SCOTLAND
Mirror
By: Greg Christison
Published: Mon, March 11, 2013
Speaking a week after Cardinal Keith O’Brien admitted sexual misconduct, the Church’s head of media, Peter Kearney, also admitted it rightly faces claims of hypocrisy.
His comments come as a child protection expert appointed to advise the Catholic Church over abuse claims said evidence suggested that priests were “out of control sexually”.
Academic Alan Draper has been informed of 20 child sex allegations in Scots parishes during the Eighties and Nineties and revealed that not all were reported to police.
Mr Kearney admitted more needs to be done to provide support for Catholics struggling with their sexuality.
He added: “If there’s an area where the Church hasn’t been seen – frankly, because it’s not present – it’s in that area of compassionate, pastoral outreach to people who are struggling with same-sex attraction, or they’re confused about it and would love the chance to talk to someone in a compassionate, pastoral context.
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