Book Reveals "Strong Gay Scene" in Irish Catholic Church

American Christofacists and professional Christians don't have a monopoly on hypocrisy when it comes to condemning gays while engaging in same sex fantasies and/or conduct.  A new book indicates that there is a "strong gay scene" within the Irish Roman Catholic Church.  As I and others have noted before, the Church's celibacy requirement offered a perfect hiding place for gays who sought a reason to avoid marrying or sexual relations with women.  It also offered a perfect hiding place for pedophiles and others damaged psychologically by the Church's obsession with all things sexual.   The Irish Independent has details on the book:

'Thirty-Three Good Men: Celibacy, Obedience and Identity' publishes new analysis of priests' views from a series of interviews conducted by Dr John Weafer, a former seminarian who is now married with children.

The book, which has just been published by Columba Books, reveals that one parish priest interviewed confidentially by Weafer is in a long term gay relationship.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, the author said 'Fr C' was "very happy with his life as a priest and a person".

Another priest interviewed, 'Fr L' was ordained in the 1990s. It was only when he was ordained that he finally ended up 'sleeping' with another priest.

"Although we both vowed it would never happen again, it did and I was really very confused," he said.  When he ended up in bed "fumbling around" with another priest, he decided to try the gay scene.

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Fr L then "discovered a strong clerical gay scene in Ireland", although it was not easy to access because of the clerics' need for secrecy.

He believes that there are "quite a lot of gay guys in the priesthood" and on one occasion when he went into a gay bar in Dublin, he recognized at least nine priests in the bar.

Dr Weafer said he did not think that the Irish hierarchy would be shocked by the revelations in the book as the interviews showed that the "hierarchy are aware" of what is going on.

"As long as priests don't go public and don't flaunt those actions that don't correspond with being a celibate priest" they turn a blind eye, he claimed.

This will shock many as the official church's attitude on homosexuality deems it as intrinsically disordered.  According to Dr Weafer: "If a priest was to say in the morning 'I am gay', he would be fired. Priests have learned to keep their heads down".

The new research shows that the majority of Irish priests are unhappy with mandatory celibacy.