PriestsaysChurchis ‘arealmessonsex’

January 1988

When it comes to sexual matters, the Catholic Church is ‘a real mess’, a Wexford priest announced publicly this week.

‘In sexual matters, the Church is a mess, because many people are rejecting its teachings,’ Fr Bill Cosgrave of St. Peter’s College told the attendance at a public lecture in Gorey on Monday night.

The former Gorey curate was delivering a talk on ‘Artificial Human Reproduction and Related Issues’, at the invitation of Gorey Adult Education Group.

Many priests privately rejected the church’s rulings on sexual issues, he said, but were unable to do so publicly.

When challenged by a woman in the audience who accused him of lacking the courage of his convictions, Fr. Cosgrave replied ‘no priest is going to get up and reject the Pope’s thinking on contraception, but in the confessional and privately, they’re doing it every day.’

The Roman Catholic community was divided on the subject of contraception, he added. ‘Most priests and a majority of people think it’s okay.’

When reminded that beneficial changes might result if more priests were prepared to come out and say how they felt, Fr Cosgrave explained, ‘you might get a free trip to Rome that you don’t want’.

Priests were in a different position than the laity, who could say what they liked. ‘You might be suspended, or dispatched from your parish.’

‘One of the weightier things in the Catholic Church is the weight of tradition. It’s an unfortunate situation. It certainly undermines the teachings of the church,’ Fr Cosgrave replied in response to a query from another audience member.

During his talk, the Wexford priest outlined the Catholic Church ban on AIH (artificial insemination by a husband), AID (artificial insemination by a donor) and IVF (in vitro (test tube) fertilisation).

The basic argument against the reproduction techniques was the replacement of the marriage act by an impersonal procedure.

Love and procreation, two essential dimensions of the sexual act, were split up and replaced by a scientific technique.

The ruling on AIH was widely questioned and even rejected within the Church, however, he said. But it would be too dangerous to come out and say it.

He personally felt that the Church’s condemnation of AIH did not ‘stand up’, especially in cases where there was no other way a couple could have a child.

‘It’s up to yourselves to make your minds up, but many people find it difficult to condemn,’ he said.

‘It was very frustrating,’ commented Mr Yates afterwards. ‘I am sorry that I missed the meeting as I wanted to raise a number of housing cases.’ Instead, as he was not prepared to throw stones at the second floor window of the council chamber, there was nothing for him to do but leave as graciously as he could.

As he went off to look in on an FG party function, council members discussed the issue of Travellers stopping in the town, deaf to his hammering. The Deputy was thus denied the opportunity to hear the County Manager outline proposals for a halting site in the town.

‘Obviously we need a door bell,’ he concluded.