Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Cardinal O’Brien was nominated archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh on 30 May 1985 and was ordained to the episcopate by Cardinal Gray, then Archbishop Emeritus of St Andrews and Edinburgh, at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh on 5 August 1985. Pope John Paul II created him Cardinal-Priest of Ss Joachim and Anne ad Tusculanum on 21 October 2003.
The Cardinal was made Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 2005, appointed Grand Prior of the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2001 and appointed Knight Grand Cross (KGCHS) of that order in 2003.
O'Brien was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2004; awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of St Andrews in 2004 and awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburgh also in 2004.
He was Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles from 1996 until 1999 when Bishop Ian Murray took over the diocese.
O'Brien took part in the 2005 Papal Conclave which elected Pope Benedict XVI.
In anticipation of the 2010 visit of Pope Benedict to England and Scotland, O'Brien and Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said that the crisis involving Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, over the priest Brendan Smyth and other clerical abuse charges is one for the Irish Catholic Church and should not overshadow Pope Benedict’s visit. O’Brien and Vincent Nichols were asked whether the pope will respond to charges made against the church about clerical sex abuse during his four-day visit – the first papal visit to the United Kingdom since Pope John Paul II came in 1982.
“We do not know whether he will address that subject. We are quite a different country from Ireland, or France or wherever else. Basically, I do not know whether he will address that particular subject,” said Cardinal O’Brien, while Archbishop Nichols said English, Welsh and Scottish bishops have “robust” rules in place to protect children.
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