Comment on Irish Times Cartoon

The Association of Catholic Priests
April 20, 2014

http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2014/04/comment-on-irish-times-cartoon/

Despite the fact that protests about criticism in the media of Catholic priests in Ireland can sometimes be self-serving and counter-productive, and despite the fact that cartoons of their nature tend to be edgy and provocative, the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) believes that the publication of the Martyn Turner cartoon in The Irish Times (April 16th, 2014) is gratuitously insulting to Irish Catholic priests, many of whom are readers of that paper. The cartoon’s resonances of sectarianism and bigotry have no place in the pages of a newspaper which prides itself, as it does, on fairness and high standards in its coverage, not least its awareness of the bigger picture. It would be difficult to imagine a similar publication of such an offensive cartoon in regard to the clergy of any other denomination or faith. On behalf of our 1000-plus members and other Catholic priests, the ACP protests in the strongest possible terms at this unacceptable slur on the Irish priesthood.