Irish Priest Accidentally Shows Gay Porn

By Katie Toth
Religion Dispatches
April 3, 2012

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/guest_bloggers/5851/irish_priest_accidentally_shows_gay_porn/

Things got awkward at St. Mary’s School in Pomeroy, Ireland last week, when a Catholic priest accidentally aired gay pornography during his presentation to parents about the First Communion.

According to a parents’ statement, Father Martin McVeigh was setting up a PowerPoint display and put a USB stick into the computer. When pornographic images appeared on screen, he abandoned the presentation, probably more than a little embarrassed.

Parents and the diocese have advanced on McVeigh with vigor. According to a spokesperson, the principal of St. Mary’s "immediately referred this matter to the diocesan authorities in accordance with the diocesan safeguarding procedures"; the Cardinal and the diocesan child protection office have launched a formal investigation after Church authorities consulted with the police.

But let’s keep in mind what’s been found so far, shall we? A battle with technology has left a man inadvertently exposing 26 parents and an 8-year-old to gay porn. Yes, that’s humiliating for a leader whose leadership says pornography and homosexuality are big No-Nos. But it’s not illegal—and obviously not intentional.

Given how easily this incident could bring up echoes Ireland’s history of massive child abuse problems in the Catholic Church, it’s easy to see why the diocese is moving so quickly. But even if he mixed his files up and this particular gentleman enjoys watching consenting adults do consenting adult things to each other when he’s not at work, it would make him a hypocrite, not a criminal. The ailing Church wouldn't look good in either case.

Had the Catholic Church investigated actual child abuse cases with the intensity devoted to this incident they might not be the object of such disdain in Ireland right now.