Suffer little children
As we all now know, the Child Abuse Commission Report is out.
Listening to the news last night and to various other programmes, I was left with a feeling of revulsion and deep deep sadness.
Today I feel revulsion, but I am also very very angry.
For decades, institutions in this country systematically abused infants and children physically, emotionally and sexually. What is worse, the abuse was not random but was endemic in all the institutions all the time. I heard for example of a case where a boy was abused for 364 days a year. He got a day of rest at Christmas, simply because the Brothers were too drunk to abuse him. I would say that is typical of hundreds of cases.
Children were systematically beaten, raped and tortured. They were told lies about their parents to quench their spirits. They were sexually abused on a daily basis. They were inadequately clothed and fed. They were treated as commodities to be used and abused.
So who is to blame?
The government knew all about it, but did fuck all. In those days, McQuaid ruled Ireland from the Archbishops Palace, and what he said, went.
The prime culprit is the Catholic Church. Note the use of the present tense? They are still guilty up to their rotten necks, from the bishops and heads of orders up to and including the Vatican.
Even now, they are issuing their apologies, but you can see from their faces that the apologies are sad attempts at damage limitation. Their apologies are hollow and the words are what we are expected to hear, and not what they feel.
I will accept their apologies on two conditions.
The first is that they do a root and branch pruning of their own organisations and hand all the perpetrators over for justice. They know who are guilty, but they are still shielding them. All the time they are shielding one sadist or paedophile they are as guilty as hell and no apology will wash.
The second is that as a mark of atonement, they take full responsibility for redress payments. The agreement made by that arsehole Bertie Ahern should be torn up, and the orders and the Church should feel the full force of the storm.
What about the government?
For a start they should issue an unreserved apology on behalf of themselves and their predecessors. They should do everything in their power to redress the wrongs.
Most importantly though, they should remove any connection between Catholic religious institutions and the running of any school or institution involving children. They have proven themselves unfit to be trusted, both then and now.
I know there are some religious institutions doing good work, but the power of the Catholic Church has to be severely curtailed in this area.
What really baffles me is that presumably people joined their respective religious orders out of a sense of vocation? They must have believed in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ? They must have believed in love and humility? So how did so many become such depraved, perverted, sadistic little fucks?
I’m baffled.
I’m also still very angry.
-oOo-
Further light reading –
A growing list of other takes on the subject
Another article by Will Knott including video footage
Not very pleasant reading?
I’m really at a loss at where to start. Even in my own head I can’t pin down if I’m angry or sad or both, and who it’s really directed at. I can’t describe my reaction to this at all.
This may be the end of 10 years of investigation, but it HAS to be the start of all involved putting this right to the best of their abilities. Real actions, real amends, real and actual justice for the THOUSANDS of victims of THOUSANDS of criminals.
Thousands.
Xbox – It is the sheer scale of it that is so horrifying. We knew it went on, but personally I had no idea that it was that bad.
Grandad,
There was a failure of the political culture to allow the church to assume such dominance – yet even now if there were a resolution in the Dail condemning Archbishop John Charles McQuaid and all those responsible for a theocratic, exploitative and abusive society, who would vote for it?
This is one of the many aspects to this that are hard to swallow.
We all knew, we all have seen the documentaries and read the the books and heard the interviews, but always individual cases, or individual institutions. Obviously we must have known that all these individual cases would add up to a shit storm, but to see it, in black and white, so widespread, so ‘normal’, so structured, so fucking supported right down to the ten or twenty pence I was given by my mother every Sunday to offer up to the collection plate.
Overwhelming and shameful.
Ah don’t be losing the run of yourself.
These cunts explain clearly here that only a % of the abusers were priests, and only a % of them were the rapist fuckers. Lets just keep shoving in under the carpet?
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1616
( Thanks to @curlydena & @eoghans for sharing this on Twitter)
Joe,
That stuff is unbelievable, just unbelievable.
