How anyone can set foot inside a church and actually genuflect in front of these people is a genuine mystery – in the secular sense – to me. But maybe that is why the term “flock” is used in relation to the church's followers?
I’m not just talking about what the priests, nuns, brothers and bishops did - thanks to their stranglehold on Irish education guaranteeing a ready supply of young victims - but their arrogance in dealing with the outrage now. Don't they see that their discredited organisation is on its last legs here? Have they never heard of the term “damage limitation”?
Have a listen to this guy, Monsignor Maurice Dooley, defending the cover-up on Today FM to Colm O’Gorman.
You really have to hear it to appreciate the petulance.
Today FM - Colm O'Gorman interviews Monsignor Maurice Dooley on child abuse cover-ups
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53 comments:
"I’m always amazed how “the faithful” can keep on keeping “the faith”, even now" – well I couldn't agree more, but you are too soft on them GM.
As the catholic church continues to deny avoid responsibility for harm done to victims of it's paedophile priests, those who continue to support this dodgy organisation are also complicit. In the past much of the flock used the well worn, "but nobody knew what was going on", well that "excuse" is wearing a little thin now, we all know what went on and what continues to go on, so if you choose to go to mass, give them money or whatever, well you are supporting the morally despicable actions of these people.
The one positive note from this, after listening to the today fm interview, I think I can conclude that some people will undoubtedly turn away from the church and you know, that's no bad thing.
My work email – quite rightly- stops me from watching/ listening to video clips.
I will watch this when I get home.
However congratulations on your illustration- did you do that yourself?
Deserves to be much copied.. a picture really tells a 1000 words….sombre as the humour is it says it all.
And yes they should just Stop controlling the schools.
All the government had to do is sign a Compulsory purchase order, ( giving a pepper corn fee of 1 euro for each school) and just put them all in state control…with locally agreed board members…decent church members could be allowed on boards…but the State should be the ultimate decider if there are any problems re composition and decisions of school board.
@ Ella. Not often Gombeen Nation is accused of softness ;-)
@ No Anna - wish I had. A blog reader sent it to me. BTW, the audio clip is quite long, but well worth a listen all the same.
I dont like asking an obvious question but why is the Catholic hierarchy not on their knees asking for forgiveness? Why? Well I'd say its for exactly the same reason there was only a few thousand at a march in recognition and support of the abused last year. BECAUSE THE IRISH HAVE NO SENSE OF OUTRAGE!!!!!!!!!!!
Lets get things in proportion shall we? The most vulnerable in "society" were abused and destroyed by a cabal of pure evil.
It never stops amazing me how easy a bullying culture evolves here. I know people are people but there seems to be something in the culture here. Almost sown into the fabric at every level. Unfortunately this threshold leads to Institutionalisation being part of the Irish mentality. It may sound trite but it must be something to do with being an island nation or the weather maybe.
Dakota
Hi Dakota. It's my belief that the Irish will accept any old shite, be it poltical corruption, clientism and cronyism, clerical abuse, or cultural codology.
I don't know what it is, but there is something about the place.
I blame the Vatican and the catholic church for clerical child abuse. The interdiction to have physical intercourse undoubtedly leads to that terrible situation. Were priests allowed to live the life of a human being as a whole, there would be no need for preying on children.
Instead they wear purple and red dresses with cute little hats, well, what do people expect. A reform is much needed!
I have listened to the fatuous Monsignor Maurice Dooley, defending the cover-up on Today FM. He was being criminally mendacious. However, do not forget about the psychological concept of operant conditioning where silly Maurice Dooley has been depleted of logic and reason through his priestly indoctrination. Colm O’Gorman got it absolutely right in that he said he was sorry for the meaningless stupidity, gross insightless and foolish arrogance of Maurice Dooley.
The Vatican still believes that (man made) Canon Law is superior to civil and criminal Law and the church still believes that the Zeitgeist (Spirit of the time) of 1950’s still exists, and it can still do what it wishes with impunity.
The church is in for a shock. If you wish to find out how much the church is out of touch with the people please contact: www.vatican.va - www.visnews.org. They still teach nonsensical pseudo theological and pseudo philosophical tripe, without any reason or logic.
It is thanks to Colm O’Gorman and dedicated people like him that the wickedness of the Roman Catholic Church has been exposed. I admire him!
Without the use of violence, we all should finish the job that Henry VIII never completed.If the people Boycott the activities of the church and do not support them practically or financially the priests will soon be redundant. MESSAGE: Get rid of the clergy.
OLD NICK c/o Hell.
The whole history of the catholic church is abundant with violence and abuse. Thanks to the internet it is so easy to find out about their criminal activity over the years.
The idiotic law of celibacy was and still is an invitation for people with perverted sexual proclivities to become priests. It was and still is the perfect cover, using the same priest made rules of canon law set out by the corrupt and mendacious Maurice Dooley. (How Machiavellian).
Many people have a fair inkling by the age of 16 and certainly by 18, of their sexual tendencies and interests. The church was the perfect place for people with a propensity towards paedophilia to hide. That is what has happened to the roman catholic church. It is steeped in buggery.
Matthew 18:6 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea”.
What Bloody Hypocrisy
Old Nick c/o Hell
It is wrong to believe that the Irish People will accept any old shite. Yes! there has been poltical corruption, clientism and clerical abuse, but Ireland has changed for the better.
