Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien

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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.

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[edit] Biography

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

He was ordained a Priest on 3 April 1965. He undertook further studies at Edinburgh University in chemistry and mathematics. He was appointed Rector of St. Mary's College, Blairs, Aberdeen, a Minor Seminary.

He then became a parish priest serving in many parishes including St. Patricks Kilsyth

On 5 August 1985, he was ordained Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland. From 1996 until 1999 he served as apostolic administrator of Argyll and The Isles.

He was created a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on 21 October 2003 with the title of Cardinal Priest of Santi Gioacchino ed Anna al Tuscolano.

O'Brien was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

[edit] Involvement in secular political issues

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".[1]

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ Catholic leader backs Scottish independence, Scotland on Sunday, 15 October 2006

[edit] External links