Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Thu 08 Aug 2003Priests report to Dublin assemblyAn international assembly of English-speaking priests in Dublin has been told that one in 20 Swiss Catholic priests is in, or has been, in a sexual relationship.Father Jean-Pierre Brunner said a group is campaigning in Switzerland to allow such women to live openly with their clerical partners. Last May, the group published figures showing that 310 women, with 149 children, had such a relationship. Since then the figure has risen to over 400, following publicity, he said.