Around 50,000 children have been fathered by Catholic priests around the world - despite their vow of celibacy - it has been revealed. Vincent Doyle, whose father was a Catholic priest, founded a campaign group called 'Coping International' to bring together the children of priests, which he says has members in 175 countries. According to the the New York Times, Doyle says there are so many children of priests that the Vatican has a list of rules for priests who father illegitimate offspring. As part of their vows Catholic priests are required to maintain a life of celibacy, refraining from any form of sexual activity. A litany of child sexual abuse scandals has rocked the Catholic church, which has 1.3 billion followers around the world.

Source: The Star February 20, 2019 06:45 UTC