O’brien funeral set for England before he is buried in Edinburgh
THE funeral of Cardinal Keith O’brien will be held in Newcastle, with Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols leading proceedings, the Catholic Church has announced.
The arrangements, which were made with input from Pope Francis himself, aim to resolve a dilemma for the Church over how to honour the disgraced Cardinal and draw a line under the scandal.
Cardinal O’brien, who stepped down as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013, and relinquished all duties after admitting sexual misconduct, will not be accorded a full requiem mass in his own diocese and will not be buried at the city’s St Mary’s Cathedral.
Instead he is to be interred at Mount Vernon Cemetery, Edinburgh, in the same grave as his parents – which the Church said was in accordance with his own wishes.
Hugh Mcloughlin, a commentator on Vatican procedures and the affairs of the Catholic Church, said the Holy See had got it right.
“If it were possible to get this right, I think they have,” he said. “This is not a snub. On the contrary, by instructing fellow Cardinal Vincent Nichols as the principle celebrant, the Pope is saying: ‘Keith O’brien was a sinner, but he was a cardinal.’”
The decision, made with the involvement of the executor of Cardinal O’brien’s will, and his brother Terry, had not been made by the Catholic Church, Mr Mcloughlin said: “I believe the arrangements are what Cardinal O’brien would have wanted, bearing in mind the situation.
“He wouldn’t have been demanding to get buried with all the pomp and ceremony of Cardinal Winning’s funeral, for example”.
However not everyone agreed. One Church insider said Cardinal O’brien had told friends that he expected to be buried at St Mary’s, as would traditionally have been the case.
The fact that his successor as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Archbishop Leo Cushley, will not officiate is another breach with tradition, although the Church said he would be “one of the main celebrants.”
It is not yet clear whether some or all of Scotland’s eight bishops will attend the funeral mass on April 5, with a spokesman for the diocese indicating it may be up to individuals to decide whether to participate.
The lengthy delay of 17 days between Cardinal O’brien’s death and his planned burial means it will now take place after Easter, when many priests are traditionally on holiday. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said: “The requiem mass of Cardinal Keith Patrick O’brien RIP, will take place at the Church of St Michael, in Newcastle, on Thursday 5th April.
“As requested by the Holy See, the main celebrant and homilist will be his eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.”
He added: “The internment of the body of the late Cardinal O’brien will then take place at Mount Vernon Cemetery, Edinburgh, on 6th.
“The Cardinal’s body will be laid to rest in the grave of his mother and father. This was in accordance with wishes expressed by Cardinal O’brien himself.”
The Church said the funeral arrangements had been agreed following consultation with Cardinal O’brien’s family, the executor of his will, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, representing the Holy See.