Blame Church, State and the ‘faithful’ who looked the other way
■ The recent visit by Pope Francis has given us all time for some necessary reflection.
Leo Varadkar summed up the situation quite accurately, bravely, and succinctly: “It is a history of sorrow and shame. In place of Christian charity, forgiveness and compassion, far too often there was judgment, severity and cruelty, in particular towards women and children and those on the margins.
“Magdalene laundries, mother and baby homes, industrial schools, illegal adoptions and clerical child abuse are stains on our State, our society and also the Catholic Church. Wounds are still open and there is much to be done to bring about justice and truth and healing for victims and survivors. Holy Father, I ask that you use your office and influence to ensure this is done here in Ireland, and across the world.”
Since the mid-1990s, the Church and Vatican have promised to do something about this, but little or nothing has been done; most abusers have not been brought to justice. Cover-ups have continued up to the present day.
In many cases, the Vatican authorities called the victims liars, slanderers, trouble makers and mentally ill, and fought them in courts and tribunals.
Furthermore, in Ireland it was the State and taxpayers who paid most of the compensation – not the Church which has vast wealth and treasures. This is both disgraceful and unjust.
While terrible damage has been done to the Irish people and nation, and other peoples, no effective healing systems have been put in place by governments due to “budget constraints” or, more accurately, the desperate need to bail out bankers and speculators for many billions of euro/dollars.
And the Church refuses to spend money on this.
More seriously, the lay people or ‘faithful’ have remained quiet, too scared to speak out against these gross injustices. Many keep their heads down and say nothing and object to anyone speaking out.
It was the same ‘faithful’ who enforced a climate of silence, looking the other way for more than 100 years in this country.
Many worked for the State and facilitated the cover-ups. This is moral cowardice, the worst type of moral cowardice.
There is an old saying that “all that is required for the ultimate triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
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