Cardinal Brady resists calls to resign
The Catholic primate, Cardinal Sean Brady, that he plans to stay in his job in the face of mounting calls for his resignation. He has already for his role in the , widely regarded as the most prolific child abuser in Irish criminal history. But his decision to remain as head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been severely criticized by victims and survivors of clerical abuse. Marie Collins, to request his resignation, says she is not surprised by Dr Brady's decision and notes that his statement fails to mention the two children abused by Brendan Smyth who were sworn to secrecy in 1975 at meetings attended by the then Fr Brady. Survivors of Child Abuse spokesman John Kelly says Cardinal Brady
The archbishop's statement, which was issued in response to the annual report of the church's child protection watchdog, also reveals that Cardinal Brady has asked Pope Benedict XVI to appoint a new bishop to his archdiocese to assist him "in addressing the vital work of healing, repentance and renewal, including engagement with survivors of abuse, as well as the many other challenges and opportunities which confront the Diocese of Armagh and the Church in Ireland at this time".
We may expect critics to express surprise that at a time when many are calling for a reduction in the number of Irish bishops, as part of a major organizational overhaul, the cardinal is requesting an additional bishop's appointment. The cardinal's supporters, however, will be quick to argue that such a dedicated appointment represents a serious commitment by the archbishop to address the abuse crisis in Ireland very directly.
There has been some public speculation, ahead of this statement, that Cardinal Brady might ask Pope Benedict to appoint a "" bishop who would shadow him for a time before officially succeeding him as Archbishop of Armagh. There is no indication in this statement that the new bishop to be appointed to Armagh should be regarded in any respect as a successor-in-waiting. In any case, the process of identifying a coadjutor can take more than a year, whereas this appointment -- perhaps at Auxiliary Bishop level -- could be made very speedily.
The cardinal's decision today means that he will be in place in 2012 when the 50th is held in Ireland. The event was last held in Ireland in 1932, and it represents a major milestone in the history of any national church. One might expect that the timing of the congress was a significant consideration in the cardinal's decision to remain in office for the next few years.
Read the cardinal's statement in full below the fold.
Statement by Cardinal Seán Brady on the publication today of the Annual Report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland
I welcome the publication today of the Second Annual Report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI). I want to thank the members of the Board and the National Office of the NBSCCCI for their outstanding dedication, professionalism and commitment in supporting the sincere desire of Bishops and leaders of Religious Congregations to become exemplars of best practice in safeguarding children. I also want to thank them for holding us to account and for pointing out frankly and constructively those areas of policy, practice or attitude which require corrective action or further development. This has been a year of extraordinary challenge for the NBSCCCI with the publication of the Ryan Report and Murphy Report which made exceptional demands on the members and staff of the Board and the National Office.
I hope today's Report will help to reassure everyone that while important challenges remain, the Catholic Church in Ireland has come a long way in addressing the failings of the past. I welcome in particular the Report's two clear conclusions: "Firstly, that children should be safer today within the Church than they once were. Secondly, those that seek to harm children should feel much less secure."
I also welcome the news that 2,356 individuals have been trained and are now acting as child safeguarding representatives in Parishes across the country, with coverage of all Parishes to be achieved in the coming months. This represents an extraordinary achievement by any standard and is a remarkable example of lay participation in the life and ministry of the Church. I want to thank all those who give of their time, talent and expertise in safeguarding children. Building whole communities that actively keep children safe, together with effective structures of accountability and transparency, is the key to the future of child safeguarding within the Church and, indeed, within society as a whole. Each one of us has to take responsibility for keeping children safe and for addressing the attitudes and practices which had such tragic consequences for so many children in the past.
There is no room for complacency. The tragic experience of the past reminds us that constant vigilance is needed as well as full adherence to robust, comprehensive and ongoing systems of accountability. As Pope Benedict XVI said to the Bishops in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, "Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives. This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal."
I want to thank all those whom I have met over recent weeks as part of my own reflection on the next steps we might take. I listened firstly to those who are survivors of abuse. Some of these meetings were made known to the public while others were held in private at the request of those I was meeting. I thank them all for their generosity and courage in sharing their experiences and their wide variety of views with me.
I also listened to people from the Diocese, in Parishes and in Diocesan groups. I spoke with lay Catholics from across the country, as well as to many priests, religious and others. Again, I want to thank them all for their honesty and help and for the tremendous support and encouragement they have given me.
