A Catholic priest in Dublin has receiving a standing ovation from his congregation after revealing he is gay during mass.
Father Martin Dolan, who has served the inner-city for 15 years, made the unusual step of coming out in support of gay marriage and added: ‘I’m gay myself’.
Speaking to the Irish Sun, community youth worker Liz O’Connor said: ‘We are all very proud of Father Martin.
‘Because he has admitted that he is gay he doesn’t change the person that he was before it.’
A source within the Catholic Church said: ‘It was very brave. He said he was gay. That was it… no bones about it.
‘He was just doing his service, it was part of his homily, and that’s it. If he feels strongly about something, Martin just says it.’
A referendum on the issue is expected in May and a recent poll showed that nearly 70 per cent of people in Ireland are in support of gay marriage.
Enda Kenny, the country’s prime minister, has said he will canvas in support of the proposed new legislation.
However, the Catholic Church is still fiercely opposed to same-sex marriage and has vowed to oppose any change in law.
As recently as last month Bishop Liam MacDaid said the vote would be a ‘grave injustice’:
‘To put any other view of unions on the same level as Christian marriage would be disservice to society rather than a service
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