Rob HorganIT is a solemn and strange scene to behold.
Priests lying flat on the floor of Granada Cathedral, begging forgiveness for the sex abuse sins of the Catholic church.
But it is a necessary scene, very necessary, for this institution has been a fertile breeding ground for paedophiles, undoubtedly exacerbated by rules against sex and marriage.
Having said that, we cannot tar all priests with the same brush, for it is individuals to blame, not a religion.
It is now up to the Catholic Church to be open and honest about these scandals, to join in the fight for justice, rather than covering it up.
Despite the qualifications in this piece, it IS the fault of this so-called religion that these abuses take place.
The whole set-up is fundamentally flawed, in that it’s very nature attracts those who hide behind the ridiculous concept of celibacy in order to carry out their perverted practices.
Until a root and branch reform takes place, addressing this idiotic requirement, all the penitent wailing and breast-beating and punishment of individuals will come to nothing.
Incidentally, there are other religions who must need to come to terms with these issues. Catholicism isn’t the only cult in this boat, it is one that is losing it’s stranglehold on the faithful, that’s all.
Not just individuals – it’s more complicated than that. Many senior members of the church, including bishops, were directly involved in covering up abuse and moving abusive priests away from the eyes of the law. Sometimes victims and their families were threatened or offered incentives to remain silent. This exacerbated and prolonged the damage. The Catholic Church, as a body, must accept responsibility for this.
Not so long ago, Pope Francis asked priest abuse victims for forgiveness.
Yet how do those of us, whom were raped and had our souls stolen from us, whom committed suicide because of it, can give him forgiveness, or any of us so harmed, when he refuses to clean house of all the Cardinals, Bishops and Archbishops whom covered up these evil crimes and are still sitting in the positions that they are in?
How can Paul Anthony Carson, whom upon seeing the priest whom raped him walking down the street and then going home and hanging himself, being found by his parents, forgive him?
How can Emma Foster, whom was raped by Father Kevin O’Donnell, while at a primary school whom committed suicide because of it, forgive him?
How can Daniel Neill, whom committed suicide because of his rapist priest, Joseph Gallagher, forgive him?
How can the 30 boys raped at the St Alipius primary school, whom committed suicide forgive him for their rapes?
None of them can. Matter of fact, they are supposedly in hell, burning for all eternity, because the pain and suffering brought on by their rapes by Roman Catholic priests, committed suicide, which the RC teaches that if you do commit suicide, then you will burn in hell for eternity.
No Pope Francis, until you do what you have promised us you would do. Clean house, stop fighting us victims when we seek justice for the crimes committed against us, with the church lawyers getting our cases dismissed using the statues of limitations.
When Parishioners start caring more about us, their very children of the church, whom were raped and brutalized, and many of you turned your backs on your own children, because you would rather support the leaders of your churches, over your very own children.
When people stand up and demand that the disgusting attacks against us, like Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, whom claims we seduced our priests, whom claims because we did not punch our rapist priests in the face when they were raping us, thereby, we not only wanted to be raped, we enjoyed our rapes and we are homosexuals because of it.
Then maybe, we will find it to forgive you all. We cannot do so, until all of you, truly repent, and start standing up for us, instead of those whom so harmed us.