AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
July 7, 2012
Opinion
Adele Horin
As the reputation of the Catholic Church sinks further into the mire with the latest allegations of sex abuse and cover-up, it is worth raising again the subject of priestly celibacy.
Celibacy cuts to the heart of what is wrong with the church – along with its homophobia and misogyny.
Father F, a focus of the Four Corners expose this week, admitted to interfering with five boys aged 10 and 11. He forced two of them to have oral sex regularly over a year, according to a letter written by one of the three priests who interviewed him in 1992.
But understandably overlooked in the outrage over the alleged paedophilia and cover-up is that Father F also admitted to two affairs with young women. This is also a grave offence in the church’s eye. For most people, it is the rank hypocrisy that is offensive.
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