I was brought up during the reign of Pius XII, where corruption was at it's height, which is the reason John XXIII changed everything for the better. His action began the decline of the catholic church, and it has declined more and more ever since. Hopefully the catholic church will soon be obsolete in Ireland.
I am presently reading "The Fethard-on Sea Boycott" by Tim Fanning. This book sums up the catholic church in Ireland as the epitomy of Evil. It was evil then, and it is evil still.
Expose the Clergy for their “Mishegoss” (nonsense beyond belief).
Do not acknowledge the anachronistic designations of priests or bishops i.e. Father, monsignor, my lord, your eminence etc. Let there be no deference or privilege shown to them.
Make people like Maurice Dooley justify his biblical and doctrinal claims of indulgences, the assumption etc. Expose the clergy as charlatans, confidence tricksters and purveyors of lies. Expose their sexual debauchery and buggery. Expose their theft and embezzlement.
How Strange the Irish Are!!!
Topics like "potholes" and change of street names attracted a great deal of attention, but the topic of child abuse by priests that ought to have attracted hundreds of comments of indignation about the behaviour of the church. attracted only a few comments. Maybe some Irish people think that wholesale and generalized buggery by the church is quite acceptable.
Poor Old Ireland ! "They cannot see, that they cannot see". I suppose the hundreds of years of tipping their hats to 'their betters' has given them a permanent obsequious disposition.
No wonder James Joyce, Daniel O’Connell, WB Yates, Sean O’ Casey and other intellectuals etc., left Ireland for good in disgust because of their primitive Irish barbarian belligerence mixed with Roman Catholic connivance and mendacity.
Ireland has still got an attitude of a colonial nation, the colonizer is The Vatican. People like Sean Brady and Maurice Dooley still "crack the whip". Remember, Brian Cowan’s comment about the churchs'outrage: “The church needs to regain it’s authority” That says it all.
Fair observation, Anon. Thing is, this post has been one of the most viewed topics, ever, on the blog. There haven't been a proportionate number of comments but, be assured, people are reading.
I do think there is huge disgust out there.
Hi GM, sure what about another catholic church leader Cardinal Sean Brady who stated (in reference to the paedophile priest Brendan Smyth and Brady's part in making 2 young victims aged 10 and 14 take an oath of silence)
"We are judging the behaviour of 35 years ago by the standards we set today and I don't think that is fair and it's not applied to other sectors of society,"
My understanding of a statement like that is well nowadays it's not acceptable to have paedophile priests, but 35 years ago it was.
Paedophiles have never been accepted in Irish society either now or 35 years ago.
Let the People Act
The crime of Child abuse was not brought to the statute books until 1901 in the UK. Prior to then it was an ecclesiastical offence and was dealt with by the church. The catholic church ignored this law and continued to mistreat children as it believed that it had the God given right to do as it pleased with children, hence the industrial schools and abject cruelty demonstrated to children over the years.
It has always been a crime to be an accessory to a crime, before and after the fact. Therefore in 1975 Sean Brady did commit a crime in covering up this awful outrage regarding the children and not reporting the matter of Brendan Smyth to the Guards. He uses the same excuses as the “SS” and the Nazi murderers. The catholic church was and still is a right wing facist organisation like the "SS" The Irish Christian Brothers and the Jesuits who taught me at school behaved with the same sort of cruelty of the "SS"the The Gestapo.
In 1975 like it is today, the Guards and the Judiciary would not have prosecuted catholic clerics because they were and still are “the establishment”. The bishops, priests, brothers and nuns have always felt safe from prosecution.
I heard a catholic say in 1955 that the catholic church law is paramount to all other laws, and the police and government were subject to the laws of the church. That is why clerical perverts and sadists did those terrible things to children. The told us blatent lies.
In 1975, Sean Brady could not have known about the onset of the EC and freedom of information, or the onset on the Internet and proliferation of electronic communications so he felt safe with his shameful secrets and his wickedness. However, he has lost power, authority and respect and he counts for nothing anymore. He and Maurice Dooley are just “pissing in the wind”.
It is possible for the people to mount a collective private prosecution against Sean Brady and others if the Guards and the Director of Prosecutions fails to act. However, The Vatican still has a long reach, and still has enormous power to manipulate and pervert anything it wishes to do. The EC court is not afraid of the vatican and there is hope of justice, but not from the Irish Government.
The Church, The Judiciary, The Police and The Government will continue to obfuscate the truth and procrastinate for as long as the people are foolish enough to allow the church’s evil to go unpunished and unresolved.
Simply: If the people en masse stick together and boycott the clergy, the church and their institutions and do not give any support of any kind to them, the problem will soon become resolved.
Old Nick
From Pope Benedict XVI
VATICAN CITY, 17 MAR 2010 (VIS) -
Hello
"As you know, in recent months the Church in Ireland has been severely shaken as a result of the child abuse crisis. As a sign of my deep concern I have written a Pastoral Letter dealing with this painful situation. I will sign it on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church, and send it soon after. I ask all of you to read it for yourselves, with an open heart and in a spirit of faith. My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal".
AG/PASTORAL LETTER/IRELAND VIS 100317 (160)
Well I can't wait, I'm sure that this letter will fix everything. I may be wrong but I think that a "French Letter" would be of more use.
