A 2,600-page report from a 9 year investigation of the Catholic Church and child abuse has been published, detailing “decades of rapes, humiliation and beatings at Catholic Church-run reform schools for Ireland’s castaway children.” More than 2,000 people told the commission they were abused physically or sexually:
The investigation of the tax-supported schools uncovered previously secret Vatican records that demonstrated church knowledge of pedophiles in their ranks all the way back to the 1930s.
Wednesday’s five-volume report on the probe — which was resisted by Catholic religious orders — concluded that church officials shielded their orders’ pedophiles from arrest amid a culture of self-serving secrecy.
“A climate of fear, created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment, permeated most of the institutions and all those run for boys. Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from,” Ireland’s Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse concluded.
So who are the people who committed these crimes? Oh, but the Catholic Church still isn’t telling that part:
The Catholic religious orders that ran more than 50 workhouse-style reform schools from the late 19th century until the mid-1990s offered public words of apology, shame and regret Wednesday. But when questioned, their leaders indicated they would continue to protect the identities of clergy accused of abuse — men and women who were never reported to police, and were instead permitted to change jobs and keep harming children.
The Christian Brothers’ leader in Ireland, Brother Kevin Mullan, said the organization had been right to keep names secret because “perhaps we had doubts about some of the allegations.”
“I do genuinely believe that it would have been a further step towards our healing if our abusers had been named and shamed,” said Christine Buckley, 62, who spent the first 18 years of her life in a Dublin orphanage where children were forced to manufacture rosaries — and were humiliated, beaten and raped whether they achieved their quota or not.
How can the Catholic Church continue to protect the identity of these abusers? They are obviously not sorry enough. And how can Catholics follow a church with such a terribly abusive history — from the crusades, to the inquisition, to child abuse?
Is it not obvious these are mere men, taking advantage of the ignorant, the superstitious, and their children?
The new pope looks like Emperor Palpatine. He scares me as much as Dick Chaney does.
Darth Pope
Of course there is irrefutable proof of that… And more proof!
The Spanish Inquisition wasn’t torture! It was enhanced interrogation techniques, producing cattle saving evidence! – Darth Pope
I’m going out on a bit of a limb here, because I don’t have any legal training at all but isn’t…
…the same thing as ‘hindering a police enquiry’ or ‘conspiring to pervert the course of justice’ or something like that ?
I’m not sure I understand why Brother Kevin Mullan isn’t in a police cell right now ?
On second thought, it could be they are finally giving the names to the police, but do not want to make the names public. I hope that is the case.
I’m very doubtful the Catholic church is cooperating with the police in any meaningful way. They still hold a position of power in Ireland that supercedes that of the police.
Egad.
Egad indeed. Other than that, though, Ireland is a wonderful place to visit :)
It’s a big story here in Northern Ireland, and the already existing religious schism isn’t helping. Most organized religions are insane and ridiculous, but the catholic church really takes the cake.
The Catholic Church is not about doing the good lord’s work… it’s all about it’s brand and protecting it. It has the power and the money to do just that. The little people that it hurts be damned.
Actually, that pretty much sums up all religions for me.
This really pissed me off, this is just a recent case it is not the only one. Have you seen the documentary “deliver us from evil”? Or the abuse on Native Americans by different religions? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6198266.ece
The list is huge.
Any reasonble person seeing this behaviour from his leader would say fuck off to the organization. How come people still follow the catholic church? I don’t know. How come people follow the bible as the inspired word of god? I don’t know.
Getting any truth out of the Catholic Church is very difficult. One can not be sure when the truth is being told. Trust of Catholic leadership is very difficult. I am a former Catholic and a former clergy member that left on my own accord. I was told by a priest that I told the truth even when it cost me! I guess I was quite naive because I thought that all humans were called to do this especially members of the clergy. I could not remain in an organization in which I could not trust others and others were shocked that I told the truth. I grew up in poverty and the only thing others could not take from me is my integrity. In order to lose my integrity I had to give it away. That’s all I had so I decided to retain it and join the humane( not a typo, I mean humane with an “e”) race and leave the church.
“the only thing others could not take from me is my integrity”
Amen to that, if only more people held that position.
So ricelaker, did this make you also lose faith in a higher power, or simply just faith in organized religion?
Another question: how can any reasonable person of faith–who has read much of anything said by Jesus–continue to submit themselves to such a repulsive organization?
Is any “person of faith” truly reasonable?
If we were to judge by the examples of John C and dwade, No.
Is it “reasonable” for me to love the one’s who utterly despise me? No, yet I do, I sincerely do but not with a love my own.
Faith only becomes “reasonable” to the degree which light has shown inwardly and made that truth….reasonable yet not merely by logical capacities only but by an inner Revelator…Himself. So, my faith, having been tried now for a quarter century only grows stronger grounded in love as the light shines (within) ever brighter.
Of course, this makes no sense to the one who has rejected the inner Light of Truth, he does not understand, it is foolishness to him. How is this any different that Christ said it would be? The simplicity is a stumbling stone but to the childlike He reveals Himself as He truly is.
Sorry, I guess I missed the inner light. Not due to rejecting it, but perhaps due to my mirrored sunglasses. And I think you may want to rethink your word choice, “but to the childlike He reveals Himself as He truly is” when on this thread. LOL
BTW, what’s your avatar?
