BS: Ireland v the Pope

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 01:44 PM

Good point, John.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Big Ballad Singer
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 01:32 PM

Sadly, the 'Church' that Ireland (and lots of other places) is "lost to" is a sham, a facade. It's a hollow and spiritually and morally powerless institution that has usurped and pretended to be the Church that once both assimilated and nurtured Irish culture and her pagan traditions. The stories that are the most popular, of course, are the ones about the Church (supposedly) smothering, destroying and eliminating the paganism from Ireland, but an honest view of history shows that Celtic ideas, philosophies, theological notions and devotional practices all enhanced the Church's ability to turn the hearts of people toward the Divine.

No, this iniquitous monster that parades in finery while leaving millions of its parishioners in poverty, sexual and political repression and painful scandal has no right calling itself the Church, and it is high time that the 'Vatican', so-called, gets its filthy hands off Ireland.

The bastard that calls himself an ambassador of the church would probably enjoy having the door hit him in the ass on his way out, but I'm glad he's leaving all the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:55 AM

Any crime really.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:51 AM

On that basis, why not confessions of murder too, or wife beating, or.................................

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:34 AM

Child abuse is child abuse, whether it's done by peasant or Pope.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: GUEST,livelylass
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:32 AM

The point is though, it's right and it's a start. For far too long the Church has been allowed to treat clerical abuse as an "internal matter" and that's why there's been such a lot of bullshit and cover-ups and shuffling of paedo priests around. This law might not be a cure-all but it sends the right message to the Church, it's criminal priests are no longer untouchable by secular authorities.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:27 AM

Yes, but do they consider it something to confess?

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:27 AM

"How many child abusers go to confession?"

I think nearly all who are priests do. What they the confess is another matter. This law is likely to do little more than supress confession.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: GUEST,livelylass
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:21 AM

How many child abusers go to confession?
Well ALL clerical child abusers do. So that's a start, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:18 AM

How many child abusers, sexual or otherwise, go to Confession?

Ireland is "lost to the Church" now anyway. From the Magdalene Laundries to the Bishop of Galway's son to the Industrial Schools to pedophilia, the Irish have had enough. They've put up with alcoholic priests, lusty priests...but they have had it.

Subject: RE: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: GUEST,livelylass
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 10:17 AM

"Ireland is making it a criminal offence, punishable by five years imprisonment, to withhold evidence of child abuse gleaned in the confessional. A long overdue nail in the coffin"



Slowly, slowly..

Subject: BS: Ireland v the Pope
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 06:58 AM

How to get a standing ovation in Ireland: Vatican recalls ambassador. At last the Irish are rising like lions after slumber. If only it could have happened in the days of Archbishop McQuaid and his ilk, how many lives would have been spared church-inflicted misery?

Just to be clear, the John Magee excoriated in the Cloyne report is the same John Magee who was at the very heart of the Vatican for decades as personal secretary to three popes. No wonder he never got his red hat. And no wonder Ratzinger has bottled out of next year's visit to Ireland.

One silver lining: Ireland is making it a criminal offence, punishable by five years imprisonment, to withhold evidence of child abuse gleaned in the confessional. A long overdue nail in the coffin perhaps for an archaic sacrament conceived to consolidate the hierarchy's grip on the laity.