Before becoming a cardinal, O'Brien had been regarded as "liberal" on the issue of homosexuality, saying that there were a significant number of homosexual priests ministering within the Catholic Church. However, in December 2004 he told members of the Scottish Parliament that homosexuals were "captives of sexual aberrations", comparing homosexuals to prisoners in Saughton jail; and later referred to homosexuality as a "moral degradation". But in 2005 O'Brien did rebuke Bishop Joseph Devine, who had suggested that homosexuals should not be allowed to teach in Catholic schools, commenting, "I don't have a problem with the personal life of a person as long as they are not flaunting their sexuality."