In October 2005 he gave a sermon which appeared in an abridged form in "The Irish Times" on 13 October 2005. It proved controversial, with one commentator in "The Brandsma Review" dubbing it "The rubber-stamping of buggery". MacCarthy criticised the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for issuing a public invitation to a State reception for Cardinal Desmond Connell in 2001 in the joint names of the Taoiseach and his then partner. MacCarthy declined to attend and received over 300 letters of support, many from Roman Catholics.