Cypress…by childlike I am referring to the pre-requisite condition that Christ said would enable us to both see and enter this “kingdom of heaven” on earth in the here and now. Its a state of trusting, humility, openness to Him.
My avatar? There were “two trees” in the garden. We are that garden and whichever tree we “eat from” meaning feed off, live from determines our life’s nourishment. The tree of life (Christ within, innocence) or the tree of knowledge of good & evil (head reasoning) but is a duality as opposed to innocence, one.
I knew what you meant about childlike…LOL…it was just a funny word choice on your point. Maybe you should make your avatar 2 pieces of fruit…I’ve been trying to figure out what it is for a while. Trees occurred to me, but also twin volcanos or two guys with really skinny necks and balloon heads! I see the guys the most.
When Daniel went to the new website the avatars seemed to get a little smaller…mine is not easy to discern now.
In Firefox, you can right-click on the small avatar image and choose View Image from the context menu to see a larger version of the image. Not sure what the analog would be in other web browsers, but it is probably very similar.
I am sorry to hear that you are despised a quarter century ago.
Its been so worth it, wouldnt trade Him for anything or anyone else.
How old are you now?
46
Actually, yet it is. Which brings us back to the problem. Your actions are no different from similar personality types in other religions.
You know, all the ones who say all those particular brothers and nuns are evil, but they’re no true scotsman! Ya’ know, everyone else in the catholic church is godly!
Uh, scotsmen, scotswomen?
Another question: how can any reasonable person of faith–who has read much of anything said by Jesus–continue to submit themselves to such a repulsive organization?
That seems like a very good question, at the moment, Jim.
Is any “person of faith” truly reasonable?
…ugh…
One who would know truly know Christ will not submit himself to any “organization” but to Christ alone, can not be bought, belongs to Him alone.
Well, on that part I’d agree with you.
While modern thought, science and technology bestow an ever growing affluence and enlightenment upon the western world, the Catholic Church continues to cling to medieval savagery, hypocrisy, festering corruption and greed. Let the Church keep their self-damning silence; hopefully, it will serve to hasten the demise of that pernicious institution.
Catholic priests are pedophiles?! CALL THE 1990′S! They want their news back!
But seriously, why should anyone continue to let this happen once they’ve known? And why Catholic priests in particular? Is there a hidden passage in the bible that says “Thou must have premarital sex with someone barely old enough to tie their shoes?” Absolutely disgusting.
The old news was that this kind of abuse happened at all. The new news is that this kind of abuse is widespread.
Q&A session on the Ryan report, featuring one of the abused, who has been accused of lying about the rape and abuse he suffered. This really brings home the suffering that these poor children went through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jHqndf9Kx4
Sounds like they are engaged with an ongoing criminal conspiracy. Time to set loose the Sharks.
Too bad it will never happen.
This is an outrage and an embarrassment. Absolutely mind-boggling that it happened, was allowed to happen, and that the stinking church won’t expose the garbage who are guilty of the crimes. I’m out of superlatives.
Don’t you mean you’re out of invectives?
Uh, what?
Dead link, Daniel. I’d like to read the story, if you have the time to re-link.
I agree completely with what The Bloggess said in one of her recent posts: The old Pope looks like he’d adopt you and teach you kung fu. The new Pope looks like at any moment he might suddenly start eating people.
The Santa costume hides the bloodstains. :(
As Ireland has become less religious, it has become more prosperous and just.
Another reason less religion is better.
What is truly scary is what the Catholic Church is getting away with in Latin America and other parts of the third world, where the church is still above the law
If these godly people had only been photographed with their hands down a lady’s knickers then the church would act quickly, a la Father Cutier. If Cutier had only diddled an altar boy in the back room of an orphanage he’d still be a church official.
From today’s Times:
Peter Tyrrell, the original whistleblower, was 8 when he was sent to Letterfrack in the 1920s. Haunted by the experience, his campaigning efforts — culminating in an autobiography in which he described his wartime confinement in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp as “a tea party” compared with what he endured in Ireland — ended when he took his own life, burning himself to death on Hampstead Heath in 1967.
Tyrrell’s book was only published in 2006. A year earlier the Christian Brothers had admitted that Tyrrell had visited them in 1953 to raise his concerns and was sent away with the warning that he was “working on the blackmail ticket”.
I can only hope that this burning fury you refer to will not gutter until the Catholic Church becomes, historically, a road-side derelict. I say this not as a protestant but as an atheist, because I believe Catholicism to be the most heinous religious cult on this planet.
It is not only in Irland, it is everywhere where you find Christian and Catholic priests.
It is more proof that these religious people do not follow a good God but Satan pretending to be God.
Hey, screw you! I follow Satan! He’d never disguise himself as someone as evil as God.
I really wish I were shocked by this.
I am shocked. The Church can’t say “we didn’t know”. They made a deal with the local government to keep it quiet in Ireland, almost a hundred years ago. That’s shocking.
My thought on this subject:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153503
DDM is actually right. The Serpent of the Bible (Satan) doesn’t lie-it’s always Jehovah that lies. From the beginning.