Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

Looks like the Irish Prime Minister is a little upset with the Vatican


Corcaigh

Recommended Posts

Commenting on the recent Cloyne report in which evidence was presented that the Vatican actively tried to block investigation of child abuse, the Irish Prime Minister used fairly undiplomatic language ...

From the Irish Times:

"Taoiseach Enda Kenny today told the Dáil the Cloyne report exposed an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate the inquiry into clerical sex abuse.

Addressing the House, Mr Kenny said: "The rape and torture of children were downplayed or ‘managed’ to uphold instead, the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and ‘reputation’.

"Far from listening to evidence of humiliation and betrayal with St Benedict’s “ear of the heart” . . . the Vatican’s reaction was to parse and analyse it with the gimlet eye of a canon lawyer. . . . This calculated, withering position being the polar opposite of the radicalism, humility and compassion upon which the Roman Church was founded."

"The revelations of the Cloyne report have brought the Government, Irish Catholics and the Vatican to an unprecedented juncture," the Taoiseach said.

"It’s fair to say that after the Ryan and Murphy reports Ireland is, perhaps, unshockable when it comes to the abuse of children. But Cloyne has proved to be of a different order.

"Because for the first time in Ireland, a report into child sexual-abuse exposes an attempt by the Holy See, to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic . . . as little as three years ago, not three decades ago. And in doing so, the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism . . . the narcissism . . . that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0720/breaking37.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not an adherent to any organized religious faith/belief system, but as one who was raised Catholic, knows history fairly well, and has a very much admired cousin who was an amazing man and Jesuit priest, I often feel mixtures of chagrin, frustration, anger, and sadness at both the unfair and justified charges leveled against that institution (Catholicism) since the clergy/child molestation issues (crimes) in that institution burst into the social awareness. Sigh. The one thing that brooks no challenging or deflecting IMO is how poorly the factual and legitimately proven crimes against children and adult parishioners has often been so disgustingly handled (as far as I can tell) by the church hierarchy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously mardi doesn't speak "Snatch." :pfft:

"Irish windtalkers".

My father was working in Baghdad at the time of the Kuwait invasion and as the risk of being used as a human shield was high, he and his colleagues took refuge in the various national embassies and spent a number of weeks there before they were eventually allowed to leave. When he phoned me we expected that Iraqi security ears may have been listening in, so we'd hold some of the conversation in Irish. Not that we had anything secret to say, but just to mess with them as we thought the likelihood of the Iraqi intelligence service having someone who could translate Irish in the Cork dialect was quite low and they'd be panicking in case there was something important being discussed. :ols:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Catholic church's plea could rule out damages for priests' abuse

Victims' lawyers condemn 'scandalous' defence that Catholic priests are not legally employees of the church\

Victims of sexual abuse by priests will no longer be able to sue the Catholic church for damages if a landmark judgment rules that priests should not be considered as employees.

In a little publicised case heard this month at the high court, the church claimed that it is not "vicariously liable" for priests' actions. The church has employed the argument in the past but this was the first time it had been used in open court and a ruling in the church's favour would set a legal precedent.

The use of the defence raises further questions about the church's willingness to accept culpability for abuse. It follows a damning report into abuse at the diocese of Cloyne in Ireland which prompted the Irish president, Mary McAleese, to call on leaders of the church "to urgently reflect on how, by coherent and effective action, it can restore public trust and confidence in its stated objective of putting children first".

Those planning to bring claims in relation to the high court case expressed dismay. "As children, we weren't given an innocent, carefree and safe environment," said one. "We weren't given a peaceful structure in which to grow and develop normally. By some miracle, some of us are still here to voice the words of so many who can't. Only a small number of victims ever come forward. The full potential of who we could have been as adults has been stolen."

The church's defence has been condemned by lawyers. "I think the Catholic church's attempt to avoid responsibility for the abhorrent actions of one of its priests is nothing short of scandalous," said Richard Scorer of the law firm Pannone, which specialises in abuse cases. "The Catholic church would be better served by facing up to its responsibilities rather than trying to hide behind spurious employment law arguments."

Click on the link for the full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enda Kenny got up in the Dail and in his capacity as Taoiseach he repeated what millions are saying in bars, homes, offices etc... The vatican's actions or in-actions which is more suited is downright sickening! If it were the behaviour of say the irish government or even the US administration the people would be calling for heads of leaders. Why treat the vatican any different? The knew what was going on, they covered it up, the refused to apologise - their ignorance is insulting to those victims.

Oh and they are going to make a man who knew what was going on whilst he was in charge a saint, the final insult!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...