Sir, - How sad to read the article headlined "Vatican Bans Two from Work with Gays" by Patsy McGarry, your Religious Affairs Correspondent (The Irish Times, July 14th). It seems that Rome is intent on rebuking, silencing, marginalising or driving from office any of its clerics or theologians who attempt a genuine dialogue with gay people.
It is ironic that this came in the same week that your newspaper carried an article dealing with a recently published book, written from inside the Curia, detailing among other things, the clandestine homosexual liaisons of senior members of the Church - one of whom, apparently a cardinal, is quoted as saying jocularly that he has taken a vow of homosexuality "in order to avoid the sin of chasing women".
Regrettable as it is, this double standard is nothing new, and should not surprise Vatican-watchers. A couple of years ago a senior member of the Austrian hierarchy was forced to retire on foot of accusations of sexual abuse by former seminarians under his control. The response from the Vatican was a letter of sympathy and understanding to the impugned cleric and his colleagues from the Pope, but no word of sympathy for the victims. As Marlene Dietrich used to sing, "When will they ever learn?" - Yours, etc.,
Senator David Norris, Seanad Eireann, Baile Atha Cliath 2.