IRELAND
Irish Independent
NICKY LARKIN – 15 SEPTEMBER 2013
THEY live their lonely lives in musty old houses, their only contact baptising babies and anointing the dead. This, according to Fr Tony Flannery, leads the Catholic clergy to temptation.
Last week, Fr Flannery – co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests – said the lonely lives that clergy lead result in an inevitable struggle over sexuality.
Fr Flannery is the first priest to speak openly about the possible link between celibacy and sexual abuse. He questioned whether this has caused some priests to turn to children for sexual outlets. Because of his comments, Fr Flannery has been suspended from duty and is under threat of excommunication from the Vatican.
Over the past decade, fresh cases of clerical sexual abuse have popped up across every parish in the land. This vast cache of dark secrets shook our souls to the core, decimating an already greying Mass-going population.
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