The Roman Catholic Church

[Orfuln]

Following the death of Sinead O'Connor.

Obviously the acts and crimes of this church are vast and can't be contained to one place. But in honour of a great woman, if you find it in yourself, give your testimony here.

Mine : my father was institutionalised, brutalised and brainwashed in childhood by the Catholic organisation who schooled him following the death of his father. He was an unhappy and violent man who didn't understand family relationships and consequently my own childhood was blighted with violence and misery. I did however learn my catechism very well. I now absolutely reject it.

Step father, taken into the seminary as a young lad, abused by the monks who ran it, ran away and family rejected him for bringing shame on them, had to move to the UK for a fresh start, family totally cut ties when he left his first (catholic) wife and married my mum. Spent years dealing with his alcohol use and shame base anger.

Ah. Therefore his ordination as a bishop is legit. Apostolic succession etc. Of course Anglican holy orders are accepted for the same reason. The priest at my mum's funeral was an Anglican convert , married with kids. Well imo, Sinéad is as much a priest as him!

Agree @MardaNorton It is dying out. Its actually quite gobsmacking how quickly Irish society has changed. My kids didn't know what a nun was, let alone a Christian brother when they were everywhere when I was young, albeit older. I think we don't give enough credit to the older generations who despite being brain washed from birth can now see it for what it is, I know there are some exceptions but the majority are surprisingly open minded when you think about it. I do think if they reformed there would be hope for recovery but it would have to start with equality for women and getting rid of the celibacy rule, and it needs to be done soon before the remaining Catholics die out.

What I think is so interesting about Sinead O'C is she was deeply religious and believes in organised religion but just (rightly) couldn't find peace with the realities of it. She believed in the positives of it and I wonder sometimes would society benefit from a return to it but her version of it, without the patriarchy and corruption and evil of it.

I had a family member of my husband, got caught stealing something v small (think grocery price). He was caught, lifted from Dublin city and put in Letterfrack (middle of nowhere in Galway, it would have seemed like the moon to him). While there he was abused. He died of cancer before he got his compensation. It sickens and angers me that anyone would dream of defending these people.

Oh, it was fucking dreadful in Ireland.
My Aunty was a teenage mum and had her baby in one of those awful homes and a forced adoption. My Dad was beaten senseless by the Christian brothers at his school and sent to a borstal when he kept running away from his abusers. Their local priest and infact the Bishop for their area both turned out to be vicious, lifelong paedophiles.

Rotten to the core.

Many crimes have been committed by

The writing thing was commonplace. My uncle developed a stammer because of it.

^^by organised religion or in its name. Islam got example.

I wonder how much longer these huge institutions will retain their power

@Chickenkeev You can say what you like but you are talking like an anti-Catholic bigot (unfortunately very common in the UK although not often acknowledged) and I'm not from Liverpool so have no idea what you are on about. Sorry you are so full of hate.

Seems acceptable to ridicule and complain about the Catholic Church however with other religions there'd be an uproar if similar criticisms were made.

My grandmother was whacked across the hand with a metal ruler by the Nuns if she wrote with her left hand until she learned to (very shakily) write right-handed.

You brought up liverpool? I am proudly anti catholic. I find it strange that you're so into your faith but you don't trust yourself to practice it without the shroud of an institute (that actively damages others) forcing you to do so. Maybe your faith isn't as strong as you think?

To be fair, the hand behind the back thing was common in all schools not just catholic ones. Not that it makes it right, clearly.

What a load of shit, people criticise other religions all the time.

My grandmother claimed my mother had a “rotten mind” and “dirty fantasies” when my mother tried to speak up about her father sexually abusing her.

@DiddlyDonut Yep, absolutely fine apparently.

@Chickenkeev Proudly anti-Catholic, well you said it at least you are honest about being a hateful bigot.

I was raised a Catholic and went to RC schools. Some of the things that happened were indeed disgusting and the church as an organisation covered this up over many years, but I know Methodists, for example who suffered similar abuse. My husband was whacked over the hand with a ruler at his non denominational state school. Christian churches as a whole were guilty of mistreatment of people during missionary escapades. The charities of that time were not always motive free either. There was virtually no safeguarding in place, and abuse in other areas was widespread in children's homes, sports teams, scouts etc in our society. Actually the nuns at my school and our parish priest, were lovely kind people who helped me a lot growing up in a very dysfunctional family. I think a lot of it reflects the poverty, discrimination ( no Irish....etc) of the time. Many of the nuns escaped an impoverished life in Southern Ireland and had no place teaching children. Unfortunately some sadistic predatory people took advantage of this situation. Catholic schools in general are now usually over subscribed for a reason.

It’s interesting to read this, I know a massive amount of peers (aged 30-50) who grew up and were educated in and around West London and they all had a fairly positive experience of Catholic education and church in general- I’m married to one said person.

On the other hand, the older generation, my Granny and her siblings included had an awful time in Ireland growing up and all left as soon as they could.

It’s interesting to read opinions. Religion and religious belief blow my mind, I just don’t have the ability to have faith in something that isn’t factual or measurable but I can see that it could be comforting and helpful for people.

It is wholly and entirely acceptable to not only ridicule, but remove power from the catholic church. They do not have any more right than any other religion to impose their views on citizens in our schools and hospitals (i'm talking about Ireland). If my childs only school option was jewish or muslim i would march too. Nobody has the right to impose a poxy religion on my child against my will. I'm the parent. One could go so far as to say, if parents care so much about their religion, can they not foster that at home? Why the need to outsource it to already overstretched teachers? STEM pays better.

This conversation is about the catholic church though. Start one about another corrupt abusive religion and I'll let you know what I think of them too.

This sums it up very neatly. Absolute power (as the CC had for centuries) allows opportunity for serious abuse, in far too many individual cases but more dreadfully, Institutionally as well. Cover-up after cover-up. The polar opposite of what Christ was about if you read the Bible. There is God / Christianity & there is the CC imo.

Personally, although my family is Catholic on both sides, my experience is really limited to being asked to leave the Church I was Baptised in & my Father was buried at, by a Priest who remembered that my Mother had not been married to my Father: therefore I was the product of sin & he wanted us 'out of his doors or I'll kick you out'. Charming. No child is born of or in sin.

What happened in Canada was wicked. What happened in the Magdalena laundries was wicked. What happened in boarding schools was wicked.
RIP Sinèad, you brave woman x

I think it's helpful to differentiate between the Catholic Church and catholics. Much like opposing the actions of Islamic run states shouldn't be offensive, whereas calling yourself "proudly anti Islam" would have you labelled a bigot / islamophobe / fascist by most the left

That's awful 😓

My mum is catholic. And i'm fine with that. She voted yes both times. She doesn't feel the need to impose her beliefs on others. She's secure in her own faith.

So yes, i'm proudly anti catholic state.