How does all of this fall under the blasphemy laws?
Cunts the lot of them, I’m not going to vent properly, it’s not my blog but these people should be jailed for a start. If you or I did what they did, that’s where we’d be.
Grandad, While I agree with every word you wrote here it must also be remembered that these bastards operated in the community and like the concentration camps in Germany etc the people in the locality must have had some idea of what was going on in thes establishments.
Why was there no popular uproar by the ultra catholic people who closed their eyes, their ears and above all their hearts.
In short here simply because if I didn’t keep it short I’d carry on to the point of annoyance…
History has shown that the Catholic church has always been rife with depraved, perverted, sadistic little fucks with way too much power. Monarchs of yore may have ruled the land but the Catholic church ruled the monarchs more times than not. And they also oversaw many of the dungeons, torture chambers, executions, etc and the wonderful doings that went on there as well (repent or die slowly–repent and die anyway?). At the least it’s an organization that controls it’s members by pronouncing blame and guilt upon them as a whole or as individuals. At it’s worst…
The children and (and many, many others) have been suffering at the hands of the ‘Church’ for about as long as the ‘Church’ has been in existence.
And my apologizes to those good Catholics who truly strive to be the best person they can be. I’m talking about the Catholic church as an entity unto itself and certain personnel thereof, not individual members of the various congregations of individual churches.
Just my educated and somewhat experienced opinion…
This is truly sickening. I am shocked and stunned. I knew that it was bad, but never knew that it was this bad. It is a tragedy that these people got away with it for so long.
Thanks for providing this information Grandad.
I have been out for most of the day but have been catching various snippets from the meeja.
So far, all I have seen is Bat O’Keefe, our pig ignorant Minister for Education, ducking and diving and spluttering apologies. Do they not realise that apologies are cheap and meaningless compared to proper action?
As for that unholy crap from the Catholic League? That is symptomatic of the blustering and downright lying that the Church has been guilty of all along.
Grandad and others,
As one who was brought up Catholic and who also attended Catholic schooling through 12th grade (High School) I too was one of the unfortunate ones who was abused by the “sanctioned ones” for several years. My heart, mind and soul ache for the many, many, victims. I have not lost my faith in my God and believe it or not I have not lost my faith in mankind as well. My feeling and yes anger goes to those who perpetrate such acts and even more so those who either overtly or covertly condone such abuse to the innocent under the guise of either religion or authority. We all need to do all we can to help and yes accept the victims reassuring them that it was not ever their fault and that they are loved! Righteous indignation only goes so far, a loving, caring touch goes much further now and long into the future of the victim.
John O – I too was raised a Catholic and attended schools run by religious orders. Strangely though it was in the only lay school I attended where I experienced the worst abuse.
One thing we have to do is clearly separate the Catholic Church from the Catholic Faith. It is apparent that the former does not really believe in the latter.
The overwhelming reaction I seem to see amongst the Survivors is one of justice. There are hundred of those creeps still sheltering in their religious orders and until they are named and brought to answer for their crimes I can’t see the Survivors resting.
Please let me know when you’re going to run for President of Ireland so that I can come over and get some kind of temporary citizenship and vote for you.
Grandad,
I am sorry for your past experiences and offer to you my empathy and of course sympathy, I am always there to talk. I agree with you wholeheartedly that we need to quite sticking our collective heads in the sand, expose the perpetrators, remove them from any and all contact with children and punish them and those that have covered up those crimes to the highest extent of the law. But can we trust those who are to enforce the laws and lets not forget about the victims, they need all of us so much.
Resting, do we ever really rest after such experiences?
John O – Thank you for your sympathy, but I’m fine. My case was a simple one of physical beatings – it could have been a lot worse. I think what the Survivors would appreciate the most is solidarity. We must all stand together to ensure that the likes of this can never happen again.
