Catholic orphanage priest in pedophile scandal
THAILAND: Father Brennan, who has run an orphanage in Thailand for many years, admits to having helped two journalists who pretended to be pedophiles. The two wanted in contact with child prostitutes
Catholic priest Father Brennan, who has become world famous for running a giant orphanage in the Thai city of Pattaya, admits that he has been helpful to two British journalists who posed as pedophiles.
The two journalists from the British tabloid newspaper "The People" had told Father Brennan that they had won the lottery and would like to support his orphanage "Pattaya Orphanage" with a larger amount.
At a press conference yesterday, Father Brennan admitted that he had a meeting with two journalists at a hotel in Pattaya and, among other things, inform them of where they could find prostituted children. But the priest does not believe that he has done anything wrong.
According to the reporters, Father Brennan also said that it would be no problem to arrange for them to meet children from the orphanage and go on an excursion with them.
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Father Brennan said at the press conference that he is not sure what he had said to reporters.
- I do not know. I was confused. He wanted to give us a huge sum of money for it. I didn't know what to say, explained Father Brennan.
The Irish-American father came to Thailand 40 years ago, and in 1976 he founded his orphanage in Pattaya city, which today is best known for prostitution. Father Brennan has personally picked up many of the children at bars and nightclubs, where he has persuaded them to give up prostitution in exchange for a life and an education at the orphanage.
Followers in Denmark
Father Brennan has won a large following in Denmark. A large number of companies, associations and individuals in Denmark have over the past decades supported Father Brennan's orphanage, which today houses approximately 700 children, many of whom are disabled.
Bjørn Falkenbrink has helped collect money for Father Brennan for 28 years.
Four years ago, Bjørn Falkenbrink formed "Father Brennan's Danish Support Association". He does not think there is any reason to suspect Father Brennan just because he had a meeting with two journalists who pretended to be pedophiles.
- He talks to everyone. That's how Father Brennan is. I am a priest, I do not judge people, not even homosexuals or pedophiles, he has told me. He says they are human too. And their money is just as good as everyone else's, says Bjørn Falkenbrink to Ritzau. He is also not surprised that Father Brennan should have been willing to arrange for the journalists to go on an excursion together with children from the orphanage.
- It wouldn't surprise me. After all, they always have a teacher with them, and they wanted to go to an amusement park and not to a hotel. Nothing could ever happen to the children, says Falkenbrink, who has traveled extensively in Thailand himself. A total of 56 trips have been made over time, he says.
One of the many Danes who have visited Pattaya Orphanage and helped in the day-to-day work is the singer Birthe Kjær, who spent three months at the orphanage in 1999.
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Like everyone else who has met Father Brennan and visited the site, she is full of admiration.
- I have no bad experiences, and I have no knowledge or suspicion that something should be happening that should not be happening, says Birthe Kjær. However, she thinks it's stupid that Father Brennan wants to talk to pedophiles.
- I can't understand that he talks so easily to pedophiles and even wants to tell them where they can get in touch with prostitutes, but you have to remember that Father Brennan has to collect money. If they have promised him several million kroner, which could mean that a lot of children could get food for a long time, then it may well be that he has talked them down a bit, but I do not believe that Father Brennan would allow something wrong to happen, says Birthe Kjær, who has never heard of pedophiles being able to go on outings with children from the orphanage.
- It is normal for the contributors to come along on excursions, and you cannot know if there has been a pedophile among them. The orphanage is a completely open place, almost a tourist attraction. Lots of guests come to see the place. Eg. buses with tourists from Larsen-Rejser, says Birthe Kjær.
Among the Danish companies and foundations that have supported Father Brennan are SAS, Rotary, Lego, Aller Press, Se & Hør, Simon Spies Fond, Faxe Bryggeri, Danisco, Lundbeck, Nokia Danmark, Siemens and many more.
In 1996, Father Brennan visited Copenhagen. On that occasion, a show was held on the ferry Sjælland, with the proceeds going to the orphanage in Thailand.
Although Father Brennan is a Catholic priest, he does not try to convert the children to Christianity.
- He says that there are enough Christians in the world, explains Bjørn Falkenbrink.
- On the other hand, he has a lot left over for the Buddhist religion, which he thinks we can all learn a lot from, says Falkenbrink. /ritzau/