# Another rotten RCC egg **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339 "2013-02-25T11:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/1 "2013-02-25T11:29:17Z")
[Cardinal O’Brien resigns](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21572724) Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, is stepping down as the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. > [@](#): > > It follows allegations - which he contests - of inappropriate behaviour towards priests dating from the 1980s. > > \ > [The Observer](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/23/cardinal-keith-o-brien-accused-inappropriate) reported that the three priests and one former priest - from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh - complained to the Pope’s representative to Britain, nuncio Antonio Mennini, in the week before 11 February, when Pope Benedict announced his resignation, of what they claimed was the cardinal’s inappropriate behaviour towards them in the 1980s. From the original article. > [@](#): > > Three priests and a former priest in Scotland have reported the most senior Catholic clergyman in Britain, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, to the Vatican over allegations of inappropriate behaviour stretching back 30 years. > > The four, from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, have complained to nuncio Antonio Mennini, the Vatican’s ambassador to Britain, and demanded O’Brien’s immediate resignation. A spokesman for the cardinal said that the claims were contested. > > O’Brien, who is due to retire next month, has been an outspoken opponent of gay rights, condemning homosexuality as immoral, opposing gay adoption, and most recently arguing that same-sex marriages would be “harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of those involved”. Last year he was named “bigot of the year” by the gay rights charity Stonewall. Women, children and now other priests. It must be hard for these people. Who the hell can they molest without people getting their panties in a twist? Anyway, I’m sure the Vatican will treat the matter with their usual due diligence. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/2 "2013-02-26T02:00:26Z")
As well, although he remains a cardinal, he has stated that he will not participate in the conclave - the first time anyone can remember a cardinal who was available for the conclave recusing himself. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/3 "2013-02-26T02:37:26Z")
Is it just me, or is the article dancing around the issue way too fucking much with the word ‘inappropriate’. I _assume_, of course, they mean ‘unwanted sexual advance’ or ‘groping’ or ‘molesting’ or a lot of other words that would me appropriate than ‘inappropriate’. There are a lot of thing that are not sexual that are still inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/4 "2013-02-26T02:44:29Z")
I think I understand his stern objection to gay marriage, for then the gays will be miserable and sad, hence they will come to him for, um, solace. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/5 "2013-02-26T02:50:44Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Is it just me, or is the article dancing around the issue way too fucking much with the word ‘inappropriate’. I _assume_, of course, they mean ‘unwanted sexual advance’ or ‘groping’ or ‘molesting’ or a lot of other words that would me appropriate than ‘inappropriate’. [This story has more details.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21563345) The repeated use of “inappropriate” feels very euphemistic, and it sounds like the correct term is “sexual harassment.” > [@](#): > > The former priest claims Cardinal O’Brien made an inappropriate approach to him in 1980, after night prayers, when he was a seminarian at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange, the Observer says. > […] > A second statement from another complainant says he was living in a parish when he was visited by O’Brien, and inappropriate contact took place between them. > > A third complainant alleges dealing with what he describes as “unwanted behaviour” by the cardinal in the 1980s after some late-night drinking. > > And the fourth complainant claims the cardinal used night prayers as an excuse for inappropriate contact. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/6 "2013-02-26T08:08:55Z")
Ah well, if nothing else it gives us a good excuse for a Hitchslap… > [@](#): > > “Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn old knees in some dreary motel or latrine, with an expired Visa card, having tried to pay well over the odds to be peed upon by some Apache transvestite.” The denomination and location may change but the story does not. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/7 "2013-02-26T10:29:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [This story has more details.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21563345) The repeated use of “inappropriate” feels very euphemistic, and it sounds like the correct term is “sexual harassment.” Kinda hard to tell. It sounds like the language is coming from people within the Church, and the Church presumably feels that any sexual behavior on the part of a Cardinal is inappropriate, even if it was of the “two consenting adults” variety. But in any case, the more detailed description of the first case is pretty clearly sexual harassement, and so inappropriate in the legal sense and not just the “against Church rules” sense. