The Church of Ireland Bishop-elect of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Canon Paul Colton, has expressed regret at a Church of Ireland Gazette article which criticised the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, for his relationship with Ms Celia Larkin.
Canon Colton told RTE Radio Cork he very much regretted that an individual family's pain had been used to illustrate a broader argument regarding the huge changes that have occurred in society in the Republic.
Prefacing his comments by saying he fully affirmed the freedom of the article writer to express his views, Canon Colton said that from his own ministry, he was very conscious of the pain many families have to go through.
Canon Colton said: "I find it regrettable that one or two people or three people's pain is used by someone to illustrate their own argument and sadly with the controversy, the fundamental point that huge changes have taken place here seems to have been lost sight of."