HAPPY ST PATS GM ithink its atoss up between the church and fianna fail who buggered irl and the irish people the most the brits would only make to third place just my opinion of course cheers
Spot on, Mr BH. Have a good one yourself.
GM thats interesting you saying this subject is the most read and the number of comments are not reflecting this interest! I think that says it all really. At the end of the day it all comes back the cultural (social) norms and values. If people wont even commit to a blog, well you know the rest....
Its really a very sad little country.
Dakota
Dear Cardinal Brady
Do not say sorry, but act sorry. Action speaks louder than words. Your action today in Belfast was a cynical manoeuvre where the congregation were bussed into Belfast for the occasion and the applause was orchestrated and rehearsed just to give you kudos. It doesn't wash anymore because the people have found out just what the church is capable of in terms of vileness and deviousness.
Let you and the other bishops, and the Vatican pay compensation to all the people who were abused by agents of the church. Ordained priests are registered in Rome and after all, the Vatican is their professional organisation who granted them a licence to practice. The priests are guilty of clerical malfeasance, and they should stand trial and be judged by the people that they betrayed in a court of law.
So why do you not put 'your hand in your pocket' and give up some of your massive accumulated wealth to the people that you have let down and you should cease to hide behind those colourful vestments of status and ill deserved privilege.
Confession is not just about words, but it is about making restitution for the wrongs done. (Cure of Ars). So why do you and the other odious clergy not make tangible restitution.
Mark Castilano LLB
The problem you have in Ireland with the catholic church is also in Germany and Austria. The incidence of child abuse was hidden because of the peoples’ shame and embarrassment. Ireland has been very good in it’s protest, and if I may say so, has been an example to many other countries to protest also.
One of your writers has pointed to the crux of the issue, inasmuch that the church never expected to be found out, and sadly for them the EC laws and Internet has exposed them. However, The Vatican has had 1700 years of experience in covering up it’s crimes and it’s influence travels a long way. It is also of interest that there is growing speculation that the next Pope will be an American, and he will probably be very skilled in covering up the Vatican’s sins. It is possible that the Vatican may move to California and the Pope will wear a “shell-suit”. and smoke Havana cigars.
WASTED WORDS
Mr Castilano
Your words and logic are wasted on this issue. Just read the comments on other Gombeen Nation blogs, and you will clearly see that the Irish do not easily engage in deep and meaningful debate or discussion on any subject. I suspect that many of the readers will have little idea about the points you are making.
Many Irish people are still steeped in religious superstition and the fear of hell and are still steeped in cow-shit, and they will never stand up against the power and corruption of the catholic church. A majority will still vote for the same government who are the political wing of the Vatican. Brian Cowan and the cardinal are known to be buddies, as are the other bishops and priests. He still believes that the catholic church is good for the people after all the evil that has been done.
Dear Mr. GM, as a matter of curiosity can you put a post near the end of each blog giving no of viewings- inc. this one- I would be interested to know.
Re the church & public indignation - I think people are just Unsure what they can do.
I think we all should sign a petition asking for the Government to simply sign a compulsory purchase order to buy all schools and hospitals at a nominal fee of €1 euro each-as people like this have simply demonstrated they are unfit to run them.
Imagine some of this abuse actually took place in children’s hospitals!
Anyway its no good the church saying all these schools and hospitals re ‘their’ property- all of it came from money raised from the people.
Just Look it Up, and see the truth for Yourself.
Thanks to the Internet, it is so easy to find out the origins of the Roman Catholic Church and why they still practice child abuse and misogyny. It is easy to find out about “Sol Invictus” and the Cult of Mithra, to which Constantine belonged and practised. “Sol Invictus” worshipped the Sun (The Sun of God), and they made perfect sacrifices to the sun god as Abraham did in the Old Testament.
The sacrifice of uncontaminated children and virgins were to be the perfect offering, and that is why the catholic church is still preoccupied with virginity, celibacy, martyrdom and purity.
Constantine was a politician who saw the advantage of embracing Christianity, so he amalgamated Sol Invictus and Christianity. Therefore, the altar used in The Sacrifice of the Mass is just a continuation of the Altar used to butcher children and young women. The Sun of God became the Son of God. (It is so bloody stupid).
The vestments are protective clothing; the chasuble is identical to a tabard as worn by a butcher in a slaughterhouse. The blood of the victim was passed around in a chalice to be consumed by the congregation. The flesh was cut up then eaten raw by the select gathering. The breasts and genitals were reserved for the elders (bishops).
That is the origin of The Catholic Church, and later the church of Rome. The Roman Empire never ended, it just changed into The Roman Catholic Church with the same barbaric practices.
Most educated and reasoned people know that Jesus did not die on the cross. Supposedly at Jesus’ trial. Pilate asked “Who will I release unto you, Jesus or Barabbas?” The people said “Barabbas!!!.”. However Barabbas means: Bar (son of) Abbas (the Father) in Aramaic means God. Jesus was not crucified, and the Mass is an the representation of barbaric Mithras Cult butchery. The mass has nothing to do with Jesus.
I invite or defy Maurice Dooley and Sean Brady or The Pope himself to debate this matter with me in public. It would be interesting what to find out what reasoning they would use to justify the Mass and the outragious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Well Worth Reading
Beck, Roger (2007). The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199216134.
