'Church must be held responsible' says McAleese

Former Irish president Mary McAleese speaking at Trinity College

The former Irish President Mary McAleese has said the Vatican must be held responsible for the damage its teachings cause children who are gay.

She also said the church has to be held to account on gay rights.

Her comments at a news conference at Trinity College in Dublin are the latest in a string of criticisms of Catholic teachings.

Earlier this month Mrs McAleese called the church's teaching on homosexuality "evil".

In March she described the church as "an empire of misogyny".

Her comments come on the day Pope Francis issued a letter condemning the "atrocities" of child abuse and asking for forgiveness.

It also comes just days ahead of the Pope's visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families.

Mrs McAleese said: "I think in the past we presumed they would do everything right. We now know of course, that was a dangerous, dangerous presumption behind which dreadful appalling things happened to children.

"We know of the abuse that children suffered both physical and sexual. I'm now talking about the mental and emotional torture of children which we may have overlooked."