
The Irish Times - Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Letter omits 'obsession with sex lives'
ÁINE de PAOR
Letter omits 'obsession with sex lives'
ÁINE de PAOR
PRIEST RESPONSE: A LIMERICK-based priest has criticised Pope Benedict’s letter for not addressing what he said was the part played by the church in creating abusers through its teaching on sexuality.
Fr Adrian Egan, head the Redemptorist order in Limerick, added he would not welcome the proposed Apostolic Visitation if this took the form of similar Vatican probes.
“There was no recognition that the church has had a huge obsession with the sexual lives of people and no recognition of how this has contributed to the development of sexually dysfunctional people,” said Fr Egan.
“A small number have been more seriously affected – and that stuff gets acted out in the most awful ways such as in the abuse of children.”
The Redemptorist rector said there were some glaring omissions in the letter. “The church is the most male dominated institution in the world and there was no reference to the role of women.


