With the aftermath of the damning report into clerical abuse in the Cloyne archdiocese prompting political and public outrage, this past weekend witnessed some Kilkenny mass goers walk out of the service in response to the priest’s homily.

Speaking about the fall out of the Cloyne Report, Fr Eddie Conway described the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter as “Jewish and non practicing”.

Read More: Irish mass goers walk out over priest’s anti-Semitic comments

We got such a huge response to this story that we asked our readers what would prompt them to walk out on a church service. Here are some examples of our reader’s responses tp the news story.

“That priest needs to reread his Bible. Book of Matthew, Chapter 7. It's not our job to judge anyone.

“While I'm not a Catholic, I have walked not only out of but away from a church where the minister was saying from the pulpit that all other religions are wrong because they aren't this denomination.”

“I walked out during comments being made by a priest during sunday services. I was ten years old. I had just arrived with my two younger brothers and was waiting at the back, for an appropriate moment to find a seat. We had just walked over a mile in the hot Florida sun to get to church. The priest decided that was a good time to criticize and belittle those who had arrived late... we left and never returned.”

“I did walk out of a church service once...Baptist (the denomination I grew up in.) I'd never been to that particular church before, but when the preacher started talking about how much better off African Americans were today because of the slavers who brought their ancestors to America, I got my daughter's hand and we left, right in the middle of the sermon. There ya go. That's what it took to make me walk out.”

“Anti-Semitic remarks from the Christian clergy.....And here I was thinking that JESUS WAS A JEW all along...Someone put their collar on a little too tight on Sunday morning. We no longer live in a world where the 'purity' statements will hold any water...We are a melting pot world.”

“We had the same thing at my parish and I walked out. GOOD ON THEM!”
“A young Irish priest was installed in a parish in The Bronx. The younger mothers were putting their kids in "the Protestant" school's pre-K program -- it's an excellent program. This priest starting blathering to the congregation as to how these Catholics could put their kids in "that Protestant" school. Sounds like an old man from the arsehole of nowhere -- he is a 25 yr. old man. If I had been listening to this man I would've gotten up and gave him a mouthful.”

“We as Irish people are not going to be conned by the Catholic church any more, so glad that modern irish people have the balls to make a stand by walking out and not like the old days of ignoring what was happening under their noses. Good on the people of Kilkenny.”

“Priests are there to preach the gospel, shouldn't be sticking their noses into anything else. They don't seem to realize that their parishioners are well educated people for the most part and will not stand for any of this bigotry or prejudice.”

“I would also walk out. Good for those who did”

“I walked out about 25 years ago and never went back, when a priest went on and on railing against abortion. Women have no status at all in the Church's view. And the way they have tried to cover up the pedophile priest issue is arrogant, shameless and horrifying.”