In the years that remain to me as Archbishop of Armagh, I am fully committed to building on the substantial progress made in child safeguarding in recent years and to working to bring about the healing, repentance and renewal set out for the Church in Ireland by Pope Benedict XVI. I am fully committed to the path that as a Church we must take to the truth that will set us free.
As part of this process, and as a sign of my personal commitment to the task of renewal that lies ahead, I am taking a number of practical steps:
I have asked the Holy See to include the Diocese of Armagh among those Dioceses to be included in the Apostolic Visitation announced by Pope Benedict XVI.
The distress caused to many survivors of abuse and others as a result of the drip-by-drip revelation of past failings has to be addressed. In 2009, I asked the National Board for Safeguarding Children to engage with all Bishops and leaders of Religious Congregations in Ireland to explore the possibility of a voluntary and comprehensive audit and review of safeguarding practice. The Board is now engaged with the members of the Irish Episcopal Conference, the Conference of Religious of Ireland and the Irish Missionary Union to explore how this process can be brought forward and completed as quickly as possible. I have asked the Board to prioritise the review and audit of the handling of cases and the implementation of agreed policies in the Archdiocese of Armagh. I commit myself to fully implementing the recommendations of that review and to sharing its findings in the first phased publication of such reviews proposed today by the National Board.
To build on the excellent work already undertaken in recent years by the Child Safeguarding staff in the Diocese of Armagh, I will shortly be advertising for a full-time director of Child Safeguarding for the Diocese, who will have responsibility for handling all future suspicions and allegations of child abuse, for reporting directly to the civil authorities, North and South, and for supporting all Parishes and Diocesan organisations in ensuring compliance with civil obligations and Church policies in this area.
I have asked the Child Safeguarding staff in the Diocese of Armagh to make all necessary preparations for our full participation as a Diocese in the work of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority, which comes into place in Northern Ireland later this year. In the future, it will be this statutory authority and not the Church (or any other organisation which works with children in Northern Ireland) that will decide who is permitted to work with children. As part of our registration with this new Independent Safeguarding Authority, Bishops in Northern Ireland will give a commitment to sharing 'soft information' held or known about any person working in a Church context, as well as all allegations of abuse, with the new Authority. I regret that this important statutory safeguard will only be available in that part of the Diocese of Armagh which is in Northern Ireland. I would welcome the establishment of a similar system for sharing of information on a North-South basis.
To assist me in addressing the vital work of healing, repentance and renewal, including engagement with survivors of abuse, as well as the many other challenges and opportunities which confront the Diocese of Armagh and the Church in Ireland at this time, I have asked Pope Benedict XVI for additional support for my work, at Episcopal level.
In recent weeks, in my capacity as President of the Irish Episcopal Conference, I have encouraged Bishops, lay associations and ecclesial movements, youth groups, religious and clergy to continue the process of reflection and dialogue on the Pastoral Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. In particular, I have asked for their proposals on the "new vision" that we need, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, "to inspire present and future generations to treasure the gift of our common faith."
I commit myself, with all my human weaknesses, to walk humbly with all in the Church in Ireland as a fellow pilgrim on this journey of renewal and to discern God's will for the Church at this time. I will seek, as Pope Benedict XVI has asked us, to work 'with courage and determination' - and with humility, sincere repentance and careful listening - to address the many challenges which confront us. As a fellow pilgrim, searching with the whole community of faith for a clear way forward, I will do all I can to help sow the seeds for a genuine healing and renewal in the Church which, for so many of us, is our family and our home.
Comment number 1.
At 18th May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:Cardinal Brady's non resignation was probably not his decision. The strings are being pulled by Rome. "Cardinal Law" is really all you need to say about how seriously the Vatican view the problem of abuse and cover up. They will only do what they are absolutely forced to do.
And just as Ratzinger's comments in Fatima about marriage and homosexuality were met with, at the very least, bemusement, how can Cardinal Brady ever even mention anything to do with sexual morality again and hope to be taken seriously?
As an Irishman once said to me years ago after the scandals of Brendan Smyth, Bishop Casey and Bishop Comiskey, - "No longer does a wee man in a frock get to tell me what I can and cannot do in the privacy of my own bedroom."
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Comment number 2.
At 18th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:Thank goodness Cardinal Brady is staying! Against all the anti-catholic media pressure Cardinal Brady has taken a stand, backed by H.H. The Pope, to defy them and say yes we made a mistake but we aren't going to run and hide, we are going stay put and put things right!
