voca- expressing true sorrow and regret, we there to continue to listen to and However the report also found that tion,” it says. “The human and spiritual make our own heartfelt plea for for- help victims of abuse. the Church in Ireland is making ‘excel- bonds among the Faithful at a time of giveness from the victims, and from The summary of the report, pub- lent’ progress in efforts to implement crisis, the deep faith of many men and God, for these terrible crimes and sins.” lished on Tuesday, the result of last norms to protect children from now on. women, a remarkable level of lay Cardinal Brady also said he believed year’s Vatican ordered Apostolic visi- “The archbishops... gave assurances involvement in the structures of child the Church in Ireland could emerge ARCHBISHOPS CONTI tations to Ireland, also praises steps that all newly discovered cases of abuse protection, and the heartfelt commit- stronger from this crisis. and Nichols pay tribute made to prevent abuse in the future are promptly brought before the com- ment shown by bishops and religious “It is important that we, together, as while urging Irish Catholics to cleave petent civil authority and the Congre- superiors in their task of serving the the Catholic community in Ireland, take to Dr Rowan Williams more closely to the Church’s teachings gation for the Doctrine of the Faith,” Christian community.” responsibility for the continuing who is to resign post as as laid out by the Vatican. the report says. “In recent years the Reaction renewal which has received such head of Anglican Church Visitations work of the National Board for Safe- encouragement and further direction guarding Children in