Irish priest says former PM Varadkar and other gay leaders will go to hell

A Catholic priest in Ireland has kicked off a controversy after repeatedly stating that Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and other gay politicians would go to hell. Sean Sheehy, the 65-year-old priest, has made these allegations from pulpit as well as in media interviews. Opinions of the priest have drawn widespread criticism and has even led to his bishop distancing himself from the views.

Sheehy delivered a homily at St Mary's church in his native County Kerry. He expressed his strong views. Many people reportedly walked out of the church

Raymond Browne, the bishop of Kerry, apologised. He said that Sheehy's opinions didn't “represent the Christian position”.

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However, even after bishop's apology, Sheehy repeated his views in radio interviews. He was asked whether he thought Varadkar and other politicians would go to hell, he replied,"Absolutely"

“You had an agenda that was really being pushed and the sad point about it is that the hierarchy was mute: they never educated the people at all,” he told RTE’s Liveline, according to a report in The Guardian

Sheehy claimed that media, politicians and even the Catholic church had misled people in order to win approval for same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

The priest is facing criticism. Some people are calling him ultra-orthodox while others are pointing at Sheehy's 42-years service in USA during culture wars as a reason for his views.

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