DUBLIN (AP) - Ireland's senior Roman Catholic, Cardinal Sean Brady, says he won't resign despite admitting he helped the church collect evidence against a child-molesting priest, but never told police about the crimes.

Brady says that as a priest and Vatican-trained canon lawyer in 1975, he interviewed two children about the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Rev. Brendan Smyth. He said both children were required to sign oaths promising not to tell anyone outside the church of their allegations.

Smyth went on to molest and rape scores of other children in Ireland, Britain and the United States.

Brady says it was the responsibility of his bishop, as well as the leader of Smyth's Catholic order of priests, to tell police about Smyth. But the cardinal says he now knows he should have done more.

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