Dear Editor, I’m sure most people by now have heard about the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report which details the widespread sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The content of the document is horrific and shows just how deep the Church is entrenched in this crisis. This wasn’t the action of fringe or isolated clerics, but rather groups of priests, in what best can be described as a “paedophile ring”.
Three-hundred priests were found culpable, but I like most others suspect there are many clerics who have not been called out. How can an institution which teaches love, compassion and joy, be responsible for such heinous crimes and abuse?
Alongside this sickening behaviour, many of these priests were reported to higher authorities within the Church and yet nothing was done about it. There was a litany of lies, there was perennial cowardice, and there was a disgusting desire to self-preserve the institution despite the suffering it caused.
The Church had a duty to protect and care for those most vulnerable in society, and it failed. Time and time again. In response to these failures, many Catholics are rightly calling for structural reform, more accountability, and lay input.
But many other Catholics are also “giving up their Faith”, no longer attending Mass, and moving away from the Church. While I have sincere sympathy for this move given what we have heard about the abuse crisis, I would invite all Catholics to stay united with the Church. A quote, often attributed to St Augustine, is “the Church is a harlet, but she is our Mother”. There are difficult times ahead, but don’t leave your Mother – she is deeply sick and needs help to recover.
Yours etc.,
Jennifer Harkin,
Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Teens suffered religious/clerical abuse too
Dear Editor, From the reporting of clerical sex abuse we’ve become accustomed to the terms ‘child abuse’ and ‘paedophile priests’. What’s not emphasised is the level of abuse relating to youths (teenagers), seminarians and young priests and the fact that the core problem is active homosexuality within the clergy.
The clergy and in particular seminarians were not immune from the sexual revolution which started in the 1960s and it appears that there is a legacy issue of sexual abuse mainly relating to the period from the 1960s to the 1980s inclusive, which is difficult to deal with. One likely reason for this is that those who were in the seminaries at that time are now in positions of authority and are compromised.
Earlier this year all the Chilean bishops offered their resignations to Pope Francis to enable their records of avoidance of responsibility or collaboration to be investigated. Having regard to recent revelations in America it now looks that, at a minimum, all those who are cardinals may need to do likewise.
Pope Francis has indicated that he is not in favour of men who are homosexual becoming priests and it seems that steps have been taken in this regard. But how can the legacy issue be satisfactorily dealt with? We read that a sizeable proportion of clergy are homosexual and that many of those are active or support active homosexuality. Could it take the resignation of all clergy who are homosexual to come to grips with this matter which is so unjust and deeply damaging to the vulnerable and to Christ’s Church?
Yours etc.,
Eileen Gaughan,
Strandhill,
Sligo.
Wilson’s sentence is too light
Dear Editor, I read with anger and sadness that Archbishop Philip Wilson will serve a maximum 12-month sentence in home detention for concealing child sex abuse (16/08/18). How is it that crimes such as these go basically unpunished? We have to be stronger and harsher on crimes such as these or the perpetrators won’t be fazed about the punishment. This isn’t good enough – too many guilty clerics are walking around freely.
Yours etc.,
Mark Dorin,
Newry, Co Down.
Surely we are all sinners?
Dear Editor, I’ve read on numerous websites commentators criticising the WMOF congress for inviting Fr James Martin SJ to speak about the Church inclusion of LGBT people. These ultra-conservative websites have said that Fr Martin, and concomitantly, the Church are promoting a ‘gay agenda’. What utter tripe! As Catholics, we are called to love all of our brothers and sisters, regardless of their sexual orientation or preference. The LGBT community has suffered enough discrimination and abuse and deserve to be recognised as who they are: human and created in the image of God. There is no place for homophobia in the Church, and those who promote such ideas should be ashamed of themselves. Those who are homophobic in the name of the Church don’t quite get what it teaches. While carrying out certain sexual activities, such as fornication, adultery and same-sex intercourse, are impermissible, we should never condemn the person. Everyone sins, and everyone deserves to be embraced and nurtured by God’s love.
Yours etc.,
John McCaughley,
Galway City,
Galway.
Pope’s legacy is…
Dear Editor, I wonder how Ireland is going to feel when the Pope leaves Ireland after his visit here. Will there be animosity that perhaps he didn’t do enough or said the wrong thing? Or will the visit be remembered in history for revivifying the spirit of Ireland? Will he reinvigorate the faithful to fight for their beliefs? Only time will tell, but it could go either way.
Yours etc.,
Sean O’Donovan,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24.
Positive talking wouldn’t go amiss!
Dear Editor, There’s been a lot of focus about the horrors of the Church in Ireland in the lead up to Pope Francis’ visit, ranging from the clerical sex abuse scandal, to its treatment of LGBT people, and the role of women. These topics undoubtedly need to be discussed and interrogated but alongside this, I really wish the media would talk about the positivity of the visit. Myself, and a group of friends, are immensely excited to see Francis, and it will undoubtedly bring back memories of when I saw Pope John Paull II in 1979. We are all going down on a parish bus, and there will be a buzz and joy in the air. This visit means so much to people across Ireland and it would great if that idea was communicated more.
Yours etc.,
Caroline Fitzgerald,
Ballyronan, Derry.
Western society was formed by the Bible
Dear Editor, I was amused by Colm Fitzpatrick’s news piece about biblical baby names (16/08/18 IC). It said that over half of new-born boys in Ireland have a bible-themed name such as Daniel or James. It’s a convivial story that probably doesn’t have much functional merit, but it did remind me of the fact that our society has been formed by the Bible. Whether Western society likes it or not, our morals and beliefs are a direct product of Christianity. Human rights, for example, didn’t really exist before the dawning of Christianity. Before then, the adage ‘Might is Right’ was the dominant outlook. The theologian, David Bentley Hart, gets it right when he says the modern human being is a Christian invention.
Yours etc.,
James McNally.
Inchicore, Dublin 8.
The Church here did not cause homelessness
Dear Editor, I am sick of our biased Irish media reporting that people are being forced from their temporary homes because of Pope Francis’ visit, framing it in a way that the Church is responsible for this problem. The problem is in fact our Government who think it’s fine not to give families permanent homes. Any time there is a major event on in Ireland, like a musical concert, hotels throw out the homeless families who are temporarily residing there. Instead of criticising the Church who are constantly supporting the poor in Ireland every day, how about the media focus their attention our failing Government?
Yours etc.,
Mary McCaul,
Wexford Town, Wexford.