Those grovelling bishops kissing Pope Benedict’s hand
A scorching piece on Catholic brutality in Ireland by Sharon Owens.
The church that forbade birth control, yet despised big families of starving, barefoot children. The church that encouraged education yet hated free-thinkers. The church that revered Mary the Mother of God, yet treated all mortal women as sinners and whores. The church that raved about poverty and humility, yet lined the walls of the Vatican with priceless works of art. The church that took the pocket money off children during Lent, yet covered up the brutal rape and buggery of little boys and girls for more than 50 years. And I wondered, looking at those grovelling bishops kissing Pope Benedict’s hand, do they really understand, even now, why there is a crisis in the church? Have they any idea of how the survivors of abuse must feel? Have they no empathy whatsoever for the unnamed Magdalene slaves who died of exhaustion or malnutrition or a broken heart and were quietly buried behind those high stone walls? I’m beginning to think only snobs, sociopaths and narcissists are drawn to religious life in the first place, for I have yet to see a flicker of shame, regret or sadness from any bishops.
Except, of course, for themselves and their colleagues and their church.
A vigorous denunciation, well deserved. The church won’t take a blind bit of notice. The leaders really think they count for something, but they count for less and less. ‘Bout time too.
Indeed. I was a bit taken aback to see the reference to buggery though.
Mighty strong stuff and good from Sharon Owens, especially re Joshua bar Joseph: “He would roar and weep and pull down the wall of silence that has been built around the crimes of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Jesus would smash the headstones condemning the Magdalenes as ‘penitents’ even in death. He would throw open the doors of the Vatican and tell survivors of abuse to carry away any art and gold they can lay their hands on. He would demolish the grand cathedrals and say Masses in the open air. He would beg forgiveness on bended knees from the men, women, children and ghosts of Ireland. But I can’t see Pope Benedict doing any of that. Can you?”
Well, actually I can, if push came to shove. Not redistributing the wealth; he would never do that. But performing public acts of contrition, yes. Whatever it might take to hang onto the power he has and they have, and to stop Catholicism Inc. from going under.