Former Irish president Mary McAleese has told a Sydney audience trying to be heard by the Church hierarchy is like shouting at children.
About 1000 people at the Sydney Town Hall on September 7 heard her argue for a greater role for women in the Church.
“The old boys’ club are going to have to go,” she said.
Mrs McAleese said trying to be heard by the Catholic Church hierarchy was comparable to shouting at children.
“If I’m yelling it’s because you didn’t listen to me when I said it nicely . . . I look at the curia and I don’t know too many of them who have gone through equal opportunity training.”
Mrs McAleese said the governance of the Church “and the structure of church government needs to change”.
“The Church is not terribly happy with criticism,” she said to laughter from the audience.
“I’m saying that as gently as possible . . . the Church which will not listen to people who speak out of love has a very big problem.”
Sydney archdiocese’s Catholic Weekly had refused to advertise the event at which Mrs McAleese spoke.