The only people calling for the Cardinals resignation are the meida, people with no link to the church, those who do not practise Catholicism or those influnenced by anti-church men like Fr. Brian D'Arcy who want to morph the church into the Labour Party.
On St. Patrick's Day I went to Holy Mass in the Cathedral in Armagh. Two Masses that day and the crowds at both were unbelieveable. The vast majority came to show support form the Cardinal. I'd estimate it was in the thousands. I handed a letter to the cardinal stating support for him to stay signed by over 500 people. Many more of these letters arrived at Ara Ceoli over the many days after. The ordinary practising members of the Catholic Church want the Cardinal to stay because they know the great work he has done since he became Archbishop of Armagh for Children and safeguarding them.
Let's remember if it wasn't for the Catholic Church in Ireland many Catholics would not be in good jobs and high positions now. The Church educated them. It looked after them. The Church as a whole is the largest charitable organisation in the world, it educates more people than any other scholary organisation, it protects the dignity of all human life and upholds marriage and family. It protects the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church for the last two thousand years. It is a hospital for sinners not a hotel for saints! God protect Cardinal Brady and the Church of Jesus Christ!
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Comment number 3.
At 18th May 2010, newlach wrote:Cardinal Brady acted in a way that put the interests of an out of control paedophile priest and the Catholic Church above the interests of vulnerable children. He may think that by staying on he is still protecting the interests of the Catholic Church, but this reasoning is flawed. Devout Catholics will continue to support him; but amongst all all rational beings his name is mud.
If only we could all thank Cardinal Brady for his: "outstanding dedication, professionalism and commitment" in protecting children.
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Comment number 4.
At 18th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 5.
At 18th May 2010, Lynne wrote:Cardinal Brady should do the decent thing and resign. In any other situation a person covering up the intolerable abuse of children would have no choice. If devout Catholics continue to support such a person, then there is something very wrong with their religion.
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Comment number 6.
At 18th May 2010, Denise wrote:I think it's a total disgrace that he stays in his post! Anyone else in a professional public service role would have been forcibly removed and criminal proceedings issued. The whole saga is a joke! A total farce that makes a complete mockery of the Catholic Church as a whole and i am a Catholic! The whole lot of them need to be ousted but they know there is no-one to replace them, ironically the next group of Priests for the Island of Ireland will be coming from the so called '3rd World'.God only knows what havoc they (The Old Regime) have caused over there during their Missionary exploits and how many Children lives have been ruined. The whole thing makes me sick............
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Comment number 7.
At 18th May 2010, David Kerr wrote:Mr Brady should not resign! He should not resign for the same reason Mr Ratzinger should not resign! How did Richard dawkins put it?
"No, Pope Ratzinger should not resign. He should remain in charge of the whole rotten edifice - the whole profiteering, woman-fearing, guilt-gorging, truth-hating, child-raping institution - while it tumbles, amid a stench of incense and a rain of tourist-kitsch sacred hearts and preposterously crowned virgins, about his ears."
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Comment number 8.
At 18th May 2010, daveyboi88 wrote:In my opinion it is wrong for him to stay in his current position but it is his right to do so. But i do think that all of this has shown that the catholic church was no better than the republican-IRA movement who didn't support and allow the procedure of police and justice to run its course.
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Comment number 9.
At 18th May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:Why was post # 4 by youngtridentine removed?
It was the best argument I've seen yet for the urgent need to disband the Roman Curia and stop them brainwashing young catholic people.
Another frightening thing was the gathering of between a hundred and two hundred thousand people (depending which newspaper you read) at the weekend in support of the saintly Benedict.
Opus Dei's power to organise, motivate and pay for such a huge showing of 'public' support shows just how sorry a state the Catholic Church is in at the moment. It truly is frightening that this elite group wield such power.
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Comment number 10.
At 19th May 2010, Atheist100 wrote:Cardinal Brady, implicated as complicit in the cover up of serious cases of child abuse should be investigated by the police.
For him to announce that he still has work to is actually an insult to those who have been abused.
Individuals in any other area of society would be critically examined by the law, why therefore is Cardinal Brady exempt?
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Comment number 11.
At 19th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:My comment #4 was removed by the Ö÷²¥´óÐã because they are anti-catholic and were afraid that I had made a decent argument supporting the Cardinal and had made a vaild point.
