Bishop Doran regrets hurt caused by comments on gay parents

A Catholic Bishop has said he regrets any upset he may have caused when he claimed gay parents of children are not necessarily parents.

A Catholic Bishop has said that he regrets any upset he may have caused when he claimed gay parents of children are not necessarily parents.

Bishop of Elphin Dr Kevin Doran

Read More:

He was speaking on the issue of the upcoming marriage equality referendum, which he says, if passed, would undermine other marriages in Ireland.

When asked about gay people in Ireland who already have children, Bishop Doran said "they may have children - but that's the point - people who have children are not necessarily parents".

Bishop Doran addressed the issue at Mass in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Sligo this morning.

"One of the things, I suppose, that happens in that situation is that you don't always choose your words or images are carefully under pressure as you would in a statement," he said.

"I'm conscious that whatever the situation, some people were hurt, by either what I said or what they thought I had said, and I very much regret that."