Time to ban the catholic church?

national | crime and justice | other press Friday December 04, 2009 00:54 by eireanne

Ending abuse and cover-up by the catholic church

Ireland is not alone in having its children abused psychologically, physically, emotionally and sexually by the catholic hierarchy. It is particularly unfortunate because Catholicism was so closely linked to politics north and south particularly after 1922 and the de Valera constitution in 1937. No matter how horrified everyone is at this litany of abuse, any criticism of the church leaves one open to Loyalist triumphalism and resentment from practising Catholics who are obviously smarting from the deception and hypocrisy. However some questions have to be asked.

The pattern of abuse and cover-up revealed in various reports is endemic to the catholic church. See this news report from a dioceses in Connecticut, USA which was published just a couple of days ago.
http://www.greenwichtime.com/sheddinglight
If one googles child abuse in the catholic church one gets a staggering "1,900,000 for child abuse scandals in the catholic church. (0.27 seconds)". Can no international body e.g. Save the Children prosecute or ban an international organisation that is responsible for such heinous actions, harbours criminals worldwide and does its best to obstruct the course of justice, spending millions of dollars in the process (see the American report I just cited)? Can none even make a disapproving comment?

The catholic church also plays upon the ambiguity of its position to wriggle out of all responsibility for the actions of its clerics. Is it church or foreign state? Can it be both, being whichever of the two is most convenient in any given circumstance? Would you trust or do business with someone like that?

The methods used to cover-up, while based on brainwashing the victims, families etc to internalise shame, psychological threats, social ostracism etc, also rely on unquestioning obedience to an "authority", deception and lies which are justified as "mental reservations" and a mafia-style refusal to answer queries (see papal nuncio's response to the Enquiry Commission). Now that Irish people realise how they have been manipulated do they really want to continue as a consenting partner in the deception?

Since the Bishops are constantly justifying their actions under Canon Law what place exactly does Canon Law occupy in the United States of Europe (which came into being on the 1st of this month)? Who is subject to it? Is the Vatican State part of the EU and subject to EU laws? Does Canon Law take precedence?

And in asking these questions I have not expressed my contempt for these hypocrites who have also extorted vast sums of money from the faithful for centuries, using various psychological threats. At the very least I expect no Irish person who continues going to church for whatever personal reason to ever put another EU cent on the plate!