Actor Rory Cowan has blasted a priest who condemned same sex- couples, abortion and transgenderism – calling him “a doddery old fool”.
Retired Kerry priest Fr Sean Sheehy shocked massgoers last weekend after he condemned Government legislation around what he said was the promotion of abortion - and described the “lunatic approach of transgenderism”.
Rory said Fr Sheehy was a “doddery old fool” whose comments should be ignored. He added: “I would just wish everyone would ignore them.
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“They’re making their point of view relevant, and it is not relevant. We’ve laws, we’ve got equality and we’ve got laws now to protect us.
“If he wants to rant and rave about that old sh**e… I mean especially coming from an organisation with all the abuse they carried out over the years. As far as I’m concerned, don’t be making him relevant.”
Fair City star Rory became prominent for his role as Rory Brown on Mrs Brown’s Boys, which saw show creator Brendan O’Carroll dress up as a woman to portray matriarch Agnes Brown.
When asked if Mr O’Carroll would go to hell for dressing as a woman on the hit BBC show, Rory said: “I just think that’s terrible. If anyone is going to hell, we’ll be meeting him down there because his attitude is the most unchristian thing.
“There is nothing Christian about his attitude. I get that people are against homosexuality and transgender people and their rights for transgender people, that’s their opinion and I can’t change their opinion but to make comments like that, all I can say is it is not Christian at all.
“Just ignore him… just ignore him, the doddery old fool that he is, because he is way out of touch. His attitude does not belong in 2022.
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“It really doesn’t. It would’ve been a commonplace in 1922 but definitely not 2022.”
Fr Sheehy was deputising for Listowel Parish Priest Canon Declan O’Connor last week. Fr Sheehy stood on the altar at St Mary’s Church in Listowel and said during his homily that gay couples were sinful, and criticised free contraception being provided by the HSE as it was “promoting promiscuity”.
A video of Fr Sheehy’s comments, where he also criticised abortion and the trans community, has been shared widely online.
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He said: “What is so sad today is you rarely hear about sin but it’s rampant. It’s rampant. We see it, for example, in the legislation of our governments.
“We see it in the promotion of abortion. We see it in the example of this lunatic approach of transgenderism.
“We see it, for example, in the promotion of sex between two men and two women. That is sinful, that is mortal sin.”
Up to 30 people walked out on the Mass. Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne has since apologised for Fr Sheehy’s “offending” homily and said his views do not represent “the Christian position”.
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