Catholic Church of Ireland is Under Constant Attack

Perhaps the first expression of disgust about the Catholic church in Ireland began long ago with an arrogant and authoritative priest or bishop. For a century at least, the Catholic Church has had its hammer down on Ireland's politics. Abortion, for example, was illegal until a few years ago.

The denomination's most recent problem came from a movie shown round the world about Catholic homes for unwed mothers. These Catholic homes received payments for children adopted by people in other countries. Some birth mothers were known to have protested but were overruled, their children gone.

An exhaustive study has been completed by the government assembling testimonies and available information. According to the link, the study cast a wide view of the practice of housing unwed mothers. It reported other denominations had these homes as well as the government itself. The Catholic homes were reported to be better than those run by the government.

The context of these homes included several variables, one being simply terrible poverty across the country. Add to that the prohibition of birth control. Then add many Catholic clergy, men and women, who were pressured into the clergy by families who themselves were pressured to provide one of their many children to the church. The result was adults who did not want to be priests or nuns and did not have the interest or temperament for such work.

The link complains that now there is a new film heaping more blame on the Catholic Church for the crimes associated with these homes of pregnant women. It is unfair, he claims, for the Catholic Church to be singled out as a villain when there were many additional variables in play at the time. The entire institution of the Catholic Church of Ireland in not corrupt and should not be portrayed in this way, he says. He admits sexual abuse by priests needs to be stopped.

As an atheist, it is hard to feel sorry for the Catholic Church of Ireland. I wonder how many thousands of times priests and bishops there have railed against atheists, pagans (who preceded Catholics in Ireland) and women who seek abortions. I try not to complain about treatment of atheists because it's wonderful I can write this blog and not be beaten or jailed. My advice to the Catholics of Ireland is to be grateful they can be Catholics and not jailed.