Irish Catholic priest Michael Hogan won’t be standing on the pulpit this Sunday. The holy man has taken a leave of absence after the The Sun published pictures of him from the popular gay sex website, Gaydar.
In light of the revelations, Hogan released the following statement:
I apologize profoundly for the hurt and embarrassment caused to the parishioners of Feakle and Killanena-Flagmount, my bishop, fellow priests, to those who know and trust me both within and outside the church community.
I acknowledge that these are serious matters that affect me on a personal level and in my vocation and ministry. I am immediately requesting my bishop to grant me time away from my ministry so that I might deal for myself with these issues.
I would appreciate the prayers and support of those who know me at this most difficult and trying time. It is my intention not to make any further public comment at this time.
Hogan also admitted to breaking his vow of celibacy. He must have had a damn good profile.
Unfortunately, we’ll never get the chance to see that profile. Clerical Whispers reports:
His profile, this morning, has been removed from the website but there are at least 3 other priests using the site and there is a suspicion that one of them is close to becoming bishop in one of the upcoming papal appointments to a diocese here in Ireland. This does not bode well for Bishop Walsh who would be Fr Hogan’s superior, and indeed it now looks that the bishop may have some serious housecleaning to do.
Or they could just scrap that whole celibacy rule. And, of course, start accepting gay people…
How about we take this to the next level?
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queermonger
I think you mean he broke his vow of chastity, i.e., he had him some sexy time. A vow of celibacy means one remains unmarried.
Dermod Moore
Celibacy means both sexually abstinent and unmarried. http://www.google.ie/search?num=30&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&defl=en&q=define:celibacy&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
Wil
What I’d like to know is who “outed” him… I’ve read its one of his parishioners. Does anyone know yet who? If they were straight, what were they doing “browsing” gaydar? And if they were gay, then how pathetic and petty can that person be? I have no love of the church, but whoever it was that outed him to the Sun (champion paper of the idiotic low brows and easily titillated), the priest wasn’t hurting anyone, he’s a hypocrite, yes, but didn’t deserve to be outed. Shame on the person who did that…
Niall
The only reason this has made the news here in Ireland is because there is a general election and the media do not report on the election the day before the election. The Sun newspaper, the lowest form of English tabloid we have here was having a quiet news day and thought, “hmmm, slow news day, let’s entrap someone on gaydar”. There has been quite a bit of it really. So what he’s a priest and you can take the line that he shouldn’t be at this kind of thing because he’s ‘married to the church’. Well gay websites are full of married men yet there is nothing said about that.