A CATHOLIC priest has landed himself in hot water after telling parishioners the marriage referendum was the devil’s work.
Fr Joseph Okere only started working in Longford town last month after moving to Ireland from Nigeria, but he has already become embroiled in one of Irish society’s most contentious debates.
It is understood the cleric told Mass-goers at St Mel’s Cathedral on Sunday that people who voted yes in the Republic’s marriage equality referendum were devil worshippers.
In response to a public outcry, the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise issued a statement apologising for any hurt caused by Fr Okere’s remarks.
Bishop Francis Duffy said the comments had been made about the referendum, in which over 60 per cent of voters supported same-sex marriage, while reflecting on the scripture readings of the day “which had at their core the theme of marriage”.
“The language used caused offence to some people. Father Joseph did not intend to hurt anyone and is sorry for doing so. I too apologise for any insensitivity,” Dr Duffy said.
The bishop went on to say that on the same day as Fr Okere made his comments Pope Francis had said in his homily at the opening the Synod of Bishops on the family that Catholic leaders must “reach out to others with true love, to walk with our fellow men and women who suffer, to include them and guide them to the wellspring of salvation”.
Bishop Duffy also pointed out that in May when speaking in support of the sacrament of marriage he had “emphasised the dignity that is inherent in all people, whatever their sexuality; and the necessity for the Church to reaffirm its determination to welcome, and show respect and compassion, to everyone in our community”.
Fr Okere was ordained as priest of the Missionary Society of St Paul of Nigeria in 2013.
Longford LGBT expressed dismay at the content of Fr Okere’s homily, saying: “We are greatly saddened and disappointed to hear the passing of the Marriage Referendum being described as the influence of the devil on society and that this in conjunction with marriage breakdown and divorce is leading to the destruction of humanity”.
The group compared the priest’s stance to last week’s comments by canon lawyer and former president Mary McAleese when she described the passing of the referendum as a “work of real grace amongst the faithful”.
The apology came as the Vatican was embroiled in a scandal surrounding claims that gay priests were being sent to a convent at Trento in northern Italy to be ‘cured’, alongside paedophiles and alcoholics.
The claims were made by former priest Mario Bonfanti, who was based in a village parish in Sardinia before being defrocked for his sexuality.
Speaking to the newspaper La Repubblica, he said : “There exists a convent where priests who manifest inappropriate sexual tendencies are sent to reflect. It’s a place where they help you to rediscover the straight and narrow. They wanted to ‘cure’ me but I refused to go.”
On Sunday, Pope Francis opened a three-week gathering of bishops from around the world by reaffirming the church’s opposition to homosexuality.
However, he called for compassion for all people, particularly those who found it difficult to adhere to the Catholic teaching.
