Bernárd J. Lynch

Bernárd J. Lynch (born 1947) is an Irish Catholic priest and psychotherapist based in London, renowned for his human rights work with HIV/AIDS and with the LGBTQIA community. He is a former member of the Society of African Missions and was ordained in 1971.

Lynch is an "out" gay man. In 2006, he became the first Catholic priest in the world to have a civil partnership and married his husband in Ireland in 2017. In 1965, Lynch joined the Society of African Missions (SMA).

In 1982, Lynch founded the first AIDS ministry in New York City with Dignity USA (New York Chapter) as documented in the documentary films AIDS: A PRIEST’S TESTAMENT in 1987 and SOUL SURVIVOR in 1990.

Lynch publicly testified in favour of New York City’s lesbian and gay rights bill that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in jobs and public accommodations, seeing it through to passage by the New York City Council in 1986.

In 1988, Lynch was indicted for child sex abuse alleged to have occurred at Mount Saint Michael Academy in The Bronx in the mid 1980s. Lynch won total exoneration from Justice Burton Roberts in Bronx Supreme Court. As alleged in the documentary film A Priest on Trial, Lynch's support for LGBT rights brought down on him a false prosecution perpetrated by Church and government officials.

In November 2022, it was announced that the National Library of Ireland has acquired the personal papers from Lynch. The Fr Bernárd Lynch Collection represents the personal and public life of Lynch. Comprising letters, postcards, newspaper clippings, and legal testimonies, the archive spans more than 50 years.

Personal life In 2006, Lynch reportedly became the first Catholic priest in the world to have a civil partnership, after having his relationship officiated civilly in 1998. He civilly married his husband, Billy Desmond, in 2017 in County Clare, Ireland. In 2017, Lynch received a proclamation from the New York City Council honouring his more than 40 years of service to the LGBT and AIDS communities in the city. Lynch received Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad for 2019, in the Charitable Works category. The awards recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora in the world. In 2023, Clare County Council hosted a Civic Reception acknowledging the remarkable influence exerted by Bernárd Lynch in his efforts in advocating for equal rights, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. In January 2025, Lynch was given the Freedom of the City of London. In February 2026, Lynch was included in Attitude 101 2026, the annual list of influential figures across the global LGBTQ+ community.

Publications Lynch, Bernard (1993). A Priest on Trial. London: Bloomsbury Pub Ltd. Lynch, Bernard (1995). "A Land Beyond Tears". In O'Carroll, Ide; Collins, Eoin (ed.). Lesbian and Gay Visions of Ireland: Towards the Twenty-first Century. London: Cassell. pp. 212–20. Lynch, Bernard (1996). "Religious and Spirituality Conflicts". In Davies, Dominic; Neal, Charles (ed.). Pink Therapy: A Guide for Counsellors and Therapists Working with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients. Buckingham: Open University Press. pp. 199–207. Lynch, Bernard (2003). "Love's Endeavour, Love Expense". In O'Brien, Glen (ed.). Coming Out: Irish Gay Experiences. Dublin: Currach Press. pp. 260–68. Lynch, Bernard (2012). If It Wasn't Love, Sex Death & God. Winchester: Circle Books. Lynch, Bernard (2022). "An Appreciation of the Life of my Dear Friend, Michael Kelly". In Brown, Andrew (ed.). Into Your Hands: Essays Inspired by Mystic, Prophet, and Activist Michael Bernard Kelly. Melbourne: Clouds of Magellan Press. pp. 125–128.

Legacy AIDS: A Priest's Testament (1987, Director: Conor McAnally, A Strongbow/ Green Apple Production for Channel Four, UK) A Priest On Trial (1990, Director: Conor McAnally, A Green Apple Television Production for Channel Four, UK) Soul Survivor (1990, Director: Conor McAnally, A Green Apple Television Production for Channel Four, UK) Falsely Accused (2023, Producer / Programme Director: Padraic Flaherty, Clare FM). The documentary won Gold at 2023 New York Festivals Radio Awards.