A Clare man, who has spent 17 years trying to bridge the gap between the Catholic Church and the LGBT+ community, believes that many gay Catholic priests are struggling under the current teachings of the Church.
Ballinruan man, Michael Moloney, has been travelling Europe as an unpaid missionary since 2007, visiting places where gay people congregate and speaking to them about God.
He helped to found the Medjugorje LGBT Ministry in London in 2019, and through this has helped thousands of gay people to rediscover a relationship with God. He believes that the Church is changing, but the pace of change is frustratingly slow.
“The Church is so afraid of getting into this gay area, which I find so sad. There is a terrible lack of pastoral outreach and pastoral care. I have many friends who are gay priests and are struggling incredibly through shame and repression,” he said.
For more on this story and all the latest news from the Banner County, pick up this week’s Clare Champion or view our digital edition which is available HERE.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.