NEW ZEALAND
TVNZ
February 5, 2018
The head of an Irish support group for the children of Catholic priests says there are several in New Zealand – and the church has acknowledged it.
Vincent Doyle of Coping International has appealed to New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops to address the issue of supposedly-celibate priests fathering children, and then leaving those children to be cared for by their mothers.
Mr Doyle claims that six New Zealanders have joined his support group.
A spokesperson for NZ Catholic Bishops has confirmed to 1 NEWS that “there is a small number of people here, whose father is a priest”.
The spokesperson also said that their organisation is “aware that New Zealand civic society has good guidelines around a child’s right to know his or her natural parents”.
“For our Bishops, what is important is that the rights and sensitivities of the child and the mother are respected.
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