I can answer my own question.
There are about 4,500 priests in the ROI.
There are about 4,500,000 people in the ROI.
That's 0.1% of the population.
Therefore priests are 50 times more likely to be convicted for paedophilia...
Before I give my opinion I'd like to point out that, whilst nominally Catholic (my parents 'dipped' me) I'm no great believer in any 'God' whatsoever. It's all a load of tripe as far as I'm concerned.
I think, however, that to just write-off JPII as the manager of a corrupt and diseased business and therefore worthy of no recognition (sainthood, nobel prize, blah, blah, blah) is wrong. This guy is/was very largely responsible for the collapse of communism in Europe through his shuttle diplomacy in the '80s. That in itself would qualify him for a few accolades. Extrapolating that a bit I wouldn't be married to my wife or have my kids if it weren't for him! Yer! I know I'm stretching it here!!!
The other thing that has to be borne in mind when you go off on an anti-catholic rant ( remember I DON'T wear the tee-shirt) is that catholicism, christianity in general infact, is one of those daft code of beliefs where if a fella says he's sorry and he won't do it again then you have to forgive him and he becomes 'rehabilitated'.
I think that had more to do with the catholic church's reaction to child abuse in Ireland than anything else. Even where they knew it was going on they chose to take that route.
The abuse suffered was not only sexual. I personally had a head master, a Christian Brother, who used to hook us up on the cloakroom hooks, one of those portable ones with wheels, and leave us dangle by our ties for a minute or two whilst we choked if we didn't know our times tables. An abusive a****** who I hope meets a very sticky end if it already hasn't happened. On the other hand the brother from Cork who used to teach us hurling was one of the greatest guys ever. When we all had chicken-pox in the Gaeltact that lad used to come around and paint us all with Calamine lotion 3 times a day. He was a DIAMOND person. I'd love to name him but that would identify the other idiot too and Brendan would be down on me!
You can't write-off the whole organisation because of a few bad apples.
Let JP have his sainthood and if there is a God then let him bless him.
Apart from the fact that i'm not totally sure about your 5% figure, when you go on to ascertain that priests are 50 times more likely to be convicted you are actually including the liklihood that children will commit the crime which is doubtful, so a more accurate figure would be a percentage of adult males because thats the category they fit in to.
The culture of paedophilia that is in the Catholic Church - its been going on for decades - perhaps centuries.
"When we all had chicken-pox in the Gaeltact that lad used to come around and paint us all with Calamine lotion 3 times a day."
You can't write-off the whole organisation because of a few bad apples.
Let JP have his sainthood and if there is a God then let him bless him.
I take your point. In this instance however it's a first hand account which I've qualified. It's a fact that there was absolutely no impropriety on that mans behalf towards any of us. He was a good person who was looking after the kids entrusted to him and I think that one of the saddest outcomes of the whole abuse scandal is that questions now be raised about good folk like him in the priesthood. Guys like him don't deserve anything but respect.
I was old enough at the time to recognise the difference between that individuals kindness and the savagery of the other cretin.
How exactly will a child commit this crime?
Are you classing under eighteens as children?
ONQ.
John Paul II was to me not responsible for the end of Communism though he did help in Poland. The Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and the collapse of the Soviet economy was more responsible.
Also he supported Opus Dei, a right-wing, manipulative organisation.
He supported Legionaries of Christ, run by a paedophile, and an even nastier organisation than the former.
He believed in covering up the paedophilia issue, moving priests to prevent scandal etc etc.
He did nothing to support the poor and downtrodden in Latin America. I wouldn't be a Liberation theologist but he was happy enough with Non-Communist dictators it would seem.
He espoused "the poor you shall always have with you" and social conservatism.
He and the Catholic church interfered in civil matters here. I try to explain the treatment of USI in the late 80s for having the temerity to install condom machines to people in their twenties and they can't believe it.
He rowed back on the second Vatican Council etc etc.
His Sainthood is a rather bizarre step.
Regds,
Gearoid
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?