Monday, March 4, 2013

BRITISH CARDINAL ACKNOWLEDGES SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

CARDINAL KEITH O'BRIEN ADMITS AND
APOLOGISES FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
www.guardian.co.uk  - Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who was forced to resign by the pope last week, has made a dramatic admission that he was guilty of sexual misconduct throughout his career in the Roman Catholic church. In a short but far-reaching statement issued late on Sunday, the 74-year-old stated that "there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal". The former archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and until recently the most senior Catholic in Britain, apologised and asked for forgiveness from those he had "offended" and from the entire church. 
O'Brien was forced to resign last week by Pope Benedict XVI, barely 36 hours after the Observer disclosed that three serving priests and a former priest were accusing him of "inappropriate acts" against them nearly 30 years ago, in a formal complaint to the pope's ambassador to the UK.

The cardinal had "contested" those allegations, while his officials said he was taking legal advice. But now O'Brien has effectively admitted he had been breaching the church's strict rules on celibacy and its bar on homosexuality since he became a priest – and during his 10 years as a cardinal. It was alleged that some of these incidents were "drunken fumblings". The cardinal was forced out only three days before the pope retired last Thursday. 
Announcing that he would now retire entirely from public life and from the frontline duties for the church he once led, O'Brien said: "I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal. To those I have offended I apologise and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic church and people of Scotland, I also apologise."

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, acknowledged Sunday that he had been guilty of sexual misconduct. He was forced to resign last week by Pope Benedict XVI, 36 hours after the allegations were disclosed. O’Brien has released a statement admitting and apologising for his sexual conduct. Last month this cardinal made headlines by saying that the church rules on celibacy should be reviewed because celibacy is not based on doctrine but rather church tradition and "is not of divine origin." Generaly, celibacy awakes rejection because we have been led to believe that our life will be empty without sexual activity; however, celibacy is a "nonsexual" alternative to relate to other people.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 
Brahmacari refers to someone who is trained in the higher values of life. “Brahma” comes from the word truth, and who is doing truth-seeking is a brahmana, therefore brahmacari is the one who studies the truth. The real brahmacari practices celibacy, since he considers celibacy as the mature fruit of his consecrated life. He practices celibacy but not in the form of an imposed artificial restriction but practices his spiritual life with great satisfaction, because he also has his counselors and spiritual guardians, and having exciting beautiful motives he performs his spiritual life with great joy. ... The practice of Brahmacarya gives us inner peace, spiritual wealth, health, self-control, truth, and freedom in all our actions and thoughts.

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