IRELAND
Irish Times
Genevieve Carbery
Former president Mary McAleese’s criticism of the Catholic Church’s stance on gay people has been welcomed by priests and LGBT activists.
Her comments will “send a profoundly positive message to all lesbian and gay people,” Kieran Rose, chair of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) said in a statement today.
“Mrs McAleese continues to be a wonderful advocate for lesbian and gay people out of office, just as she was as president,” he said .
Fr Tony Flannery of the Association of Catholic Priests said he was “very happy” with the former president’s remarks. She was bringing the issue out “into the open” as “it really does need to be discussed in the Church,” he told Newstalk radio today.
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