Beck, Roger, "The Mysteries of Mithras: A New Account of Their Genesis," Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 88, 1998 (1998) , pp. 115–128. Beck, Roger, "Mithraism since Franz Cumont," Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt, II.17.4, 1984, pp. 2002-115. Important summary of the changes to Mithras scholarship. Clauss, Manfred, The Roman cult of Mithras: the god and his mysteries, Translated by Richard Gordon. New York: Routledge, 2000. Pp. 198. ISBN 0-415-92977-6 here. An excellent concise view of the current consensus. Cumont, Franz, Textes et monuments figurés relatifs aux Mystères de Mithra : pub. avec une introduction critique, 2 vols. 1894-6. Vol. 1 is an introduction, now obsolete. Vol. 2 is a collection of primary data, online at Archive.org here, and still of some value. Gordon, Richard, Frequently asked questions about the cult of Mithras. Some common misconceptions, and the comments of a professional Mithras scholar. Hinnells, John (ed.), Proceedings of The First International Congress of Mithraic Studies, Manchester University Press (1975). Turcan, Robert, Mithra et le mithriacisme, Paris, 2000. Academic study. Ulansey, David, The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World, Oxford University Press, 1989. An influential but non-mainstream account. Vermaseren, M.J., Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae, The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff, 1956, 2 vols. The standard collection of Mithraic reliefs
Old Nick c/o Hell
In Praise of Anna.
"And yes they (the church)should just Stop controlling the schools".
Anna has really summed up the whole debacle of the present problem. As long as there are church schools, children will be indoctrinated with archaic nonsense and idiotic superstition.
It is a moral outrage to allow any church to contaminate the human intellect at an early age. What the catholic church teaches is beyond logic or reason, and is in fact, dangerous fantasy. It is the same thing as teaching that the stories in of "The Odyssey" are factual. In fact, "The Odyssey" makes more sense than the bible.
It is good that people like Anna are thinkers and apply reason.
Its time the church hierarchy was brought to justice over their criminal cover-up and neglect in aiding these criminals. As pointed out above, Brady's actions are criminal - he didn't report a crime to the proper authorities. No matter what decade we live in that is and has been a crime in itself.
The DPP and the cops should be rounding these bastards up and putting them in the same cell as Sean Fitzpatrick, let them all rot together and we might begin to cleanse this society of ours...
RUMOURS
It is not always wise to believe rumours, but sometimes rumours can be good indicators, that more questions need to be asked. Therefore:
Question:
Is it true that the Archdioceses of Armagh and Dublin have been “leaning” on Gombeen Nation to delete, retract or redact some blog content that they find to be unacceptable?.
If there is something that is salacious, blasphemous, disrespectful or libellous, then it stands to reason that such things should not be published. But if some topics are truthful but “too near the bone” for the church’s sensitivities, then it would be wrong to withhold them because of some threat from the Leinster House or The Catholic Church. It would be reprehensible if Gombeen Man went that way.
This rumour emanated for a source that is likely to know the truth. I would like to know the truth.
@ Anna. Not that I'm aware of... and I'm not the most technical. Anyway, don't want to give too much away ;-)
You can get some idea via comments, but they are not the most reliable, as you can get the same people posting under different names.
@ SaS. Yes, interesting one that. Let's see does anything come of the Sean F thing.
@ Anon. No truth whatsoever. Unfortunately Gombeen Nation is not that influencial. As far as content goes, all the stuff on the blog is in the public domain anyway, most of it emanating from the mainstream media.
The Immaculate Deception of Monsignor Dooley and Cardinal Brady.
The Immaculate Conception
Yes, there is such a thing as the Immaculate Conception in clinical terms insofar that during In Vitro Fertilization there are clinical sterile conditions; that is what immaculate means.
The catholic church not only disapproves of this practice, but claims that it is a mortal sin.
Monsignor Maurice Dooley, and Cardinal Sean Brady etc. teach that the Virgin Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The mind boggles that in the 21st century these so called educated people still accept and teach this nonsense to young children in school, and their parents allow this indoctrination and psychological contamination to continue.
The Assumption
If Our lady ascended into heaven, body and soul, how does she breathe where there is no oxygen and how does she eat where there is no food?. There are people like Maurice Dooley and Sean Brady who can look others straight in the face and insist that this bullshit is true. These people and the church literally accept this illogical impossibility. When I aged eleven, I was savagely thrashed by the Irish Christian Brothers for asking this question. I was accused of harbouring dangerous knowledge and ideas.
Lourdes
I have seen and participated in a psychological experiment that proves beyond doubt that the story of Bernadette seeing Our Lady in Lourdes was a confidence trick in that the children were hypnotised by the priest Abbe Pomain into seeing the Virgin Mary. However, only Bernadette was a suitable, susceptible subject and that is why she claimed to have seen the Virgin.
This Lourdes affair was a building scam by the town council to induce trade and tourism. The priest, Abbe Pomain wanted a new church, but there was no money, so together with the town council they induced this scam. Bernedette claimed under hypnosis to have seen the Virgin Mary who told her to tell the priest to build a church. What a strange request? However this was done with money from the vulnerable pilgrims.
