Papal letter on Irish sex abuse
This matter is getting quite a lot of coverage in the UK media, partly because the Catholic Church of Ireland covers part of the UK. And there are, obviously, close links between the churches in Ireland, England and Wales and, probably, Scotland too. This article shoes that this problem can't be regarded as several localised incidents, but is a systemic problem.
The Catholic Church is hardly unique in attracting paedophiles. In some ways, I would imagine paedophiles, like other criminals, are fairly evenly spread across society. On the other hand, many of them will be drawn to occupations that give them a trusted position with unsupervised access to children. Local authority and secular voluntary care organisations have also been infested.
I also know for a fact that there are very many people in the Catholic Church, clergy and laity, who will be as angry - if not more so - than me. There are numerous priests who are conscientious in their duties and would no sooner abuse a child than I would. And I am certain that they are furious that they are being undermined, treated with suspicion and ridiculed, quite unjustifiably on an individual level.
I think it's scandalous and unforgivable that these events have been covered up and that the Catholic Church refused to involve the police in investigations into the most serious criminal offences. The Pope is due to issue a letter, I am sure it will say all the right things, probably include words like 'healing' and 'contrition'.
But nowhere is there evidence that the RC Church is taking a long hard look at the causes for what, surely, is a problem of its own making.
This is an organisation simultaneously obsessed with and fearful of sex. They do not allow their priests to marry or to have extra-marital sexual relations - apart from the women-hating married ministers who defected from the Anglican Church because of their opposition to women being ordained.
They consist of a large number of exclusively male supposedly celibate people, often of somewhat limited intelligence - although there are extremely intelligent priests and many who have conducted clandestine but consenting adult sexual relations.
These 'celibate' men take it upon themselves to lecture everybody else about their sexual behaviour. Up to a point we are all free to lecture anyone on any subject, but most of us find our lectures are ignored or only applauded by those that already agree. The Catholic Church has the power to influence legislation and public administration to the extent that everybody is affected by their fear-inspired obsessions.
Two other stories I noticed this week
Leeds-based Catholic charity wins gay adoption ruling
In other words, once again, the Catholic church has decided not to act in the best interests of vulnerable children, but to allow its sexual obsession to triumph.
As a result, some children with severe disabilities or victims of abuse and neglect will remain 'in care' - at great expense to the taxpayer - rather than be loved and cared for in a supportive and stable family with a Forever-Mummy and-Mummy, who have specially chosen them.
Giving women a morning-after pill stash 'doesn't work'
Research on an important subject and some fairly interesting findings. And RentaQuote:
Norman Wells of the Family Education Trust said: "...making emergency contraception more readily available ... gives a green light to sexual activity.
I didn't have a clue who Norman Wells or the Family Education Trust are. So, I have looked at their website and although they claim to have no religious or political affiliation, I see their 'vice-chairman' is Eric Hester. Eric Hester, my brother's old head teacher, is a member of Opus Dei, the man who try to forbid my brother wearing a red ribbon on World Aids Day. My mother could write several long blog posts about Eric Hester! None of them would be complimentary. Incidentally, this was at a Christian Brothers school.
So, what we have is a spokesperson from a pressure group - who have demonstrated their right-wing ultra-Catholicism by their choice of Vice-Chair - implying that sexual activity requires a red light.
No informed intelligent debate will encourage anyone to have random sexual activities without considering the consequences; it's a classic straw-man argument whenever these religious nutters start spewing. But a seemingly rational study into a sensible healthcare initiative is dismissed by these sex-obsessed sex-fearing ideologues because their starting point is 'Sex is Bad'.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has an excellent track record on issues such as Housing and to some extent Poverty (though ruined by their no-condoms lunacy). It has made many excellent interventions into British public life...oh, who am I kidding?
Basil Hume was a shining light of humility and humanity (sex, reproduction and fertility issues apart). But he's been dead over a decade and the complacent pigmy that followed him is now retired (he's another one that covered up the child sexual abuse).
There are some amazing people and organisations within or affiliated to the Catholic Church, but every time one of their mouthpieces speak on sexual-related matters they are so filled with hating that it destroys so much else.
I am a free-thinking liberal with no affiliation to any church, so I don't worry about the pulpit's effect on my life. But it has caused untold misery and even death to so many others that I can't sit here and say nothing.
It would be a massive step and an act of enormous healing and contrition if Pope Benedict XVI or his successor (the Vatican moves at a glacial pace) made some statement that said
"When it comes to sexual relations we are absolutely passionate that people treat each other with utter respect. Sexual relations must only happen between consenting adults*. All human beings should have access to sufficient information and resources to protect their sexual health as well as their general health. We believe a planned family is a blessing and that parents should have the maximum possible support and encouragement to nurture their young."
But it won't happen because it would mean the whole-scale slaughter of sacred cows.
* obviously, there's a grey area for people who are physically and sexually adults but emotionally and legally children
