The Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady has been discharged from hospital in Craigavon, Co Armagh.
He was admitted last night after being taken ill at a Confirmation ceremony.
It is understood the cardinal felt weak during the ceremony in Kildress parish church in Co Tyrone, in the archdiocese of Armagh, and was helped to the sacristy area. However, he remained conscious throughout. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital in Portadown.
A statement from the Catholic Communications Office today said: “Following a thorough medical assessment yesterday evening Cardinal Seán Brady has been discharged from Craigavon Area Hospital.”
“In accordance with doctor's instructions Cardinal Brady is returning home to Armagh to rest,” it said.
Cardinal Brady also expressed his thanks to staff for “their kindness and care during my time” at the hospital.
“I am also grateful for the prayerful support and good wishes that I have received," he said.
Cardinal Brady has been under considerable pressure over the past month since it emerged on March 14th that in 1975, he had conducted an investigation into allegations of child abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth in his native Kilmore diocese, which involved two young people.
He believed the teenagers concerned, but he bound them to secrecy at the end of his investigation and reported his findings to the Bishop of Kilmore, Dr Francis McKiernan.
Following this, Smyth was prevented from exercising his priestly duties in Kilmore and other dioceses, and his superior, the Norbertine abbot at Kilnacrott, Co Cavan, was informed of the then Fr Brady’s findings. However, Smyth continued to abuse children for a further 18 years and eventually faced charges of child abuse stretching from 1958 until 1993.
Since details of the 1975 Kilmore investigation emerged, Cardinal Brady has been under pressure, particularly from clerical child abuse victims and their representatives, to resign.
The Smyth case was one of the first paedophile priest scandals to rock the Catholic Church here and also led to the collapse of the Fianna Fáil/Labour coalition in 1994.
Smyth was later jailed for the sexual abuse of about 90 children in the North and the Republic over a 40-year period. He died in prison in 1997.
In a homily in Armagh on St Patrick’s Day, Cardinal Brady indicated he would reflect on his position and give a decision towards the end of May. In a subsequent homily at St Patrick’s Cathedral, on Easter Sunday, he indicated his intention of staying on.