Kenny's Church attack marks end of the road for famous 'special position' relationship
Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 05:05 PM
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Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny's sharply critical remarks of the Irish Catholic Church today will undoubtedly be remembered as a milestone moment in the history of Modern Ireland.
The scathing comments, which even prompted a response from the Vatican, seem set to serve as a long overdue curtain-call to a longstanding government policy of reverential deference to the Catholic Church that has its roots in De Valera's first controversial inclusion of a reference to the Church's 'special position' within Irish society in the Free State's first constitutional document, and which has been obsequiously followed by more or less every successive government since.
It's also a minor though undoubtedly importantly symbolic message to the hundreds of broken lives ruined by sexual abuse, as documented in the pages of the just-released and totally damning Cloyne Report, that one of the country's most powerful institutions is no more above the law than the man on the street, and will perhaps also afford them a small sense of vindication in the knowledge that the Government and law enforcement agencies are finally on their side, or sitting at least, as of course they also should have been, on the fence of law and justice.
The Prime Minister also made an unusually cutting remark about the Vatican's supposed control of Irish religious sovereignty, at least in the life of its mostly Catholic adherents - not so long ago, perhaps, a taboo question to raise even in itself - expressing his amazement that the type of obstruction to justice so rawly documented in the Report had taken place just three years ago, rather than three decades.
The Taoiseach (Prime Minister)also sent an unambiguous message to the Church's domestic agents that the sort of responsibility shirking they've been notorious for up to now would no longer be left continue. Kenny's language, directly attacking the 'disconnect, dysfunction, elitism, and narcissism' in the Church left few in doubt as to whom it was directed.
Most of all, though, the broadside was notable for the utter frankness of its criticism, shorn of all the marks of respect and reticence that have colored previous governments' dealings with the Church and the Vatican, once such a pervasive force in almost every facet of Irish life . It was a criticism without precedent in Irish history, but one which we can expect many more of.
As the comments also follow closely in the wake of Education and Skills Minister Ruairí Quinn's recent persistent pressing of sex abusing institutions for monetary compensation to abuse victims, it's fast becoming obvious that the Cabinet is clearly engaging in a collective effort to ensure it sends a clear message that it's the Government, and not the Church, that's now running the show in Modern Ireland.
Respect for all religions is a key principle for any modern democracy to follow, but showing special deference to none would seem like a logical corollary.
The days of the 'special position' seem well and truly over. It's undoubtedly for the better.
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helmet365 | Jul 23, 2011, 07:53 PM EDT
Priests are protesting about having to reveal there is a child abuser or molester in our comunity after hearing it in confession. Of course this does not help stop it continuing. It goes futher ,when a priest goes to confession to confess such acts he usually goes to his "prefered priest". There must be thousands of priests throughout the world who know of many thousands of perpetrators,priests as well, but are unwilling to do so because of some papal edict. All priests of the world should hang their head in shame because they are playing a huge part in helping such abuse continue.
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casualMBA | Jul 23, 2011, 01:42 PM EDT
Let’s see…1996…The blackboard of child abuse within the Church (Irish or otherwise) is erased…From this day forward, new guidance covering the new behavior (actually the Church has quite a few “non-abusers”) securing, and establishing, an end to the most heart rending travesties of child abuse…Kenny does not have to make a speech sustaining these re-affirmed societal (and Church) principles in order to be excommunicated, and be promised eternal damnation…he could just exercise his “preferential option of divorce”…an option with its own form of acceptable, ameliorated or exacerbated, child abuse…
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eiriamach | Jul 23, 2011, 05:50 AM EDT
Even if it is true that Enda Kenny also covered up or neglected the problem of child abuse, that would show him to be a hypocrite but it would still be completely irrelevant to Kenny's comments about the RCC cover up. Hypocrites too can speak the truth. Trealach's fallacy is called tu quoque ["you also"] by the logicians. It's a common mistake in reasoning, but a transparent one. Trealach can't defend the Church against Kenny's charges, so he accuses Kenny of hypocrisy. When you have no defense, attack the opposition! Can't believe anyone is taken in by that kind of attack. It's been painful enough to watch the self-destruction of the RCC in Ireland without the devil's running commentary on who-all-else has committed the same sins as the bishops and priests. Spare us please.