As the system stands, we are not safe. We have politicains who persue self interest before the interest of the citizen and a Catholic Church who are still, even now cowering behind their dog collars and who are not doing a single damn thing to show true remorse.
RhodesTer – They wouldn’t have me [they aren’t ready yet]. You are welcome to come anyway?
Grandad,
Touche’. I am with you and will do whatever I can to help! Thanks for the opportunity to express and reveal, cathartic.
My heart goes out to all of you be assured of that. Beyond that I’m not sure what I might do besides listen carefully to what you have to say and to let you know that you’re not alone. This kind of abuse has been happening here as well.
The report made me nearly throw up several times. Name them. Jail them. Hold their superiors / all who knew 100% accountable.
Why are we paying for it?
Why do we put up with secret deal between Michael Woods and the Sisters of Mercy?
Why is the taxpayer handing out 90% of the cost for these rapist motherfuckers?
The very least that should come out of this is that that agreement should be torn up. In an ideal world, the guilty would realise that they have a moral obligation to pay, but of course they are now going to try to hide behind the law.
Modern Ireland my arse. These people are criminals and the Irish constitution, last time I checked, had provisions for the prosecution of anyone engaging in the kinds of activities described in the report. So where is the problem? Arrest, charge and try them in court, exactly as you would anyone not wearing a collar and apply the appropriate penalties to those found guilty . Oh and make sure that the parasitic catholic church pays 100% of all reparations awarded.
Gran Dad! prisons, the Irish ideal of hell.
As horrendous as these crimes have been in the US, I am even more disturbed by the Bishops. They don’t say it publicly anymore but it is clear that they still believe that Church Law takes precedence over Civil law. It doesn’t. Clearly what Bishops should do in every case is:
1) the immediate notification of the civil authorities
2) the immediate and permanent removal of the criminal from any form of ministry
3) give complete and total cooperation to the civil authorities in the investigation
4) give the highest priority to the care and welfare of the abused children
5) fully accept responsibility for their failure and pay for all treatment and counseling of the children
6) pay reparations for the lifelong effects of this terrible trauma to each child.
7) clean house and purge the Church of all these criminals
Any Bishop who does not do these things at the very least should immediately resign from his office and should himself be charged with a crime.
If this bankrupts the Catholic Church so be it. They have demonstrated moral bankruptcy already. It would perhaps be the best thing for the Church to lose all of its property and assets. Then they can start again and rebuild it, maybe with women Bishops this time and a married clergy.
I share your fury Grandad.
Hi Grandad – long time no chat my friend…….
I was a fully trained nursery nurse in 1972 and, as a Catholic (at that time) was accpeted to work for a group of Catholic Childrens Homes over here.
It was slave labour of course even though I was trained and I’m afraid I did not like the attitude of the nuns – threatening and vebally abusing and then off to confession to get rid of it.
I didn’t see any physical abuse but I was in the nursery block – newborn to 4 years. There were blocks for age groups up to 18.
I didn’t stay long, I didn’t like the rules and the way the children were not given any freedom of expression – it scared me because it made me wonder what kind of adults they would make.
Needless to say I got in trouble for voicing my opinions on child care – what did I know? I had only been to college to train for this very job….
I could not fight their system and I moved on but I have never forgotten those children and the sadness in their eyes – it does make me wonder how they fared…….
This perversion is everywhere. In this instance,it happens to be organized crime,sanctioned and perpetrated by the church. A crime they’ve been committing for centuries.I’m not catholic but I’ve not been protected from a “religeous uncle”(crazy bastard!)All these perverts put themselves in the position to have access to their victims.I’m sick for the children,just sick!I know our good Lord will forgive the filth of those who ask but the law of the land should still be administered to every Tom,Dick,Harry and Mary that have touched these kids.There has to be a way to protect the kids but somehow in all the advances that the world has made this abomination is still alive and well.I pray for the healing and safety of the children and for anyone still suffering from the wounds inflicted upon them of a similar manner.