# Decades Of Child Abuse In Ireland: Surprise - Catholic Church Responsible! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 20, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099 "2009-05-20T18:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/21 "2009-05-20T22:59:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I love how the hierarchy is still refusing to name any of the abusers. > > When people or institutions claim they’re accountable only to God, why do they generally act like they’re accountable to noone? Well, uh…uh…nevermind. Forget it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/22 "2009-05-20T23:04:21Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > By the logic used here, every single Catholic has been sexually molested by every single member of the clergy. And THAT is bullshit. What … 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near every Catholic in Ireland’s schools isn’t enough for you? It’s got to be 100% or you’re going to cry “witch hunt?” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/23 "2009-05-20T23:19:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I love how the hierarchy is still refusing to name any of the abusers. > > When people or institutions claim they’re accountable only to God, why do they generally act like they’re accountable to noone? God has 2,000 years of audits to cach up on. His staff is simply overwhelmed. I blame Metatron, as his handwriting is unintelligible even to the omniscient. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/24 "2009-05-20T23:26:33Z")
It wouldn’t be a “witch hunt” if the church would live up to their own principles. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/25 "2009-05-20T23:30:18Z")
And where is the outcry from rank and file Catholics about the pedophile enablers that fill the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy. How anyone can still proudly say they are Catholic astounds me. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/26 "2009-05-20T23:33:30Z")
It wouldn’t be a “witch hunt” if the church would live up to their own principles. (At least I was lucky when I was in Catholic school – we had [Archbishop Wuerl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Wuerl) (well, back then he was just plain ol’ Bishop), who has a strict “zero tolerance” policy. The wiki entry doesn’t mention it, but at one point, he went all the way to the Vatican to argue when he refused to reinstate a priest accused of molestation.) _damned double post!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/27 "2009-05-20T23:36:25Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > What … 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near every Catholic in Ireland’s schools isn’t enough for you? It’s got to be 100% or you’re going to cry “witch hunt?” How has there been 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near EVERY Catholic? ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/28 "2009-05-20T23:45:59Z")
While I don’t give a damn what Catholics do or don’t do, this bit of news only highlights the HUGE hypocrisy that tints that particular denomination. I mean, even I, as an atheist, had to hear about the infamous [**Padre Alberto**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padre_Alberto) and the “scandal” he created by wanting to get married – it’s almost 24/7 around here with that shit. And now this. Surely they’ll attempt to _re-bury_ it ASAP. Money, of course, under the circumstances, clearly not an object. For shame! ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/29 "2009-05-20T23:48:38Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > How has there been 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near EVERY Catholic? That’s not what I said, dumbshit. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/30 "2009-05-20T23:50:47Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > That’s not what I said, dumbshit. Yes it is. > [@](#): > > What … 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near every Catholic in Ireland’s schools isn’t enough for you? It’s got to be 100% or you’re going to cry “witch hunt?” ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/31 "2009-05-20T23:51:10Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > What … 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near every Catholic in Ireland’s schools isn’t enough for you? It’s got to be 100% or you’re going to cry “witch hunt?” No. ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/32 "2009-05-20T23:52:43Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > It seems to me that a child would be much safer in a room with a gay atheist than in a room with a Catholic priest. A little beside the point here, but I would love to see that tested empirically. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/33 "2009-05-20T23:54:54Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I think you are referring to those Catholics of convenience…on paper, true believers, but in real life, they are pro-choice, have lots of friends who are Gay and don’t even mind the concept of Gay marriage…sort of like picking and choosing what you like at a buffet. My guess is of those I know who still profess to be “true Roman Catholics”, about 90% feel no qualms about straying from the flock whenever it suits them. They want the Catholic wedding and funeral…otherwise, they don’t feel the need to follow doctrine. That sounded like the opus dei cardinal out of the Da Vinci code. Declan ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/34 "2009-05-20T23:57:43Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > How old are you? Much of this abuse happened during the 50s to 80s.. School from 1959 - 1967. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/35 "2009-05-21T00:03:18Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I think you are referring to those Catholics of convenience…on paper, true believers, but in real life, they are pro-choice, have lots of friends who are Gay and don’t even mind the concept of Gay marriage…sort of like picking and choosing what you like at a buffet. My guess is of those I know who still profess to be “true Roman Catholics”, about 90% feel no qualms about straying from the flock whenever it suits them. They want the Catholic wedding and funeral…otherwise, they don’t feel the need to follow doctrine. So true - the British equivalent is the people who won’t consider anything other than a C of E wedding, despite never going there at any other time. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/36 "2009-05-21T00:06:05Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > It’s also likely that the coaches get turned in to the authorities rather than being moved to a new a whole new city to “coach” young boys or girls without anyone in the new city being the wiser as to _why_ this new coach got moved. And that is how all cases should be handled. Bust them, call the cops, press charges. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/37 "2009-05-21T00:10:00Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I love how the hierarchy is still refusing to name any of the abusers. > > When people or institutions claim they’re accountable only to God, why do they generally act like they’re accountable to noone? This is a problem. I think that anyone who knows, and refuses to divulge the information to the police, should be charged as an accessory. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/38 "2009-05-21T00:11:30Z")
As a product of 20 years of American public education, kindergarten through university, and not Irish my take on this may be somewhat muddled, but from the establishment of the republic through the mid 1990s the public and mandatory education system, primary and secondary, was in the hands of a special order of teaching priests, the Christian Brothers, who appear to have been responsible only to their particular bishop. While there surely were some up to date progressive teachers in the outfit their approach to childhood education seems to have been pretty Dickensesque, corporal punishment for any default no matter how minor and pretty vicious corporal punishment. Some Irishman who is on one of the HBO soap operas was on the radio recently and talked about his education at the hands of the Christian Brothers – including one who because of a brain injury wrote on the chalk board upside down and backwards and required his students to do the same. His sanction for writing right way up and from left to right was “twelve of the best.” He also said that there was considerable pressure and manipulation to induce pre-pubescent young men to commit to the priesthood and ship off to a seminary. Everything I have read and heard says that the Irish teaching priests, as a class, were notoriously brutal but that there was no remedy or relief save putting your kids in a private, meaning Protestant parochial, school. That was not a realistic option for most people because of the cost and the RCC’s control of the community. There was no way to escape being slapped around by the Christian Brothers. In terms of how could every Irishman have been brutalized by the Church – the answer is that everyone was brutalized by virtue of having gone through the public schools. All of my information is that the Christian Brothers made Sister Angelina with her brass bound ruler look like the Tooth Fairy. That the Irish government and Church have done and released the report speaks well of them, that it took this long to do it does not. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/39 "2009-05-21T00:13:24Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > And that is how all cases should be handled. Bust them, call the cops, press charges. I absolutely agree. The parallels between abuse by priests & abuse by coaches are pretty limited; it only shows that priests do not have a monopoly on abuse of those in their care. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099/40 "2009-05-21T00:27:31Z")
> [@Carol\_Stream](#): > > How has there been 30 years of systematic abuse against damn near EVERY Catholic? While I was Catholic as a child I, and as far as I know, no one else in my church or diocese were abused. However, the church was more than willing to put me and the community in danger so they could turn down the heat in another location. Damn near every Catholic was abused by institutional corruption. Any Catholic who gave their money to the church for “good works” and to line the pockets of the Pope, instead had it used to protect these monsters and fight any attempt to hold these people accountable. I realize this specific case is in Ireland, but this problem is attached to the church everywhere it sticks its greedy, vile hands. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decades-of-child-abuse-in-ireland-surprise-catholic-church-responsible/497099.md?page=3)