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themurphia | Jul 22, 2011, 07:37 AM EDT
kerryman201:The Irish Chaplaincy in London are making enquiries re the Mass as Gaeilge as we speak...If you don't already know there is a CD available of the Giles-Mathieu Mass in Irish and text of the Liturgy in Irish can be found at 'An tAifreann' if you google The Mass in Irish...I have suggested to the Chaplaincy that the canvass the Parishes to see if they could provide a Mass in Irish for emigrants..I'm sure it would be appreciated even if it was only celebrated once a year e.g. St Patrick's Day as in the Old Basilica of St Patrick's Cathedral NY...you could follow this up with the Chapliancy if you were interested...Once a Catholic...!
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Collette2 | Jul 22, 2011, 07:09 AM EDT
Trealach, you seem to be protesting too much and you know what they say about that.
If a clergyman has the audacity to go to confession with such a heinous sin under his belt it doesn't say much about not only his formation of conscience but all clergy.
The confessional as we know it today was not always with us and as a catholic you would know this.
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keneconnor | Jul 22, 2011, 06:24 AM EDT
The Irish people abandoned the church not because of sex abuse from decades ago but because the began worshiping the Golden Calf.
Now that looks like it is over as it always is and people may ow want to put their stock into something more permanent.
Don't bet against an institution founded by God and that has endured the slings and arrows for 2000 years and is still growing.
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RichardP | Jul 21, 2011, 05:43 PM EDT
I get the impression AngelPrecious and Trealach might be sharing a cell - a brain cell. Anyone who supports the paedophile ring within the catholic church is the one who needs excommunication. Ireland was colonised by the British Crown and by the Vatican. The Crown was sent packing from most of the island 90 years ago, but not before Irish men and women helped them to acquire an empire by oppressing less fortunate souls all around the world.
The Vatican, likewise, used Irish men and women to spiritually colonise large parts of the world by oppression of the less fortunate and it's only recently that Ireland has begun to rebel against the colonial mentality of the Vatican.
Both empires - British and Vatican - did a masterful job of indoctrination and PR, suggesting to the world their empires were benevolent and good for the colonized. Their come-uppances are long overdue.
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tippboy | Jul 21, 2011, 04:40 PM EDT
Posts such those by religious fanatics like Trealach just confirm how right Enda Kenny was when he made that speech. Good to be out from under the Vatican jackboot!
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Trealach | Jul 21, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT
The best response the Vatican can make to Kenny is to excommunicate him and deny him the right to a Christian burial, until such time as he admits his tacit support over the years for child abuse and paedophilia. He of ALL politicians KNEW what was going on, because he is the 'father of the house' i.e. the longest serving politician. For him, as a Catholic, to attack the Sacrament of Confession by legislatively trying to break the seal of confession warrants excommunication.
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themurphia | Jul 21, 2011, 02:43 PM EDT
kerryman201:I read somewhere that was the case I'll try and find it again...:-)
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mamaginnty | Jul 21, 2011, 02:10 PM EDT
I would not say ( bravo Kenny )he knew what was going on as did his FG party and the FF party. Only when the Cloyne report came out he was forced into saying something, we are still waiting on him to say same about the Magdalene Laundries or does he wait till is is in black and white. Themurphia, yes . it would be nice to keep the church buildings, where people can still go and pray, with out the creeping men in black. We do not need them to pray. Wondering if the pope does decide to come to Ireland will the people have to foot the bill as usuall..
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kerryman201 | Jul 21, 2011, 01:22 PM EDT
The murphia ,any idea where that mass in Irish might be celebrated in London? Hadn't heard of it before.
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pilib04 | Jul 21, 2011, 01:19 PM EDT
The question is, when the heat is applied by Church leaders, will Kenny bend?
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themurphia | Jul 21, 2011, 01:07 PM EDT
The people who have done their best to destroy the Catholic Church are the PP's...the paedophile priests...I love the rituals of the Catholic Church...the smells and bells...the Mass particularly when it is sung in Latin...I understand there is somewhere in London where you can hear Mass in Irish...I regard the Church like a good parent...it is there when I need it...and sometimes I need to sit in the quiet of the chapel to just take pause and pray in order to have some contemplative time away from the 'noise' of everyday life...however as an adult the Church doesn't need me to move back home and take over the house...Unfortunately the conduct of it's ministers is what has undermined the Faith...the scales have fallen from the people's eyes...what sort of craven organisation would allow such abuse to take place and then seek to cover it up under the auspices of Canon Law...? Suffer little children indeed...!
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