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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
Good point, Scott. I retract my use of the word!
I didn’t misinterpret that line – I thought it was a good line to make my point – I don’t agree with the rest of your analogy.
There is nothing in the Bible that says clergy cannot be married -f it does where is it? Doesn’t it go back to the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 7 who said it is better for a man to not be married, but if it wants to, it is better to go ahead than not? Also pedophilia is a crime and perversion – it is ugly and I don’t think would change if priests could marry.
Non celibate ones, anyway.
In addition to St. Paul recommending celibacy, Jesus says in Matthew 19:12, “…and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.” So you’re correct in saying that celibacy is not required by the Bible, but it is recommended. And that’s why the Catholic Church has celibate rites as well as rites which allow a married clergy, and that’s why it’s a discipline, not a doctrine.
I would also point out that the vast number of abuse cases, at least in the US, were not pedophilia, which is defined by sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children. It also is not connected to sexual orientation. Most of the priest abuse cases (over 80%) involved homosexual priests preying on post-pubescent males, ephebophilia. A married clergy would have made no difference in the number of abuse cases.
Given the destruction that homosexual priests have caused to the Church, I think it’s safest to just plain exclude them all. Sorry, but why take chances?
This is what the Church says about the subject – this is from the Vatican’s “Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders”:
“Regarding acts, it teaches that Sacred Scripture presents them as grave sins. The Tradition has constantly considered them as intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law. Consequently, under no circumstance can they be approved.
Deep-seated homosexual tendencies, which are found in a number of men and women, are also objectively disordered and, for those same people, often constitute a trial. Such persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. They are called to fulfil God’s will in their lives and to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter[8].
In the light of such teaching, this Dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question[9], cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called “gay culture”[10].
Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.
Different, however, would be the case in which one were dealing with homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem – for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded. Nevertheless, such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to the diaconate. “
“A married clergy would have made no difference in the number of abuse cases.”
The problem is that it was the perception of many that the Church wanted to unwisely protect many of the gay priests because they did not have sufficient priests to perform the work the Church needed done.
I am not necessarily for a fully married Catholic clergy. A married man generally has a huge responsibility to his wife and family and thus may have difficulty serving two masters. It would also be unseemly for Catholic Priests to pursue the worldly goods with the vigor often demanded of a father in today’s ruthless economy. A celibate clergy does not have that problem. That said it appears that the Church is using much more married Deacons in minor priestly roles where they are allowed. I think this is a good trend which will alleviate the apparent Priest shortage.
Additionally, better roles need to be found for women in the Church. Since Vatican II nuns have largely disappeared from view. This is a very sad state of affairs.
As an administrative issue, it would serve us well if you would use the “Quote” function so that we know whom you are quoting.
Can you cite this “perception of many that the Church wanted to unwisely protect many of the gay priests because they did not have sufficient priests to perform the work the Church needed done”? I concede that the bishops have failed in the abuse crisis with regards to priests with same-sex attraction, but I question that they did it because of a priest shortage. My interpretation is that the bishops involved approved, or did not care, about a homosexual clergy. And that is a disgrace.
No argument from me. Additionally, many bishops were told by “experts” that counseling and therapy would do the trick.
If you spend time in any typical American parish, you will find that women are everywhere. Frankly, I would appreciate seeing more men involved in parish life – now that would be a great development!! As for the nuns, it’s worth pointing out that there are orders that are thriving – these tend to be orthodox Catholic orders, who wear the habit and practice traditional Catholic devotions. The orders that are dying out are the ones who dissent from Church teaching, don’t wear the habit, and are involved more as lefty social justice warriors involved in the trends of the day, and who generally abhor traditional Catholic practices. These orders show that dissent is sterile – and why wouldn’t they be? How does an order expect to attract vocations, when there’s not much difference between them and government social workers and lefty activists? Why bother?
That’s a good point. A couple of years ago, the wife of the priest at one of those churches, when she learned we were Lutheran, seemed to want to get into an argument with us about Martin Luther. I tried not to get into such a discussion. And anyway, her husband had other issues to discuss with the assembled group.
I didn’t know that.
It was not the crimes, those were bad enough. It was the institutional cover up that is the issue. That the Church knowingly protected the perpetrators and then put them back into positions to repeat the crimes over and over for years on end. That is unforgivable.
It’s unforgivable if nothing was changed, but the Church has tried to address the problems and do what she can in order for this to not happen again. And forgiveness is kinda what the Church is about anyway. I’m not trying to excuse the stupidity and cruelty of some of the hierarchy, but frankly I do get a little tired of this spoken of as if it were a uniquely Catholic problem. It isn’t. Public school districts do the same with problem teachers, moving them around instead of dealing with them. The only child I personally knew who was abused by clergy – the daughter of my best friend – was molested by the youth minister in a Protestant church (1st Covenant). When my friend found out, she was pressured to let the matter drop and not go to the authorities. After she agreed, they slowly excluded her from their church, while the molester went on to other venues unchecked. I found out that he was playing piano at the Mall of America – a position where he would be in contact with more adolescent girls – and actually called them up and talked to someone there about what he had done. I think – no, I know! – that I cost him his job. It’s too bad the church didn’t take steps, and I was disappointed in my friend that she hadn’t taken action. All of this is to say that this is a human problem, not just a Catholic one.