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News in brief Poll reveals priests have broken
vow of celibacy
MORE than a dozen serving Catholic priests have told a radio poll they
have broken their celibacy vows but continue to work in parishes.
A survey of ordained priests by Newstalk 106’s Moncrieff Show also
revealed an atmosphere of dissatisfaction with the Church’s rules
on its clergy abstaining from sex.
It asked 15 questions of 584 priests by phone and letter.
Eighty agreed to respond.
Of those, 12 priests said they had broken their chastity vows since their
ordination.
“I’m a human person liable to sinfulness and weakness like
all humans,” one man replied.
Another replied: “If chaste means not involved in a genital sexual
union — no.”
But the majority of priests said they had kept their promise to abstain
from sex.
Gambling rise
IRISH people gambled more than 5billion last year — or 14million
every day of the year.
Provisional Revenue figures show that off-course betting (excluding on-course
betting, online gambling and the National Lottery) exceeded 3.5billion
during 2007 — an increase of almost 300million on the 2006 amount.
It is estimated the online sector represents about 10 per cent of the
Irish betting market at over 500million.
An overall conservative figure for gambling in Ireland, excluding casinos,
is more than 5.2billion.
A spokesman for Gamblers Anonymous said: “It’s worrying from
the point of view of families, from the point of view of spouses and children.”
Gaa player jailed
A GAA player who was renting an apartment for the sole purpose of preparing
heroin for sale has been jailed for nine years after being caught with
a loaded handgun in a nightclub.
Trevor Brunton from Cabra West pleaded guilty to possession of the gun,
possession of heroin worth 159,361 for sale or supply and possession
of ammunition.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told the 25-year-old had never given
a satisfactory explanation as to why he had the handgun.
But the court heard Brunton — a GAA player with Liffey Gaels —
was used by others in the drugs trade as he was a new and unknown face.
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Brunton to eight years in prison for the
drug charge and a consecutive five-year term for possession of the pistol.
He suspended the last four years of the total 13-year sentence on condition
that Brunton keep the peace and was of good behaviour upon his release
from prison. |