Once the racket had got going, Bernadette was speedily removed out of the gaze of the public so that no research hypnotist could reverse the suggestion of Abbe Pomain and expose the scam.
This concept of induced apparition through hypnosis is very well documented and easy to do. Lourdes is now a multi million dollar business, and most of the money goes to the Vatican. Catholic MUGS pay for this deception.
David Aaron Ayalon
Weehawken NJ. US
Old Nick; Go to Hell
Who the fu*k do you think you are telling us how to live?. The people in Ireland have the right to believe in the Roman Catholic Church. A lot of this sexual abuse stuff has been invented by the press and media. The Church has been through bad times before during the penal days, and it survived, and it will again.
It does not matter what you say and there is no need for the church to explain or apologise. "If you believe in God no explanation is necessary, and if you do not believe in God, no explanation is any good".
I believe in God and everything the Catholic Church teaches without reservation. You do not know all the answers and other peoples opinions are just as good as yours.
Remember: "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it".
Sonia
I'm in Australia and we have had the same problems here, with paedophile priests being moved on to other parishes after complaints of abuse, and they continued abusing in their new parish (for many years in some cases), with the Catholic Church just letting it happen, moving them on again and again to new parishes to start all over again and the church covering it up. Pure evilness and a law unto themselves.
Sonia (and if it's you BH masquerading as her - then Someone Forgive You)... In response to your assertion that the sexual abuse stuff has all been created as a beat up by the media, all I can say to you is that CLEARLY you're a fake who's just trying to take the wind out of Old Nick's sails. You're a dullard and dullards like you who profess to believe so ardently in the teachings of the Catholic Church NEVER use the word FUCK in their public text (that's why I thought it might be BH takin' the piss). Tell you what - why don't you email me at destroyed_lives@hotmail.com and I'll send you a list of the men (and they've all agreed to their names being used) that I know of who have suffered sexually (when they were kids) at the hands of some of those who still say mass and hear confession AND still come in contact with altar boys. GM -on a separate line - this has been a great post and I congratulate you for putting it out there. I've wanted to respond many times over the last few days but am way too angry about the subject matter to be able to write. fortunately though i have found many contributors in your column who have eloquently represented my viewpoint.
Hiya Ponyboy, thanks for your comment and support - it's a subject that deserves it.
You'll be glad to hear that there has been a record number of views on this post over the past few days, so I can assure you that there is a huge amount of anger over here (for a change!).
Funny you should refer to that "Sonia" post. Deffo not BH, I can say for certain. It is, however, one of several comments coming from one person- the same person who has made some of the more erudite and articulate obvervations (I wont' say which). Maybe trying to get a bit of controversy going? I published it before I looked back over the stats, so didn't cop it.
So, please, as many comments as you like folks - but no multiple personalities please.
APOLOGY
I have written the letter under my own name Mark Castilano to Cardinal Brady. I have also written under the pseudonym "Old Nick". I did not mean to be deceitful and I apologise to everyone.
Last month I was invited to a Christening (of which I strongly disapprove). However, as I was not participating in the ceremony and was only a guest, so I decided to attend for no other reason than good manners.
On the evening prior to the Christening, we were discussing the concept of original sin at the dinner table. I stated what I believed to be true, insofar that it is impossible for a newly born baby to be a sinner, and that a Christening was just a good get together to celebrate the birth of a baby.
There were nine of us sitting at the table. Seven of those present turned on me with vitriol and verbal abuse with a threat of physical abuse. The priest at the table ordered me out of the house.
It was only the mother of the baby who defended me, and it was she who admonished the priest and told him that it was her house and she would decide who would stay and who would leave. The priest left the house in a state of indignation and he called me Evil and that I would burn in Hell.
The mother then decided that no Christening would take place, and there was one hell of a row. At no time did anyone proffer a reasoned response to my point of view. There was just condemnation and the threat of Hellfire.
When I was nine, a priest tried to molest me in the school toilet, he wanted to bugger me as I later learned that he had done to others. I knew that this was wrong and I managed to fend him off with a filthy shit covered floor mop, and I said that I would tell my mother. I did tell my mother and she believed me and not him.
Therefore parents must take some responsibility for where they are sending their children to be educated. I do blame the catholic church and the priests for teaching profound, superstitious, unadulterated nonsense to young children that contaminates their ability to reason, debate and think clearly. Too many Irish people allow rank emotion and misguided piety to cloud their reason.
The point I am making is: How can a parent allow and expose their precious child to the blind sort of bigotry as was recently displayed by the idiotic Monsignor Dooley. It took me many years to be de-conditioned from the nonsense that I was taught by the Irish Christian Brothers and The Jesuits.
I will only write ad “Old Nick” in future.
No problem. Welcome to the blog, Old Nick.
No Offence Intended (Only Truth)
If anyone is offended with anything I have written on this subject either as Mark Castilano AKA “Old Nick” contact me : markcastilano@aol.com
@PonyBoy, couldn't agree more about your summing up of "Sonia", a fake if ever there was one. It is really an emotive subject for many of us that GM has blogged on here.
On another note, no matter how distressing, maddening, sickening or even just plain irritating a subject GM chooses to write a post on, Mr BH, in his very unique manner always manages to bring a smile to my face with his inimitable style, and no Sonia most certainly didn't bring a smile to my face.
