A favoured spiritual guru of New Zealand’s liberal episcopate has come out defending the inappropriate sexual behaviour of the former Bishop of Palmerston North, Charles Drennan.
Joy Cowley, an 83-year-old “children’s author” and retreat leader in Catholic parishes, and even Diocesan clergy retreats, told Radio New Zealand news that the late teens were an appropriate age where a sexual relationship with a much older bishop would be okay.
"Probably early teens, I would say would be inappropriate," she said.
"In my day it would be late teens, these days girls are much more educated," so late teens would be okay, "I should think so".
"It would depend on the quality and the sincerity of the relationship. You know, there's one element you've left out, and that's love. People fall in love. I don't think this man would have had sex with anyone that he wasn't in love with."
It was not predatory nor was it an abuse of power by the bishop, she said.
Another Catholic women she knew agreed with …More