The thousand that turned out in support of Pope Benedict was organised by parishes not Opus Dei I can assure you.
The comments on here are drenched in anti catholicism. It shows exactly what the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's agenda is.
The ordinary Catholic (practising) people of Ireland support the Cardinal because he did not cover up. He was in no position to do anything. Obviously some people can't get this message into their heads. Again thats because the media have manipulated every statement and comment made by the church. The lay people know that our Cardinal has implemented the strictest child protection policies in the UK and Ireland if not the world.
Catholicism is not some sort of out of date political party! It is a Church founded by Jesus Christ, with a Pope appointed by Christ (Peter) who's successor have the power to bind and loose on earth because it will be bound and loosed in heaven.
Of course I don't expect the anti-catholic people commenting on this page to understand that!
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Comment number 12.
At 19th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:May I also clear up this redicculous claim that this has only been made public knowledge in March of this year! The Daily Mirror ran this story in 1997 when Sean Brady was installed as Archbishop of Armagh!!!
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Comment number 13.
At 19th May 2010, applescan wrote:youngtridentine, your comments on here show clearly that you are a desperate 'excuser' for the pedophiles and their protectors, ranting on about the Ö÷²¥´óÐã etc being anti catholic is plainly ridiculous. You are either incredibly naive or completely brainwashed by the propaganda being bandied about by the Catholic church's spin merchants. Brady, was complicit in covering up sex abuse of young people by the worst known sex deviant in Ireland, Smyth was moved around and allowed to commit numerous more crimes against innocent victims in 3 states, Brady knew all about this monster and kept quiet, by covering up for Smyth and treating the victims like dirt he made himself an accomplice to the crimes Smyth went on to commit, Brady is a coward and a disgrace. He should be in jail for not reporting the crimes to the police. He should be sacked and people like you should be more concerned about the victims rather than defending the likes of Brady and his ilk who are more concerned with their own power and privilege and couldn't care less about the damage done to thousands of victims. As for, "Catholicism is not some sort of out of date political party! It is a Church founded by Jesus Christ, with a Pope appointed by Christ (Peter) who's successor have the power to bind and loose on earth because it will be bound and loosed in heaven" get real, do you believe in fairies as well?
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Comment number 14.
At 19th May 2010, Absolutely Ticketyboo wrote:# 11 quote "The ordinary Catholic (practising) people of Ireland support the Cardinal ..."
I think you will find there are many, many ordinary practising Catholics in this country who do not support Cardinal Brady. He has become a divisive character and has lost all credibility. He claims to be an honourable man but he refuses to do the honourable thing and stand down. Instead, he clings on to his office and implements stringent child protection laws that should have been in place decades ago.
If you want proof of lay people's dismay with the Church you should ask yourself why fewer and fewer parents are letting their children be altar servers? They don't trust the Church any more. Once trust is lost it is nigh on impossible to get back.
We need a new man at the helm and not just in Ireland.
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Comment number 15.
At 19th May 2010, LucyQ wrote:hmmm - See the thread on quitting Scientology for advice on how to break free:
/blogs/ni/2010/05/1000_exscientologists_speak_ou.html
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Comment number 16.
At 19th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:#14 To be perfectly honest I don't care what you think! I was at the Cathedral on St. Patrick's day and the thousands of people who lined to make known their support of the Cardinal was unbelieveable. The hundreds of thousands who filled St. Peter's square to support the Pope. Child protection was implemented in the catholic church before an other institute had thought of it! It has been the Church who has been at the front of dealing with this prolem in Society! And let us remember that 95% of cases in Ireland have bnothing to do with the Church and they haven't even been looked at! The Government has to answer too! And anyone who doesn't like the rest of the Church teachings etc- Church teaching isn't a menu you don't pick or choose what bits you like and don't like. You can't change it. If you don't like it then go! Leave the Church!
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Comment number 17.
At 20th May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:youngtridentine
"Church teaching isnt a menu you dont pick or choose what bits you like and dont like. You cant change it. If you dont like it then go! Leave the Church!"
Church teaching stated that the earth was flat. We chose not to like that bit. We did change it. We stayed.
Go get some ice-cream or do some break-dancing and stop annoying adults.
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Comment number 18.
At 20th May 2010, youngtridentine wrote:romejellybeen
You obivously don't know much about the Church or it's teachings! There is no point arguing with you due to your inaccurate knowledge and ignorance.
