Ex-President of Ireland calls Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality 'Evil'
Mary McAleese, the former President of Ireland said that, in her view, the Church's teaching on homosexuality is "evil" and leads to homophobia which has caused people to commit suicide and live in "dark shadows." She said that the behaviour of the church towards the LGBT community was "unchristian" and "worse than uncharitable" and that the only person to change this is the pope.
At the centenary celebrantion of the Missionary Society of St Columban in Navan, County Meath, the former President of Ireland gave a wide-ranging public interview which included comments on the church's teaching on homosexuality and the role of women.
She shared about her son's experience who grew up loving the church and then discovered that the same church had an unfavourable view of his sexuality. This lead him to "retreat into the shadows of self-doubt, of misery of being really frightened".
She also said that the church was "so far behind the curve" on the issue of women that it was embarrassing. She expressed that she had a problem with the pope saying that he would never change doctrine.
She gave this interview the day before she was going to march in Dublin's pride parade with her son and his husband.
Sources: The Irish Times, The Times, Premier, Irish Examiner, Crux, newstalk.com and joe.ie