Dr Weafer said he did not think that the Irish hierarchy would be shocked by the revelations in the book as the interviews showed that the "hierarchy are aware" of what is going on.
"As long as priests don't go public and don't flaunt those actions that don't correspond with being a celibate priest" they turn a blind eye, he claimed.
This will shock many as the official church's attitude on homosexuality deems it as intrinsically disordered.
According to Dr Weafer: "If a priest was to say in the morning 'I am gay', he would be fired. Priests have learned to keep their heads down".
But addendum:
The researcher, who was the first lay director of the Irish Bishops' Council for Research and Development in Maynooth, said that while most of the priests he interviewed lived celibate lives, and some are enthusiastic about their priesthood, others have become disillusioned.
I don't have a problem with the odd sin. People should be forgiven. Anybody can sin.
It's when you make a lifestyle out of that sin, it's time you're removed from ministry.
Bishops should not turn a blind eye. They should be actively repressing it.
But I wouldn't be surprised if they were part of the problem...
