2018 may well just be a year when the silenced masses re-discover their voice
THERE is always something to be excited about as a new year dawns, something to look forward to.
It can something simple like a family event, a wedding, a new arrival in the family, a First Holy Communion or a family holiday.
Elsewhere the reason to look forward to the new year can be something more mundane, such as this summer’s World Cup in Russia. Sadly, the Republic of Ireland won’t be competing, but as a child the World Cup was always something special and that was even before the Jack Charlton era when Ireland qualified for the competition and we had one of our own, in Stephen Staunton, in the Irish team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups in Italy and America.
As we approach the middle of the first month of 2018, I am looking forward to what the year will reveal in many aspects of life, but one more than anything intrigues me and I am curious to see how it turns out.
It seems to me that in recent years in Irish society, the loudest and the angriest have dominated the agenda and foisted their view of the world upon the rest of us and there have been many justified reasons on why this has been the case, as the injustices and inequality in our society have been exposed.
No one can hear the other voices lost in the cacophony of critics who jump onto the airwaves at a moment’s notice. No one dares to raise an opposing voice which might just be against the tide of popular opinion. No one notices the silent majority on the sidelines, frustrated that no one is speaking for them, that no one values their opinion or respects their traditions.
Did you hear many voices espousing the value of introducing water charges, for example? Not really. Those in favour of water charges where drowned out by the masses. Certainly it became a fruitless task trying to support water charges thanks to the government’s completely cack-handed implementation of the policy.
I am not saying the introduction of water charges was the correct policy by any means, but the debate ratcheted up to a level rarely seen before in this country, as some protesters confronted Irish Water workers and Gardai, online social media turned nasty against politicians who were in government and supportive of the policy.
It is good that the weight of public opinion was heard but there was a nastiness and venom associated with the issue which wasn’t as healthy and in the end there was only one view to be heard and woe betide anyone who stood out from the crowd.
For years the Catholic Church here in Ireland has been cowed by the wave of revulsion following the abuse scandals by clerical members of the church. Quite rightly the institution and the leaders of the Church were severely criticised and the reputation of the Catholic Church was hammered.
Bashing the Catholic Church became almost universal and again, hardly anyone dares to speak for the silenced who still remain within the church.
This year, there are two matters on the horizon - a vote on the eighth amendment and the possible visit of Pope Francis - which may see a silenced group find their voice and some in public life will be irked that they have found that voice, that they haven’t gone away and that there might well be more members of their choir than they thought possible.
Your view of the eighth amendment is a personal moral matter, but certainly it is right that most of the political parties have given their TDs the freedom to vote as they feel right. That should the case for us all and while the Catholic Church have a very firm view on the matter, not all of even their most committed members will agree with the official Church position.
However it will be difficult for those who agree with the Church to speak out in their support for fear of the vilification they will expose themselves too from those vehemently in favour of repealing the eighth amendment.
When Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in 1979 millions attended the combined public events and while a possible visit by Pope Franics this summer to attend the world meeting of families in Croke Park might not be on the same scale as that historic first Papal visit it will still be attended by tens of thousands and you can assume thousands more will attend any other public event if they are scheduled.
Practicising members of the Catholic Church have first been silenced by the shame of the actions of their clerical leaders and then been silenced by the liberal left, who preach about a more inclusive, diverse and secular society, but seem unable to share that utopian society with traditional conservative members from the largest religion in the country.
Those traditional conservative members of the Catholic Church are not likely to be shouting from the rooftops, even with a possible Papal visit, it is not their style.
However 2018 may well be the first time in many years in which they find the confidence to stick their heads about the parapet and give voice to their traditions, views and values.