Please tell me who is Mr BH? I cannot discover who this is.
OLD NICK
A reader of the blog, Old Nick.
There is no statistical connection between the abuse of minors and a celibate way of life, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales said.
“Nor is there as far as I know any proven psychological connection between a way of celibacy and the abuse of children,” Archbishop of Westminster the Most Rev Vincent Nichols said.
SIGH.
One commentor said, ' In the 40's/50's/60s the seminaries of Ireland were full of young man whose Mother had a vocation to the priesthood. More 'vocation's ( a vocation should be person's own true calling) tahn any other country- the thne Pope praised Irelands shining 'example'- so many they had to export them
The Popes Letter to the Faithful in Ireland.
This letter demonstrates that The Vatican and the Roman Catholic in Ireland have learned nothing whatsoever since 1935.
This morning, I heard the wonderful Colm Tobin sum up the whole issue of the clergy and child sexual abuse in Ireland on the BBC “The Today Programme”. He was so right when he said “They have changed nothing”. The account he gives of his experience at St Peter’s College in Wexford, was just shocking.
Also on the same programme was Noel Treanor, the Bishop of Down and Connor, who was completely "out of his box", and was in deep denial. Today The Pope's Letter to the faithful of Ireland has proven him right. Catholics are mad.
The tenets of the Popes letter are absurd by today’s standards. He advocated prayer (to whom) and sacrifice (for what). It is difficult to know how the Cardinal a mature adult man kept a straight face while reading out this nonsense. The cardinal may be a great “singer”, but the “song” he sings is hollow and meaningless. The Cardinal should leave office today!!
The Archbishop of Westminster: Vincent Nichols claims there was no statistics to prove the extent of the churches involvement, and he stipulated that child abuse was more prevalent in families than in the church. Vincent Nichols knows very well that Quantitive Research methodology does not easily lend itself to subjects like child abuse because, a child abuser is unlikely to tick a box or use a Likert scale every time he abuses a child, therefore statistical analysis is unreliable and unhelpful. The Archbishop knows this and is using statistics to dodge the issue at he behest of the pope and he ought to be ashamed of this deception.
However, observation, interviewing and self reporting in terms Qualitative Research in a ethnographic context does reveal and has revealed the ugly truth about Roman Catholic involvement in child sexual and physical abuse and the deception they have used to cover up their prurience and degradation. There is a plethora of research to show the extent and degree of child abuse perpetrated by the Roman Catholic Church. Vincent Nichols and Noel Treanor, are still trying to wriggle out their complicity. The church has not learned anything since the middle ages and it never will because the message it teaches is long winded fallacy.
Sadly Pope Benedict XVI seems as though he has gone completely mad and is living on some another planet.
Mark Castilano
Children attending Catholic Schools to be indoctrinated in Medieval Fantasy
I am sure that all readers will be familiar with The Irish Constitution Article 44.1.2 that gave the Catholic Church a special Position in the State.
Even though this act was severe, it was not as severe as John Charles McQuaid, (later Archbishop of Dublin) and Eugenio Pacelli (later Pope Pius XII) had intended it to be. They wanted the Church to have absolute power.
They had proposed that the Catholic religion become the state religion and the only recognised religion in Ireland. They wanted the term “The Church of Ireland” to be abolished and that there would be no accepting “The Anglican Communion” or any other Protestant religion or any recognition of The Jewish Communion.
Father John Charles McQuaid, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli: The Papal Secretary of State, and the supercilious fascist supporter of General Franco: General Eoin O’Duffy wanted all the Jews to be removed from Ireland so as to appease Hitler.
Thankfully, Eamon DeValera a wily politician foresaw the ramifications of this sectarian action internationally and he knew that it would be catastrophic for Ireland at the time of the Nazi ascendancy. McQuaid and Pacelli almost got away with it, and had it not been for the intervention of the Irish President Douglas Hyde and President Roosevelt they would have got away with it.
People will be aware of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972 which was approved by referendum on 7 December 1972 and signed into law on 5 January 1973 that removed the special position of the Roman Catholic Church from the Irish Constitution and accepting the recognition of other named religious denominations. Jews, Quakers, Mormons, Orthodox, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Pagans and all of the Protestant denominations.
Even thought it is over 37 years since that change was made by the agreement of a large majority of the people of Ireland through a referendum, the Roman Catholic Church has completely ignored that any change has taken place, and they still believe and behave as though they have the right to do as they please, just as the idiotic Monsignor Maurice Dooley intimated in his recent radio interview with his belligerent arrogance and his obnoxious, waspish, almost socially illiterate rhetoric. It is hard to believe that he has been employed as a senior academic at St Patrick’s Seminary College, Maynooth. Imagine the standards of academia with him in charge.
In the words of Brian Cowan “Is is time the Catholic Church regained it’s authority”. He did not say “It is time we took control over the antiquated and pernicious activities of the Roman Catholic Church”. He did not consider that ringing the Angelus bell on RTE twice every day might contravene the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972 as it shows the States preference to The Roman Catholic Church. This Angelus bell ringing should cease forthwith.
