The Vatican has issued a statement which states that discrimination against homosexuals is sometimes justified when it comes to employment, housing and adoption.
The report mentions child adoption, military service, as well as the employment of teachers and sports instructors, as areas where discrimination on the basis of homosexuality is not unjust. There was swift criticism of the statement with Senator David Norris, a teacher, describing the statement as an,
Incitement to discriminate against me in my employment.
Redemptorist priest Father Raphael Gallagher believes that the task of the Catholic church is to firstly understand the homosexual person, and sees the statement from the Vatican as unhelpful in this regard.
The Vatican Press office said that the statement was not an official instruction, and was intended for use as a resource for bishops in the United States.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 July 1992. The reporter is Fionnuala Sweeney.
