Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Next Month, Ireland Faces a Battle for Its Soul
Many on Ricochet have asked me, as Ireland’s de-facto representative on this, what happened to the Catholic church in Ireland? That would be a long, long post which would put you off reading anything of note or interest. Rather instead, I will summarise it like I do with my high school students when they finish a historical topic. Brace for impact:
1. The sex abuse crisis. Sadly, abuse of teenagers and children has always been rife in Ireland and abroad. In Ireland, the numbers are much higher than most countries. Which, of course, alcohol and the vindictive character of some Irish have had a role in creating. It’s now known here that are 1 in 12 people have been abused or assaulted sexually, the vast majority by members of their family. Unfortunately, many disgusting priests and brothers contributed to this evil. Many raped or sexually abused the most vulnerable children in their care, be it in church schools, church hospitals, orphanages, or church-related activities. Oddly, very little sexual abuse was done by religious nuns. These were primarily, as in America, committed by men on teenage boys and the number of victims runs into the tens of thousands. Worse, and this is probably the worst part, many clergy members knew about it and many in the hierarchy moved priests or brothers around, covering it up, and then forcing silence on the victims and their families. Many times the abuser would go on defiling kids across the island after he had been moved.
2. The church ran many of the educational and social services in Ireland since foundation of state in 1922. Since the early 1930s, there were Catholic whistleblowers warning about the problems with industrial schools, orphanages, and the Magdelene laundries where pregnant, unmarried woman would go to have their children. Nevertheless, their warnings were ignored. Much sex abuse occurred in these places but, even worse, much physical abuse bordering on neglect and torture took place here at a far greater level. Very few people in Ireland remember all the nice brothers and nuns. Many nuns and brothers behaved sadistically towards children. The cruelty of a minority has warped modern Ireland’s views of many brothers and nuns and did enormous damage to many charitable church activities.
3. Ireland’s mother and baby homes and Magdelene laundries were where young, unmarried, pregnant women were sent to have their child to protect the name of the family but not the welfare of the teenage girl. (Many were impregnated by relatives.) Here, many clergymen, nuns, and brothers behaved appallingly to these people and their children. The level of care was awful and, where the care was good, it was only for those women who were selling their kids abroad. In recent times in Tuam County, Galway, a mass tomb of babies was discovered of unknown quantity which has brought further disgrace on the church.
4. Very poor catechism. Many Irish people go through Catholic schooling without ever being challenged or taught what Catholics believe. They don’t know their own faith. Many times they don’t seem to care.
5 Moral deism. Many Catholics in Ireland are Catholics in name only. Included in this are Catholics who go to Mass. Ask them what they believe and I doubt they would know even the most basic dogmas of the church. Many both in and outside the church have swallowed this moral therapeutic Deism about a God who forgives us regardless of our sins and our ignoring Him and His church. This isn’t Catholic. Worse, in long run, it will destroy people’s faith as they are unprepared for the hardballs the world throws at them, so they walk away. Or their children do.
6. Uninspired leadership. Many Catholics feel under siege as they are regularly mocked and abused by the secular media and figures in entertainment in a way no other religion is. They see their values spat on, their Saviour mocked, and their religion ridiculed far beyond satire. The bishops say nothing. Instead, they allow the ignorance to continue, or worse, leak to anti-clerical newspapers for egotistical purposes.
7. The rapid economic progress in Ireland. This brought about massive changes in Ireland with more choice than ever before and more freedom. Sadly, rather than using this to pursue knowledge, many have been corrupted by it. The church provides a token voice against such abuses but man sees the money as offering something the church cannot and uses this to walk further away from the church.
8. The media and popular culture hate Christianity and Ireland’s press are no exception. They love to bash faith — especially the Christian faith. Two talentless comedians make a point on their Twitter feed of saying every time they attack Catholics that they get people asking them to attack Islam. Ironically, their cowardice is spoken in their sarcasm.
9. Catholic parents. Many parents swore before God they would raise their kids Catholic at baptism and teach them the faith and bring them to Mass. Many have not done this. Leaving their kids spiritually undone.
Finally some people have asked me why I remain a Catholic in so far as the above. It’s very simple. I’m a history teacher. Bad things done by vile wicked men or women don’t summarise a church which for good and evil is the one set up by Jesus Christ. After all one of the first bishops was Judas, it’s first pope a denier and it’s greatest missionary a murderer. Also being Irish Protestantism has no appeal.
Oh and it happens to be true. Here endith the lesson
Published in General
Sadly, Paddy, you’re right on all counts. But, as long as you’re out there teaching, writing, praying, and being a model for others I am hopeful!
The single change that might have made a huge difference in this tragic story is if priests had been allowed to marry. Greek Orthodox priests marry. When have you heard a scandal about them ? Also, American seminaries were taken over by gays and leftists in the 60s. I don’t know about Irish. I was in Ireland in 1977 and went to Mass. The church was filled with women while the men waited outside in front. I also recall the collection boxes with a little sign that said “No Copper !”
Apparently there are huge problems with abuse in Orthodox monasteries in eastern Europe we just don’t hear about the bad yet.
Putting it all down to Latin-rite celibacy ignores the influence of the heresy known as Jansenism (that disdained embodiment/physicality/sexuality) and formed the basis of the formation of the generation of priests/nuns/sisters tasked with the administration of the facilities Paddy describes. Venality is not limited to “gays and leftists”, either, as much as one would prefer that to be so…
No, but that was what infected the seminaries in the US. There is a pretty good book about it. It’s called “Goodbye good men.”
https://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Good-Men-Seminaries-Generations/dp/0967637112
That and the radical nuns.