He and his party supports that young children attend catholic schools to be indoctrinated in medieval fantasy and fables that are without one iota of credulity. Subjects like mortal sin, heaven and hell, purgatory, indulgences, virgin birth, the crucifixion (with emphasis on the fiction) and resurrection of a mythical figure, misogyny, fear of sexuality, fear of eternal damnation and most of all “the fear of freedom to think”. This clap-trap is passed off as truth. What sort of government allows such psychological and spiritual contamination?
Mark Castilano
Correction and apology for some typographical errors in a previous post.
In a previous post I erroneously stated that the Bishop of Down and Connor, Noel Trainor was interviewed On The BBC "The Today Programme" on Saturday 20th March. I was mistaken and it was Donal McKeown, the auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor that interviewed was on the programme. I respectfully apologise for the error.
Mark Castilano
The Flat Earth Society Of Ireland (Pastoral Letter)
I wish to issue a profound apology on behalf of The Flat Earth Society to all the people of Ireland for teaching complete balderdash in an arrogant and dictatorial fashion over the past 1700 years.
I am sorry that over the years we have tortured and massacred millions of people, carried out abominable rituals of diabolical debauchery with young children, including serial rape and murder
I am sorry that The Inquisition had not been more successful over the centuries and that more people had not been subjected to greater torments. If this had been done effectively, we would not be in this mess today and no one would be asserting that the earth is spherical and no one would challenging that the earth is flat. The Flat Earth is an article of absolute faith.
I am sorry that we predominantly used sexual perverts, sadists and paedophiles to induce torture, inflict pain and suffering, cause humiliation and doubt and instil fear in young children so that they would become permanently obedient and learn to permanently fear us. Most of all, I am sorry that we have been found wanton, and also that we have been found out by the public for our pernicious dogma.
Henceforth we will endeavour to teach balderdash in a more subtle way and with more guile and cunning than before. In future we hope to ensure that all our gibberish, garbage and twaddle will be taught with more emphasis on gobbledygook.
We will endeavour to ensure that we conceal our perversions and use extraordinary rendition as a system of punishment. No child or person will be punished directly by us, we will contract this service out to others on a reciprocal basis.
We will also ensure that our attire will look even more ridiculous and hidious than before with taller sillier hats and with even more outragious rituals whilst wearing ostentatious regalia and carrying senseless accoutrements.
Do not give up hope, please ensure that we will do everything to keep the earth flat, forever.
Benedict Flatulence XVI
Pontiff.
Old Nick C/O Hell
Brady must be cursing the day the media discovered the Doodlebug to chime in with his words of support. It's astounding that these people ruled the nation not so long ago. It lets you imagine what life in Iran must be like.
To Tony McDonnell
How fitting that you have mentioned Iran. I have recently heard Monsignor Dooley referred to as Maurice “The Mullah” Dooley, because of his anarchic doctrinal intransigence and his vehement vituperation against any opinion, other than his own. This characteristic is called paranoia and it is not amenable to reason. He is the epitome of the Roman Catholic Church.
Monsr Dooley says, in genial tones and a laugh, "Hallo Colm, I believe we have jousted on the media before."
Dammit! that was the RTE reality I missed,"Priests V Victims It's a Knockout", where they were bashing each other with 10 feet plastic inflatable mallets? Or was that Fr Ted? Cólm rightly told him 'this wasn't a sporting event we were involved in, but something deadly serious'
M Dooley warbled on:'Fr Brady did nothing wrong, as he was taking part in a confidential process...which ended in Fr Smyth being stripped of powers to hear confession, say mass etc..."
Now this woukd be Almost believable, if it was in Any Way an effective Church procedure to stop him abusing children ( BUT still leaving the issue of how would this procedure help get redress for those already abused) BUT Smyth wasn't EVEN dismissed from the order,but endlessly passsed around. Booting him out might have been an almost believable way of stopping his access to children, BUT keeping him in the organisation, and stripping him of a few of his powers? It's like stripping a school bully of his prefect's badge- just showing he'd been demoted a little to his peers- but everyone knews he will carry on bullying. The VICTIMS still don't matter.
From Today's Sunday Times: A boarding school girl Samantha, would be among a group of girls
called to the living room when Smyth came. Under the eye of Nuns, he'd Pick one- and off for an hour of rape. No one asked what they got up to - no one asked what'instruction' he was giving, some how no-one put their head in the door with an innocent query like, 'would father like a cup of tea'. Samantha, and others, was raped for years- don't think she was that old- she might be in her 40's. It's IMPOSSIBLE to believe the cowardly nuns at that school did not know what was going on- a 12 year old would have known- they just colluded for the sake of a quiet life.
Here's a question: Let's say Ireland had a large chain of schools run by a fringe Protestant religion/ Jews/ Muslims/ Communists & Socialists/ Atheists/ Agnostics/ Non denominational/ Broadly Christian but not Catholic....let's say they had great standards/ facilities/ low educational fees. Catholic parents started sending their kids there in large numbers ...and then 1 kid was discovered to be abused by 1 person in 1 school..if such scenario HAD ever existed, the Catholic church would have Clamoured to have the perpetrator jailed for 20 yrs, used this as 'proof' to close every non catholic school, as they led kids into 'mortal' danger...oh and they would have kindly taken the female rape victim into a Magdalen laundry , so she could atone for the evil of losing her virginity...
