Controversial cardinal gets a pacemaker

Published on Thursday 27 March 2008 09:16

CARDINAL Keith O'Brien was recovering in hospital today after having a pacemaker fitted.

The leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland underwent the procedure yesterday at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The cardinal, 70, who suffers from a heart murmur, had been suffering dizzy spells in recent weeks and had fainted before Palm Sunday mass.

Cardinal O'Brien, who used his Easter Sunday sermon to launch a fierce attack on the Government's controversial legislation on embryo research, had the device fitted under local anaesthetic.

His spokesman, Peter Kearney, said: "The Cardinal has suffered from a heart murmur since he was in his 20s and it was arranged in the last few weeks that he would go in for this procedure.

"I have been told he appears to be recovering well. He hopes to carry on with his programme as normal in accordance with medical advice."

The Cardinal, who is Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, plans to attend a public meeting tomorrow to campaign against the Government's Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Mr Kearney said the meeting was due to take place at the church hall in St Bryce Kirk in Kirkcaldy.