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/8 "2013-02-26T14:38:08Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > As well, although he remains a cardinal, he has stated that he will not participate in the conclave - the first time anyone can remember a cardinal who was available for the conclave recusing himself. He is beyond the age limit (80) for participating in a conclave, so he is just abiding by the same rules that apply to other cardinals. If he said he **would** participate anyway, **that** would be surprising. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/9 "2013-02-26T14:43:36Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > He is beyond the age limit (80) for participating in a conclave, so he is just abiding by the same rules that apply to other cardinals. If he said he **would** participate anyway, **that** would be surprising. This is incorrect. He is 74 years old. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/10 "2013-02-26T14:52:34Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Is it just me, or is the article dancing around the issue way too fucking much with the word ‘inappropriate’. I _assume_, of course, they mean ‘unwanted sexual advance’ or ‘groping’ or ‘molesting’ or a lot of other words that would me appropriate than ‘inappropriate’. > > There are a lot of thing that are not sexual that are still inappropriate. Well, it was ‘inappropriate’ enough for the victims to go to the Papal Nuncio and for the Vatican to give him the premature elbow. His resignation was due to take effect next month, after the conclave, but the Vatican has issued his marching orders with immediate effect. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/11 "2013-02-26T15:07:45Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > This is incorrect. He is 74 years old. He was born on 16 April 1927. Sure sounds like 85 to me! [Pope Benedict XVI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/12 "2013-02-26T15:17:11Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > He was born on 16 April 1927. Sure sounds like 85 to me! > [Pope Benedict XVI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI) They’re talking about Cardinal O’Brien, not the Pope. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/13 "2013-02-26T15:41:16Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > They’re talking about Cardinal O’Brien, not the Pope. Oops! I had a brain fart there - the papal abdication is in the news so much that I was thinking of the wrong person. However, looks like O’Brien does not have a choice any longer anyway. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/14 "2013-02-26T16:31:24Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > As well, although he remains a cardinal, he has stated that he will not participate in the conclave - the first time anyone can remember a cardinal who was available for the conclave recusing himself. Conclave? Is that what the kids are calling it today? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/15 "2013-02-26T17:25:52Z")
Scene: The conclave to choose a new Pope, a few weeks from now. In front of the chamber is the guy running the show. "We all know that we have had some problems, so before we begin with voting, I’m afraid that we will have to go through a screening procedure. Remember, God and Jesus are watching you. And I have the Google. "All cardinals who are eligible, please stand. Yes, you can use your walkers!. "Thank you. Now, all those who do not wish to be considered, please sit. Ah, thank you. Your humility is noted. "Now, all those who have acted inappropriately with priests or nuns, please sit. That many? "Now, this may be difficult, but all those who have acted inappropriately with youths, no matter when, please sit. "And all those who have covered up priests acting inappropriately, please sit. He surveys the room. “That was more than I thought.” He points. "You are the new Pope. Congratulations. “Dude, I’m the janitor!” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/16 "2013-02-26T18:01:19Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Scene: The conclave to choose a new Pope, a few weeks from now. In front of the chamber is the guy running the show. Just because I am bored, that’ll be [Giovanni Re](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Re), the senior cardinal-bishop participating. (The Dean and Sub-Dean of the College of Cardinals are too old.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/17 "2013-02-26T19:00:24Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Just because I am bored, that’ll be [Giovanni Re](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_Re), the senior cardinal-bishop participating. (The Dean and Sub-Dean of the College of Cardinals are too old.) Thanks. There is only so much research I’ll do for a joke. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/18 "2013-02-26T19:14:04Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > He is beyond the age limit (80) for participating in a conclave, so he is just abiding by the same rules that apply to other cardinals. Isn’t the rule against over-80’s _voting_, not against their participating? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/19 "2013-02-26T19:20:03Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Scene: The conclave to choose a new Pope,… > > He surveys the room. “That was more than I thought.” He points. "You are the new Pope. Congratulations. > > “Dude, I’m the janitor!” How do you say “Dude!” in Latin? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339/20 "2013-02-26T19:32:27Z")
Vir, maybe? Vir, sum famulum! I dunno. I took spanish in high school. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-rotten-rcc-egg/651339.md?page=2)