Bill Donohue: The Lavender Mafia Brought Down Cardinal Keith O'Brien

"Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland will not be going to Rome to join the conclave because he does not want to distract from the proceedings. He has resigned following allegations by three priests and one former priest that he was involved in improper conduct. He says the accusations are untrue. Is this another example of the 'Lavender Mafia' at work?

"Consider this. We don’t know the names of the four men making the accusations because the British newspaper behind this story, The Observer, won’t release them; the details of what allegedly happened have not been disclosed (all we know are vague statements about 'inappropriate' and 'unwanted' contact); the four accusers waited over 30 years to come forward before coordinating their joint charges.

"Cardinal Keith O’Brien must be considered innocent until proven guilty. But we don’t need to wait any longer to conclude that the British media have discredited themselves again (they do so regularly with all matters Catholic). To withhold the names of the accusers, and the details of what allegedly happened (dating back to 1980), without ever allowing the accused to rebut the charges, is despicable. Am I alone in picking up the scent of lavender in the air?" - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue, who should be doing cartwheels over the news that a Catholic official has only been accused of having sex with adults.