Agree re: secularized/radicalized/power-seeking nuns – one in particular – re: Mr. Rose’s fixation/axe to grind, not so much…
Given the Church’s soiled past and it current Leftist Pope maybe it is best that it is heading for the trash heap of history. Some things can not be redeemed, others should not be redeemed.
The Church is more focused on maintaining its own power, wealth, and control, than shepherding its flock. Why else would it transfer pedophile priests rather than getting them out of the priesthood and into treatment?
Cynical, much? That statement about redemption probably applies to each and all of humanity, actually, on some level…
For those of us who suffered through the “Long Lent” of 2002, RB, this comment pours salt on a barely-healed wound, and frankly, is unlike your usual graciousness – even in disagreement.
What is the Long Lent of 2002? Never heard of that before.
My husband is a devout and faithful Catholic, but this is one change he has always wished for.
He’s always thought marriage and family life would be good for the priests.
The revelation/discovery of the extent of the abuse crisis in the Church in the US was very quickly dubbed the “Long Lent”
Please feel free to justify the Church’s homosexual pedophilia ways or its currents Pope’s liberation theology tendencies. I have been defending the Church much of my life. I am just tired of trying to justify the unjustifiable. Especially since the Church seems bound to exit stage Left as quickly as it can.
Ah. I didn’t remember that it happened that long ago, already.
We have several Protestant churches in our neighborhood that I am tangentially connected to.
in the 30 years I’ve lived here every one has has had a scandal. Mostly pastors cheating on their wives, though there was one accusation of abuse (and a couple of financial malfeasance )
I have no answer to the heartbreak of being Catholic, married priests is no fix
The moral authority the church lost during “the long lent” is incalculable. I am still struggling with it.
I somehow find myself on a board at my church and there I was in front of our parish encouraging donations to Together In Mission.
I just found out that those donations are not just for Catholic Schools; donations also go to parishes.
Really? Before I donate a penny I want to know how much those parishes donated to the lawsuits.
Anyway; it’s tough times.
Solace in that many of our young have no respect for the law. My daughter’s generation is much more pro life than mine. We must sell our message regardless of law and regardless of the lack of moral authority of our allies
To be fair @nandapanjandrum. While I have suffered – I am no victim. It is the wounds – and the souls – of the true victims who suffer daily
Edited to add: those wounds are not healed; not even barely. For my beloved church continues in denial, not owning the sins for which they are guilty.
There will be hell to pay for the victims; victimized once by a priest, again and again by the church. And what of the souls who had looked to the church for moral guidance and found nothing but malfeasance?
Those souls can only hope to find people – not an institution – to help them find their way.
Oh my gosh. That’s awful.
To be clear – I only know because I am tangentially involved.
The heirarchy of Protestant churches does not lend itself towards disclosure
Pastor is in the employ of the congregation. He screws up; he gets fired.
Because of the brilliance of Google, my time on this thread brought up an interesting video: Christopher Hitchens vs Dennis Prager.
Dennis Prager posited that if you were a Jew in Europe during WWII, the smart person would turn towards a Catholic for solace.
Christopher Hitchens pointed out it was the fool who looked to the church.
There’s a message there …
So…basically, the same stuff as in the US. Except that in Ireland, there are more religious schools and the support for the Church was greater.
How very, very sad.
Well, I can think of a few reasons. What if a priest confessed? If he confessed, it was totally forgiven as if it had never existed. The priest hearing the confession was bound to secrecy. In those cases, it would be forgiven and the priest would ask to be reassigned or with accusations might be reassigned regardless.
Now, how many of us have lied in our lives? How many of us have confessed something only to do it again later?
These are human beings and they failed. They failed a lot.
Outside of confession, however, something should have been done. At this point, in our society there is so much blame going around. Anything and everything is treated like sexual harassment (#metoo). How do we prevent good, decent, loving, kind priests from being maligned? How do we prevent priests from being abused too?
I don’t have the solutions. Just more questions.
Hitchens has no basis to talk about churches and morality given his own ignorance in praising Lenin and his terrible book on religion
While I agree with you, I still like the message.
It is us individuals that must carry the pro life message. I know many courageous Catholics who have soldiered on with little institutional support.
Some friends of mine in Cork sent their kids to the public (Protestant) schools to the outrage of neighbors. His wife is South African and explained that the Catholic schools were crowded and the others not. And, besides, she didn’t care what the neighbors thought.
Kind of sounds like they deserve it on the basis of their own standards.
The actions of a few thousand should not be lumped in with the goodness of hundreds of thousands who sacrificed for the Catholic faith nor do they negate the fact that Jesus is Lord
The fish rots from the head, and the grievous list of sins you’ve cataloged here indicates that with such a vast rate of abuse (1 in 12 people in Ireland have been affected directly by this?) the Church fathers (and Mothers, to be fair) have brought their people’s skepticism down upon them with a degree of righteousness.
If you can’t trust the very people who are supposed to be the Holiest, acting as intercessionaries to the Divine, who can you trust? The dirty secret of all this I think is that this pattern of abuse is nothing new. It likely didn’t spring up out of nothingness, especially given how efficient the system for shuffling the abusers around was.
People can and should have their faith. It is also painfully obvious that the Clergy is not worthy of it.
The sting of betrayal is so much worse in this case given the mission of the Church. How could people help but feel doubts in the wake of these revelations? Clearly, abortion doesn’t even need to be legalized in Ireland; one would only have needed to go to Galway to find an abattoir worthy of Kermit Gosnell.
Curse the lot of them, those ghastly hypocrites, molesters and murderers.
If you’d actually read “god Is Not Great” you probably would have come away not agreeing with his central thesis, but at least understanding that Hitch had a keen sense of what was moral.
Also, he considered himself a Trotskyite and condemned what he saw in Cuba and the Soviet Union with great vigor. Too bad he didn’t do that when he was young, but he was intellectually honest enough to admit his mistake.