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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Not in my name



The Bishop of Ferns Dennis Brennan is a decent man. I meet him very often and always find him to positive in his outlook and someone who can empathise with ordinary people in Wexford. That’s why I’m surprised at his suggestion that Catholics in the diocese should bear the cost to the diocese of dealing with the financial burden of child abuse.
I make this point from the perspective of a parent with a child who later this year will make his confirmation. I bring my children to church despite everything because one value of a church should be that it should present an alternative morality to that of the secular world of business, culture and societal values. The price of everything and the value of nothing, was something that I associated with hard nosed money movers not a Christian community.
I have no intention of contributing to any fund to pay for the damage that deviant and evil priests visited on the laity in Ferns. With almost 19,000 unemployed in the county and incomes cut back the historic legacy of a churches failings in terms of clerical management and corporate incompetence is not my responsibility is something that many in Wexford are not prepared to take on board. If orders were to suggest that those employed in schools or hospitals were to pay to a fund to compensate their victims and pay legal fees and counselling there would be ructions. The reality is that the secretive abuse of vulnerable children by some clerics was not done in my name or any other member of the catholic church.
It’s time for the church hierarchy to sell what assets they have, ask Rome for assistance to cover the balance and work out internally how the diocese will repay Rome.
My “god given responsibility” is to ensure that what happened on someone else’s watch doesn’t happen again. The Diocese should think again. I cannot bail out corporate or clerical criminals. This manna is NAMA for corporate failure.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Joe I agree with you on this one. The Bishop has not thought this one out at all. This is an ill-advised and wrong approach to take, and furthers the anger and resentment that is harboured currently against the church.

I hold huge sympathy for the lay diocesan treasurer who had to speak out for the church on the radio today. The bishop put him in an impossible situation to defend a position that is is not his to defend.He was outlining the financial facts only, yet was been held to account for all the church wrong doings. No Bishop has ever been questioned like this on national radio. Again, an example of the church leaving the lay people take the hit for a situation not of their making.

The biggest response to this is to leave the baskets empty in the church when the collection comes around. Leave the church and in particular the Vatican pay for this. It was that institution and it lack of controls and prompt action that caused so much suffering. The Vatican needs to provide the NAMA backing for the church not the poor parishioner in the pew.

I hope the bishop re-thinks his approach, but I would encourage everyone to leave the baskets empty. The message will then be received loud and clear, by the powers that be in the church.

Anonymous said...

There are two ways to look at this Joe,

My way..."Religion is the opium of the Masses"...so I don't care.

The catholic church way..."do this or burn for eternity"...since you seem to have been sucked in by this mumbo jumbo, you better pay up or you'll never sleep again.

(then again there is the third way, I've heard there are two-faced politicians who go to mass for show, but you are surely no one of those are you now Joe?)

Rory

Anonymous said...

Where's my last comment?
Didn't like it joe?
True maybe?

Well i don't like Wexford Labour Party sock puppets (look it up its an IT term) making nasty remarks about disabled people.

Sock puppets i have had the displease to meet:

john gormley

john o'donaghue

will fergus

bertrose aherne

I like my politics honest not sly and sneaky.

Anonymous said...

thanks you joe