Keith O'Brien

Styles of Keith Cardinal O'Brien
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Saint Andrews and Edinburgh

Keith Michael Patrick Cardinal O'Brien (born March 17, 1938 in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) is the current Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland.

As Archbisop of St. Andrews O'Brien acts as Scotland's leading Catholic and leads its Council of Bishops. By virtue of these roles he is sometimes referred to as the Primate of Scotland however no such title has ever been officially bestowed upon him.

Early life

Cardinal O’Brien was born at Ballycastle in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland on 17 March 1938. After primary education in Ballycastle, the Archbishop moved with his family to Scotland, initially attending St Stephen’s Primary School, Dalmuir before continuing to secondary school at St Patrick’s High School, Dumbarton. His family then moved to Edinburgh, where he completed his secondary education at Holy Cross Academy, Edinburgh and at the University of Edinburgh where he gained a degree of Bachelor of Science in 1959 (and later a Diploma of Education in 1966). His studies for the priesthood were at St. Andrew’s College, Drygrange, Roxburghshire and he was ordained priest on 3 April 1965 by his predecessor, Gordon Cardinal Gray. Initially, serving as assistant priest in Holy Cross, Edinburgh from 1965 until 1966, he completed his teacher training certificate in Moray House College of Education. For the next 5 years, from 1966 until 1971, he was employed by Fife County Council as a teacher of maths and science, as well as being Chaplain to St Columba’s Secondary School, initially in Cowdenbeath and then in Dunfermline – while assisting in St Bride’s Parish, Cowdenbeath.

He was then moved to full time parish apostolate in St Patrick’s, Kilsyth from 1972 until 1975 and then St Mary’s, Bathgate from 1975 until 1978. He was appointed Spiritual Director to St Andrew’s College, Drygrange from 1978 until 1980; and then was appointed Rector of St Mary’s College, the junior seminary at Blairs, Aberdeen from 1980 until 1985.

Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

Cardinal O’Brien was nominated Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh on 30 May 1985 and was ordained 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 the Archbishop cardinal priest, with the titular church 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; and appointed Grand Prior of the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2001; and appointed Knight Grand Cross in 2003.

The Cardinal was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2004; and awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of St Andrews in 2004; and the 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.

Cardinal O'Brien took part in the 2005 Papal Conclave which elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Curial appointments

After his creation as Cardinal, Cardinal O’Brien was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and also a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

He is at present the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and fulfils various engagements outwith his own Archdiocese at the request of other members of the Bishops’ Conference.

Missionary interest

As well as ministering in his own Archdiocese and elsewhere in Scotland, the Cardinal has always shown an intense interest in the missions, having visited initially the territory previously adopted by his own Archdiocese – Bauchi in Northern Nigeria on two occasions. He has also been with his priests on loan in Central America, having visited El Salvador on three occasions and Chiapas in Mexico on two occasions, as well as recently visiting one of his priests in Guatemala.

As a Director of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the Cardinal has visited projects funded from Scotland in successive years – visiting Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2004, Ethiopia in 2005, and Darfur in the Sudan in 2006. He is scheduled to visit India early in 2007 and has been invited to visit China (Beijing & Shanghai) and Vietnam (Hanoi) during October 2007. In 2006 he visited various projects supported by Holy Rood High School and St John’s Parish, Portobello in the Diocese of Moshi in Tanzania.

Controversy

Sometimes known as the "Cardinal of Controvesy" O'Brien often speaks on issues close to his heart with frankness and, for some, too passionately. Many believe he enters into the realm of politics where a Cardinal should be forbidden. However, this view is criticized by others who see it as the Cardinal's duty to represent traditional Catholic values in all realms of life.

In an interview with the University of St Andrews philosopher Professor John Haldane, published in the Catholic Herald in October 2006, Cardinal O'Brien stated that he would be "happy" if Scots voted for independence, and predicted that independence is coming "before too long". He drew parallels with the independence of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: "it is difficult to argue that ecclesiastical independence is acceptable but political independence is not".

Cardinal O'Brien has made public pronouncements on several other political issues. In January 2006 he criticised Westminster MPs over the introduction of civil partnerships in the UK, and Holyrood MSPs over the liberalisation of divorce laws in Scotland. In May 2007 he urged Catholics to reject pro-choice political candidates and said that pro-choice Catholic politicians should not expect to remain full members of the Catholic Church.

External links

• Profile at the Vatican website
• Profile at the Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh website