Cardinal 'accused of inappropriate acts'

The Observer said three priests and one former priest made the complaint against Cardinal Keith O'Brien, 74, leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.

They have also demanded his immediate resignation, the paper said.

A statement from the Scottish Catholic Church said Cardinal O'Brien contested the claims and was taking legal advice.

The Observer newspaper reported the cardinal was accused of behaving inappropriately towards priests and seminarians in his care. The allegations date back to the 1980s.

The paper reported that the three priests and a former priest wrote to the Pope's representative to Britain, Antonio Mennini, giving details of what they claimed was the cardinal's inappropriate behaviour towards them.

According to BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott, one of the four men claimed he resigned as a priest when Cardinal O'Brien was first made a bishop, in order to "preserve his own integrity".

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