Madam, – Now that we know the true meaning of “suffer the little children” it is time to look closely at how children are viewed by the society in which we live in. As a social worker in the 1970s, employed by the then newly formed health boards which were taking over the statutory obligations that the ISPCC had for the welfare of children, I became horrified at the cosy cartel that existed between it, the church and the State.
As a result, I believe children must never be viewed as the property of a church, a state, a family or an individual and to effect this we need to change the Constitution. Children must never be locked up because of the failings of this society.
Finally, in response to Breda O’Brien (Opinion, May 30th), who wrote “let us not confuse justice with vengeance”: if the power of the church is removed in every aspect of a child’s life, then the “aberrant religious”, as she calls them, will never be in a position to abuse again. If that is vengeful, so be it. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I write to support the comments of the Government chief whip, Pat Carey TD, calling for an end to church control of schools at primary level (Page 1, June 1st). This is a reform that has been long overdue.
The primary school system should be placed under public democratic control, not the control of Catholic bishops who act as the patrons of most schools. It is no longer acceptable that the bulk of the national school system should remain in the hands of church authorities who are allowed to discriminate in both employment and school enrolment policies on religious grounds. Primary schools are paid for by the taxpayer and run with funds supplied by the exchequer. They should be regarded as a public service open on a non-discriminatory basis to all citizens regardless of their religion.
Religion should be regarded as a private matter and indoctrination in particular religious faiths should not be part of the school day. For too long the primary school system has been viewed by the Catholic church as a means of indoctrinating pupils.
It is time to establish the entire primary school system on a new, democratic basis. Ironically it was the intention of those who established the national school system in the 1830s that all schools should be multidenominational in character. Sadly, as the 19th century progressed, the church exerted greater and greater power over schools, resulting in the present denominational system.
Since the Irish State was founded in 1922 the Department of Education has deferred to the church authorities resulting in a school system more suited to a theocracy than a modern democratic state. Educational systems run along theocratic lines inevitably lead to considerable abuse. Never was the time more opportune to end this theocracy in education and to declare the republic in the educational system. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The statement by Pat Carey that the Government should take control of church-run schools fills me with awe for the sheer scale of cheek. Mr Carey holds a responsible position in a Government party that was a major contributor to the dreadful abuse inflicted on innocent young people in industrial schools and reformatories by its utter failure over many years of government to supervise and regulate the institutions concerned.
This mean-spirited approach has always been the government’s way in dealing with the financial needs of our primary and secondary schools. School financing is totally inadequate funding and essential resources often are only provided by dint of the hard work by boards of management and by church and other communities throughout the land to raise additional funds. At the first sign of a recession, schools are the first institution to be cut.
The abuse of our primary schools is not church control but the failure of the Government to provide adequate resources for them, even in times of alleged plenty. This applies to church schools, and to other schools such as those provided by Educate Together.
Things have changed greatly from the days when the parish priest or rector was in sole charge. Boards of management in virtually every school represent parents and teachers as well as the sponsoring community.
The department strictly controls the curriculum. It pays and approves the teachers. If this is not control, what is it? What Mr Carey seems to want is nationalisation: a huge property land-grab of facilities provided in trust by faith and other communities for the education of their children.
There is a very nasty form of anti-clericalism abroad in our land at present. To some extent it is the child of the Roman Catholic Church and its abuse of power and influence in a situation in which it dictated to the State rather than vice-versa. It seems very sad that it may have blinded the Government to the collective role it played, or failed to play. If the Government were aware of it, Mr Carey would be looking in humility to a new partnership in which all the partners in education would play their part in providing our children with the education they need and deserve in good times and in bad. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – So Fr Enda McDonagh states all Catholics should contribute to financial compensation for victims of child abuse in religious institutions because “we took advantage of these religious orders being educated by them”. (“Call for Catholics to help with fund”, May 28th).
