IRISH CATHOLIC CHURCH: Still in denial...

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In the spirit of the American Catholic Council meeting this weekend in Cobo Hall, I would like to comment on an article in the New York Times by Maureen Dowd, June 5^th, titled: An Archbishop Burns While Rome Fiddles.

It talks about Irish Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin who is reaching out to victims of priestly abuse in Ireland where one in four people have been affected by the sexual scandal. The cover-up in Ireland, supported by the Vatican, was horrendous and went on for many years.

Martin’s reaching out to the victims through various special Church programs like the “Liturgy of Lament and Repentance” where he asked for forgiveness from God and the victims have been met by scorn from the Vatican and his fellow Irish bishops; he has been ostracized, passed over for cardinal and snubbed by the Church.

The article points out that Pope Benedict refused to accept the resignation of Irish bishops that were complicit in the great cover-up and should probably have been jailed. Also other protectors of pedophiles like Cardinal Bernard Law have been called to Rome for cushy Vatican jobs and escape from possible prosecution in their homeland.

Archbishop Martin is responding to the unspeakable sexual molestation scandal in the Church in the correct manner; asking for forgiveness and making sure this horror does not happen again BUT he is a tiny minority.

The Church, as described above, is in denial, stonewalling at all turns and minimizing what happened to the point of ignoring what happened and Catholics are either allowing this to continue or as in Ireland, just walking away from the Church.

The American Catholic Council meeting in Detroit today, wants to keep Catholics in church by changing the Church…good luck but I think your mission is hopeless as long as other Catholics remain silent and keeping putting their dollars in the collection basket.

Related articles

• Op-Ed Columnist: An Archbishop Burns While Rome Fiddles (nytimes.com)
• Ireland's Apostolic Visitation Concludes Phase 1 (onecatholicorg.wordpress.com)
• Vatican to Publish Irish Church Abuse Report in 2012 (onecatholicorg.wordpress.com)
• English cardinal urges prayers for Irish Catholic Church (onecatholicorg.wordpress.com)