Have a look at the Galway Independent for a laugh at the bishop of Galway's latest scheme to hang on to his job, involving parishioners from throughout his realm dumping leaves and twigs on a shelf and asking forgiveness. Drennan of Galway is the touchy-feely face of what Dooley stands for.
Dear Tony
You seem to be a very astute man and I hope that you won’t mind me suggesting that you read “The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott by Tim Fanning. It is a brand new book that is factual and heavily supported with references and evidence about The Catholic Church’s insensitive, interfering, inflexible and intransigent attitude and behaviour in Wexford in 1957. Even today there is evidence that there still remains secrecy and belligerence on the part of the bishop of Ferns Dennis Brennan because would not release “The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott File” to the author.
“The Fethard-on-Sea Boycott File” directly implicates Pope Pius XII and the then Papal Nuncio Archbishop Lavame, who were both strongly Anti Semitic. The antecedents to the conflict arose because Robert Brisco has been elected the Mayor of Dublin. It was an anathema to Pius XII that a Jew could be elected to a prestigious public office in Ireland. The Pope was even more incensed because Robert Brisco toured America and highly praised the fact that the Republic of Ireland was without racial and religious bigotry
Pius XII felt very strongly that Catholics in Ireland were losing out, and giving ground to wicked anti catholic influences, namely Jews and Protestants. The Pope and the Papal Nuncio, induced John Charles McQuaid (Archbishop of Dublin) Michael Browne, (Bishop of Galway), James Staunton (Bishop of Ferns). Eugene O’Callaghan (Bishop of Clogher), and many more thought that it was time to make a strong stand.
In the small village of Fethard on Sea in Co Wexford a fairly simple family incident of no real consequence to anyone was engineered and whipped-up by the local parish priest: Father Laurence Allen and his curate Father William Stafford with the knowledge, acquiescence and connivance of bishops, McQuaid, Browne, Stuanton and whole hierarchy of The Catholic Church in Ireland in an effort to stamp it’s infallable authority on the people of Ireland.
I will not spoil the story but it is very relevant to today problems. Even now, The Bishop of Ferns, Dennis Brennan has demonstrated the he does not want the anti- Semitic, attitudes of Pope Pius XII to be exposed especially when Pope Benedict XVI is planning on making him a saint.
Attitudes have not changed one iota for the better in Ferns or in Ireland since the secrecy and mendacity of James Staunton 53 years ago.
Mark Castilano
Mark, thanks for the email on that.
It's something I will definitely read, once I get through Klaus P. Fischer's "The History of an Obsession - German Judeophobia and the Holocaust". Our friends in the church feature strongly there too, Judeophobia having essentially Christian roots.
GM
I think bare bones of the story was: the Fethard couple were Catholic & Protestant & were having problems about which school to send their children to.
The wife vanished with children for a few months due to the stress of it, When she came back local priest raised a hullabaloo that she was kidnapping Catholic children (her own!), denying them their faith & Catholic education etc…local people were encouraged to boycott Protestant business.. Went on 1 yr.. Shocking and Disgraceful…and that’s why I think if Even 1 child hade been sexually abused in a Non catholic school, they would have had the faithful whipped up in a foaming mob round the school, ready to lynch the principal, probably waving placards like ‘Save Irish Catholic children from Mortal sin & Un-believers’ etc..and getting 2 million to sing petitions to forcibly hand over all schools to Catholic management….
But Deadly silence and insults to victims ensue when it was ( Probably) 10,000 Catholic kids abused in Catholic schools!
Good point!
24/03/2010 - 11:20:25
"Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of a senior Irish bishop who stood down over his mishandling of clerical child sex abuse allegations, it was confirmed today.
Scandal-hit former bishop of Cloyne John Magee, a one-time Vatican aide, quit the day-to-day running of parishes across rural Cork in March last year."
John Magee is from Newry: I find this a bit significant, no not because I am from the locality, and I am Really proud a local boy got a big job: What I think is significant is he might have Finally had the decency and self knowledge to resign because he Wasn't brought up in ROI;
I am Continually Amazed at the endless ducking of responsibility in this country. I was recently looking at some political proposals, one said, the reason people are apathetic about getting involved in a party that will change politics here is 'Irish people don't like to be ordered about.'
I wouldn't have said that at all: I would have said 'Irish people just don't want to take any responsibility - even for something that will change their own lives and others for the Better: even for something that's their own fault: or that happened in the course of duties they were well paid to do'-look at Tallaght hospital.
ESB also appear to have Flooded Cork with a massive relese of water from a dam- but no-one will admit it.
And somehow this attitude seems to be Imbued with growing up here. It's as if 4,000,000+ people often carry on just fighting their own corner- with no thought of any responsibility to anyone else.
Strange!! I remember Father McGee very well. He will go down in history as the last person to see Pope John Paul I alive. He had dinner with him shortly before the pope died. Father McGee was the last person Pope John Pope I spoke to. Father McGee walked with him to his bedroom door. The Pope said: “Bouna notte. A domani” Se. Dio vuole” (Good night. Until tomorrow. If God wishes). His role at the time and in the aftermath of the death of John Paul I leave many questions unanswered, according to the book “In Gods Name” by David Yallop. Words like “Chickens, Home and Roost" come to mind.
I think it is time for me to stop writing to Gombeen Man. Over and Out"
Mark Castilano
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