Fr Iggy breaks ranks to support 'yes' vote

By Sarah Macdonald
Irish Independent
March 10, 2015

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/fr-iggy-breaks-ranks-to-support-yes-vote-31053860.html

Well-known Augustinian priest Fr Iggy O'Donovan has said he will "unquestioningly be voting yes" in May's referendum on gay marriage.

He is the first priest to publicly admit he will disobey the Catholic hierarchy which is leading the opposition to the referendum proposal.

The Limerick-based cleric revealed his intention to the Irish Independent, as he criticised Bishop Kevin Doran's comments on homosexuality.

He explained that he had no hesitation about supporting the introduction of gay marriage even as "an absolute believer in Catholic teaching on marriage".

"I accept that there are people with different but deeply held views to me and I respect their views and I don't think I have the right to impose my views on them," he said.

Fr Iggy said he had come to his decision from his years of pastoral work with young gay Catholics.

During his interview with Newstalk yesterday, Bishop Doran admitted that he himself was confused about his sexuality as a teenager.

In response, Fr Iggy said: "I would be very slow to bring a crowd onto a field where we ourselves are vulnerable.

"In view of our recent history, our [the Church's] street credibility in these areas is not very high - so it is an area we need to be extra-sensitive around and Bishop Doran must know that."

He also referred to case of disgraced Scottish prelate Cardinal Keith O'Brien who was vehemently anti-gay and then was forced out of the church following revelations that he molested seminarians.

"As we learn more, it would be more unforgivable for us to get it wrong," he warned.