Scotland's newly appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, who caused a stir with recent remarks on celibacy, contraception and homosexuality, has made an unusual public pledge to defend church teaching in the three areas.
A spokesman denied Monday that Archbishop Keith O'Brien acted under pressure from the Vatican, saying O'Brien's remarks had been misinterpreted and the cardinal wanted to clarify his position.
O'Brien was one of 31 cardinals whose appointment was announced Sept. 29 by the Vatican. In subsequent interviews, O'Brien was quoted as saying that the church's rule of celibacy for priests and its ban on contraception should be subjects for discussion.
He was also quoted as saying he was not opposed to homosexual priests. "If they are leading a celibate life, God bless the men."
Last week, O'Brien officially affirmed his support for church teaching, beginning with a recitation of the Nicene Creed, a standard profession of faith used in church services. He then added:
"I further state that I accept and intend to defend the law on ecclesiastical celibacy as it is proposed by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church; I accept and promise to defend the ecclesiastical teaching about the immorality of the homosexual act; I accept and promise to promulgate always and everywhere what the Church's Magisterium teaches on contraception."
A new cardinal customarily makes a profession of faith to the pope. Kearney said O'Brien departed from tradition to make his in public as part of a ceremony in which a new cathedral canon was also making his profession of faith.
The Catholic Truth Society claimed O'Brien had been pressed by the Vatican to make that statement. But O'Brien's spokesman Peter Kearney said that was not the case.
"There had been some misrepresentation in the past week before this, and quotes made out of context made it sound like he was making a call for changes in the church's position," Kearney said in a telephone interview.
"And to clarify his position and entirely out his own volition he decided to go beyond the standard profession of faith and to state unequivocally that he supported church teaching in the three areas that had been questioned - celibacy, contraception, and on homosexuality. There was no question whatsoever of external pressure," Kearney said.
The spokesman added that O'Brien had not advocated debates, but had said that if the subjects are opened to discussion then all Catholics - clergy and laity - should be involved.
It is not the first time O'Brien has raised eyebrows with his remarks on celibacy. During a 1999 meeting of European bishops at the Vatican, he suggested he would be open for discussion on mandatory celibacy, a decidedly minority position among his fellow prelates.
O'Brien was quoted as saying:
"There is a clear distinction between things that confront us in the church at the present time which we can say are God's law, like murder, abortion. We can't compromise on matters like that.
"Other matters of church law, and celibacy by priests is one of those sorts of things, can be discussed. In other branches of the Catholic Church throughout the world there are married priests and in England there are a number of converts from Anglicanism who are married and who became Roman Catholic priests. So there is no problem about that."
"What I would ask for in the church at every level, including the cardinal's level and the pope's level, is to be able to have a full and open discussion about these issues to see where we stand and what the need is and what the implications are," O'Brien was quoted as saying.
Kearney confirmed the quotation, but said O'Brien was discussing what should happen if there is a debate - not advocating one.