In case he has been in outer space, I would remind him that all taxpayers of all religions and none have already paid and continue to pay compensation to our fellow countrymen and women for the unpunished crimes by many clergymen and women.
We must also remember the collusion by some bishops and right-wing lay people in these offences.
I would suggest to Fr Enda McDonagh that he devote his energies to writing to his head office in Rome and get his board of directors to pay massive compensation for the despicable actions of its employees.
Moral blackmail might have worked well in 1949; it now falls on deaf ears. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Could we receive an absolute assurance from the Government in advance of negotiations that any additional funds extracted from the religious orders will go in full to the victims of institutional abuse as extra payments and not be used to fill holes in the Government’s finances? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I was a student at three schools in Sligo and at one in Dublin. In Sligo, I was with the Sisters of Mercy and regularly got beaten with a ruler when I was seven or eight. At another school, which had orphans, I saw a boy punched to the floor. I asked my adoptive parents to take me out of that school, and they did. So, I went to a school just outside Sligo, and there we all got the cane just about every day. In Dublin, I was with the Christian Brothers at Glasnevin. There I was slapped, pulled up by the ears, and got the strap almost every day – and I was a good student! I saw a Brother knock an orphan down the stairs with a mighty punch. We all heard rumours of strange goings-on. I was then 12/13 and did not fully comprehend what was being suggested. When I went to England, I was 14 and not one teacher ever laid a hand on me or any of my fellow students.
In Ireland, hitting and caning were considered “normal”. What it must have been like for those who had no alternative but to live with those people every day and night is bloodcurdling. It is time to name names and bring these criminal to justice. We can talk about money, but not until justice has been done.
This shameful abuse scandal has been widely commented on here in Spain. Archbishop Cañizares has gone on record asking for forgiveness, and then saying that abortion was a much more serious offence. A bishop in the Canary Islands has said that many 13-year-olds “were looking for it” (he meant sex). So if they are abused, it is their fault, seemed to be the message. What kind of people run the Catholic Church? No wonder many like myself become atheists. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I have long believed that the meaning of life may be expressed thus: to perpetuate and improve the species.
Any institution attracts a share of inadequates who chase power, as Gráinne Madden writes (May 29th). However, the imperative of sex exists so that we fulfil our primary raison d'être. Mandatory celibacy consequently is deviant, contradicting the meaning of life. The subhumans who terrorised, tortured and sodomised children not only debased the species, but damaged humanity's precious next generation. Those in the hierarchy (starting at the top) who have knowingly shielded these monsters, and let them continue preying on children, should be imprisoned, impoverished and excommunicated. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The congregations embroiled in recent revelations have before them a decision of historic magnitude – whether to finally deal honestly with their failings to those previously in their care, and to the State, and its dependants, on which they have placed the overwhelming burden of redress? Might the State be in a position to do far more than sweet- talk the religious position to an accountable stance?
Among the definitions of intent the Revenue uses to determine fitness for charitable status are “the advancement of education” and “other purposes of a charitable nature beneficial to the community”. As these particular congregations have clearly on aggregate achieved neither, might it be open to the Minister to deal with an ongoing refusal to reason by withdrawing this status? What cannot be returned by moral conviction can perhaps be retrieved via taxation. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I congratulate you for publishing many letters in response to the Ryan report: a very important role in the life of any nation. The expected and required anger against all involved in the atrocities is now being replaced by letters from voices of reason.
We cannot undo the atrocities that were visited upon innocent Irish citizens, but citizens of the Irish Republic in 2009 have a wonderful opportunity to renew the nation. It is time to speak out and criticise where criticism is due. It’s time for politician and priest alike to remind themselves daily they are mortal and therefore capable of error. More importantly, it’s time the citizens of Ireland became responsible for, and to, themselves, for this is the only way change can come about.
Let our children and grandchildren, with proud hearts read the lines of WB Yeats: “Cast your mind on other days/That we in coming days may be/ Still the indomitable Irishry”. – Yours, etc,