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Mourners pay respects to Cardinal Keith O'Brien at Edinburgh burial

MORE than 200 people paid their respects to Cardinal Keith O'Brien as he was buried with his mother and father in Edinburgh.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Apr 2018, 17:27 BST- 2 min read
Updated 6th Apr 2018, 17:34 BST
The coffin of Cardinal Keith O'Brien arrives for his funeral at the Church of St Michael in Newcastle. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA WireThe coffin of Cardinal Keith O'Brien arrives for his funeral at the Church of St Michael in Newcastle. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
The coffin of Cardinal Keith O'Brien arrives for his funeral at the Church of St Michael in Newcastle. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

He was buried in the grave of his mother and father in accordance to his wishes, at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Edinburgh at 1pm.

The former archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh died on March 19 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle after a fall which caused a head injury and a broken collarbone at the age of 80.

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A funeral was held at St Michael’s Church in Newcastle-upon- Tyne on Thursday, just metres from the home for the elderly where Cardinal O’Brien lived.

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Those in attendance at the funeral had been told that he asked for forgiveness in his will from those he “offended” by his sexual misconduct.

Tearful mourners paid their respect with white and red roses - a symbol of purity in

Catholicism.

The coffin arrived in a silver hearse followed in procession by Cardinal O’Brien’s family,

which included his brother Terry O’ Brien.

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O’Brien’s successor Archbishop Leo Cushley led the sermon as over 200 people gathered to see the casket lowered into the grave.

Those that attended included family and those who had worked with him.

Retired Father John Robinson, of Little Sisters of the Poor, said: “Despite the mistakes he’s made I’m here out of respect for him.

“I’m delighted at the way he has arranged his funeral in such a way and the ones who

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wanted to be here were here in whatever way they see to be appropriate.

“He wanted to lie with his mum and dad- where else would he want to be? I’m really

delighted.

“He was a good friend and the number of people here is a clear indication of that. “

Several mourners in attendance at the burial said that they forgave him for his “bad decisions.”

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Maureen Jones, a mourner, said “He was such an approachable and very likeable person. In the Parish I come from, St. Columbus, he was head alter boy.”

A mourner, who worked with him and wished to remain anonymous, said: “Those who

actually knew him know he’s not a bad person, he just made bad decisions”.

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