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Comment number 19.
At 20th May 2010, CORKcityWHEREdidYOUgo wrote:youngtridentine.
You obviously have little knowledge of the teachings of Christ when you are telling people to leave the church because they don't agree with you.
Jesus himself was crucified for changing the church into a more understanding institution.
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Comment number 20.
At 20th May 2010, CORKcityWHEREdidYOUgo wrote:Also,
Many of us would love to leave the church but until Ireland is made into a fair secular state, we are unable to do so with out moving to another country...
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Comment number 21.
At 20th May 2010, graham veale wrote:I checked on google maps. Cork City is exactly where you left it.
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Comment number 22.
At 20th May 2010, graham veale wrote:I'm also pretty sure the Church came after the Crucifixion.
If you google translink, they'll get you to Cork!
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Comment number 23.
At 20th May 2010, BernardKeenan wrote:You can leave the church quite easily - visit
I've done this recently. Although I stopped believing at the age of 13 I hadn't felt the need to formally get out of the church until the latest round of horrors.
Brady is a disgrace, the church is an embarrassment. But there's more to it for many Irish catholics, isn't there?
Culture gives life meaning, not god. I often think that this is something Dawkins et al would do well to think more carefully about. People often don't have anything to replace the church with in their lives, so they carry on, but when you offer them one they'll often bite. I always think that the kind of slavish devotion to doctrine (demonstrated by the idealogue about) is a good marker of a potential cultist, or national socialist, or the like. No offence.
I'd say the majority of catholics today would regard themselves as 'culturally' catholic rather than hardline doctrinaires - perhaps in a similar way to many Jewish people around the world. They're embarrassed by the church and don't really adhere to its teachings like former generations - they may even use contraceptives! or tolerate gay people! - but probably don't even identify with it strongly enough to bother formally leaving. They keep going out of habit, or out of guilt, or to be seen going, and they put their kids through the formalist rituals in order to keep the traditional, cultural side of it alive.
This will die off too. It's a generational thing. Let Brady take the ship down with him.
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Comment number 24.
At 20th May 2010, LucyQ wrote:The thing just didn't take on me, I knew it was a scam at age 6.
Quit and do not fear that cleric have any magical powers, they cannot turn people into toads.
William Crawley, I've said it before but I simply don't know how you cope. Last week on EE you had some guy yakking about runners wanting to hold an event on a Sunday. What business is it of his to interfere in when and where activities can occur? I have never been to N.I. and am feeling that it is quite up to modernity as there is way to much totalitarian influence over the government by priests who have no more insight into the supernatural or afterlife than my cat Ghost Kitty.
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Comment number 25.
At 20th May 2010, CORKcityWHEREdidYOUgo wrote:Graham Veale
I commend you on your facetiousness, you must be a very busy man. The corkcity refer to is Cork City FC which went into administration last year(one is allowed to be interested in something else besides religion)
Bernard Keenan.
I agree with you wholeheartedly and I havent been to mass in years. But I'm talking more about things like the angelus on the TV at 6 O clock. catechism in our schools, sports clubs called saint something or other.. All that kind of rubbish which is intdocternated in our society...I
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Comment number 26.
At 20th May 2010, CORKcityWHEREdidYOUgo wrote:also Graham Veale.
Jesus was Gods son and God is allknowing so presumably he knew what his actions before the crucifixion would lead to...just how strongly do you believe in this garbage
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Comment number 27.
At 21st May 2010, graham veale wrote:I believe in the existence of Cork City with all my heart!!!!Big place, nice people.
Although - its pretty complex - so I believe that no architects were involved in its construction, as they would be even more complex than the city.
Lucy Q
I believe that Priests can turn people into toads. Thats a fundamental Christian belief! I mean, can you explain how toads evolved? No, so magical Priests are the only rational solution.
What happened to this blog???!! Sheesh!!!
GV
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Comment number 28.
At 21st May 2010, graham veale wrote:But then I've been indocternated...
usually that only happens to people in East Belfast, but it seems they also do it in Cork. Like.
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Comment number 29.
At 21st May 2010, CORKcityWHEREdidYOUgo wrote:GV You must be the smartest guy I ever met. Why don't you have any lols for me...so insecure
I have no problem with deism...It's theism that I find rediculous. Sheesh!!!
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Comment number 30.
At 22nd May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 31.
At 22nd May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 32.
At 23rd May 2010, romejellybeen wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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