Catholic boycott - Increasing numbers disillusioned

Jennifer Sleeman’s call for women to boycott Catholic Masses tomorrow week has certainly caught the imagination of many people. She has advocated the boycott as a means of protesting against the male dominance of the Church and the treatment of women as distinctly second-class members.

It is also an expression of horror at the paedophile scandals.

This is Ms Sleeman’s way of letting the Vatican and the Irish hierarchy know that Irish women are essentially tired of being ignored by the Church. The protest is attracting considerable attention not only in Ireland but also in Britain, Italy, Germany, France and the US.