Yes, Cardinal-Electors should not be submitted to undue "pressure", but perhaps they should keep their hip, "modern", opinions meant to shock ordinary Catholics to themselves, and other Cardinal-Electors might consider following the lead of Cardinal O'Brien if their presence in the conclave will shame the Holy Roman Church. And, no, once again the married priesthood, or anti-apostolic post-ordination marriage, would not have prevented this mess.
It seems unlikely that O'Brien would have resigned (or been asked to resign) so promptly - making the 2013 conclave the first one since 1958 without a representative from England, Wales, or Scotland - without concrete evidence against him in the allegations, forwarded by the Apostolic Nuncio to Rome in early February, before the papal renunciation announcemment.
[Update: as it can be seen in the Osservatore publication above, the Pope accepted the resignation on February 18, 2013. The British press reported that the accusations came to the knowledge of the Apostolic Nuncio in the United Kingdom before the renunciation of Pope Benedict XVI, which is also implied by the date above, merely one week after the papal declaration - therefore, the accusations cannot be construed as an attempt by the accusers to influence the conclave in any way.]
It seems unlikely that O'Brien would have resigned (or been asked to resign) so promptly - making the 2013 conclave the first one since 1958 without a representative from England, Wales, or Scotland - without concrete evidence against him in the allegations, forwarded by the Apostolic Nuncio to Rome in early February, before the papal renunciation announcemment.
[Update: as it can be seen in the Osservatore publication above, the Pope accepted the resignation on February 18, 2013. The British press reported that the accusations came to the knowledge of the Apostolic Nuncio in the United Kingdom before the renunciation of Pope Benedict XVI, which is also implied by the date above, merely one week after the papal declaration - therefore, the accusations cannot be construed as an attempt by the accusers to influence the conclave in any way.]
