UK's top cardinal accused of 'inappropriate acts' by priests
One priest alleges 'unwanted behaviour' after late-night drinking...
Another priest said he was 18 when 'inappropriately approached...
O'Brien now faces demands for his immediate resignation...
But a former archbishop says people 'must listen' to the cardinal's side...
UK's top cardinal accused of 'inappropriate acts' by 4 priests
After making big news Friday, with his call for a married priesthood, Scotland’s Cardinal Keith O’Brien is now making headlines again. .
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.
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.
Four victims submitted statements containing their claims to the nuncio's office the week before Pope Benedict's resignation on 11 February.
They fear that, if O'Brien travels to the forthcoming papal conclave to elect a new pope, the church will not fully address their complaints.
Those involved believe the cardinal abused his position. "You have to understand," explains the ex-priest, "the relationship between a bishop and a priest. At your ordination, you take a vow to be obedient to him.
"He's more than your boss, more than the CEO of your company. He has immense power over you. He can move you, freeze you out, bring you into the fold … he controls every aspect of your life. You can't just kick him in the balls."
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