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.

I can totally believe that 🙁

My husband was physically abused at a Christian Brothers school from the age of 5. His mother thinks that the main perpetrator could do no wrong and recently attended his funeral. I would happily dance on his grave and hope he burns in hell.

I know some properly lovely Catholics too. I regularly worship in a Catholic church so I am probably not 'bigoted'. (I also live in Scotland so know a bit about sectarianism & dogma on 'both sides' - imo, no one should think they're 'right' )
And I also know that other versions of Christianity have their issues, it's certainly not just the Catholic church. Some of what happens in the USA for example.
Then, Abuse is not just religious, but done by others. Oxfam in Haiti for example.

But it is a fact that the Catholic church, as the biggest & longest lasting global representation of Christianity, has had decades (centuries?) of corruption & abuse. The Church MUST apologise (as many times as it's victims feel necs) make reparations & put robust structures in place to ensure it cannot happen again. But that is lacking so far. Not a good representation of Christ on earth. Not yet.

Bigotry? No. Citing facts doesn’t make anyone a bigot.

Children died, by the THOUSANDS at Residential Schools, after being kidnapped by the government from their parents, for no other reason than being Indigenous. Numerous witnesses have testified of children being murdered by priests and nuns. Accounts of bodies being dumped in a lake, among others. Thousands of unmarked graves have been discovered, with more searching to be done.

I absolutely distrust anyone that can shrug off such atrocities. And continuing to support the church in the face of knowing these facts AND that the church, regardless of an apology made by the Pope, continues to withhold documents, information, and protect child murderers? How can anyone ignore that?

It’s not a difference of opinion. Nor of faith. It’s a difference of morality, imo. I cannot and will not excuse, handwave, or “yes, but…” thousands of dead children and the institution who protects those responsible.

@Chickenkeev I feel your pain - we ended up having to pay for private school, which honestly wasn’t the plan. Our nearest catchment school was the ‘worry room’ catholic school. I don’t believe there should be religious state schools, surely if people have these bonkers views- it should be them that pay to have their children brainwashed. My other issue is how can religious schools adequately teach subjects like history, science and even art, all would be educating from a highly biased standpoint?

My other issue is how can religious schools adequately teach subjects like history, science and even art, all would be educating from a highly biased standpoint?

Do you seriously think Catholic schools don’t teach science, history and non-religious art? Because they most certainly do. As thoroughly as any secular school. It’s not all Noah’s Ark and the BVM

No, I’m afraid I do not, another parent who viewed the same school overheard a nun telling a child ‘God makes rain’. Absolutely scandalous.

They are taught the same as in other schools but with assemblies and Catholic teachings during RE and some prayers at the start and end of the day. It’s the same teachers training all the teachers will do, many teachers teach in secular and non secular schools.

It’s simply incorrect to state that science, history and art are different in Catholic schools! They follow the national curriculum.

another parent who viewed the same school overheard a nun telling a child ‘God makes rain’. Absolutely scandalous.

There's a lot on this thread that's scandalous.

This isn't one of them.

It's perfectly permissible for a Catholic nun to tell a child that 'God makes rain' & for it also to be true that they teach history, geography & science according to the curriculum.

I had a Catholic education, my DC have all been educated in Catholic schools & the quality of education has been excellent, as it would have been in an ET or COI school. I had some nuns teaching me; my DC did not.

But god doesn’t make rain

If you are a Catholic nun, you believe that God makes everything.

It's not incompatible with teaching accurate geographic / scientific explanations for rain, which I can assure you does happen in Catholic schools.

A nun won't have a problem telling a child " god makes rain".
They have no problem helping cover up years of physical and sexual abuse.
The weather lie really wouldn't be a problem

It’s completely incompatible because it’s false

It’s completely incompatible because it’s false

Oh look, stop. I'm not on this thread to defend the Catholic religion as an institution - I'm an Irish Catholic (just about, at thus stage) and well aware of the scandals, cover-ups & issues.

But I responded to a specific point - it's not surprising that a member of a religious order that believes in God's omnipotence believes they create rain. That's literally the core starting tenet.

If someone is viewing a Catholic school, it cannot be surprising that a nun there believes this and I can tell you it does not mean the national curriculum is not being taught properly & in full.

Also - all religions believe in the higher authority of their god.

[Redacted by MNHQ as it quotes a deleted post]

Of course it's not and I've no idea why you want to reply in that way?

I've direct experience & can assure you the curriculum is taught in Catholic schools as it is in all other schools 🤷🏻‍♀️

Until the 20th century (and the advent of fascism and communism), there has never been a more destructive and evil force in human history than the Roman Catholic Church.

All those subjects are taught just as they are in other schools.

The 'worry room' thing surprises me. In the Catholic school my children attend in Ireland no child is left alone with a priest, just as they are never left alone with any other visitor to the school.

In the last Irish census in 2022 69% of people identified as RC, while 14% said they'd no religion. So Catholic schools still suit lots of people.

It is perfectly possible be a scientist and religious at the same time by the way (I know a few). It might surprise you but they are not mutally exclusive positions.

Would you like to explain how rain is actually made? Just for the benefit of everyone on this thread? Or are we sticking with ‘God makes rain’? If you know that to be a false statement, why would it be uttered to a child at SCHOOL? And if it is, can you see how that might undermine the scientific detail, i.e the truth? This is contradictory and highly confusing. Or are you suggesting the primary curriculum doesn’t cover rain? Also would you be able to share how LGBTQ is taught, I’m all ears…

A church of the patriarchy, although many nuns weren't god fearing saints either.

Women can be found in Catholic churches cleaning the floors and the pews. Men tend to count the collection money and do admin and dress up as deacons. Ordained men get to put on dresses, say Mass and tell women how to live their lives.

Any organised religion is anathema to me anyway. The power of male leadership of anything makes me shudder also.

Yeah it surprised me too, especially with the track record catholics have for safe guarding small children.

The amount of self-righteousness on this thread is gas! Reminds me of something 🤔

I agree. You're absolutely right.

Scandalous, in my opinion, is the abuse people suffered, and mentioned on this thread. I was fortunate the incident I mentioned was low level compared to those. But all that ignored by some to harp on about this nonsense, and it is nonsense.

Because there’s no excusing the abuse, people ignore it, otherwise they’re uncomfortable. If you acknowledge a problem, you become responsible for being part of the solution. Far easier and more comfortable to seize on a red herring to argue about as distraction.

Nobody will ever say out loud, “I know the church is responsible for the murders, abuses and torture of children, but it’s not directly impacted my life, so I don’t care.” but actions speak louder than words.

Or you just don't like hearing the truth? 🤔