Cloyne abuse: Banishing scapegoat not a solution

I UNDERSTAND that in Old Testament times the high priest on occasion laid his hands on the head of a goat, symbolising laying the sins of the people on the goat’s head. The goat was then banished into the wilderness. Problem solved. That reminds me of the Cloyne debacle.

However, even if the scapegoat is banished, the problem does not go away. In fact clerical abuse of children is only the tip of the iceberg. It represents only 3% or 4% of child abuse cases. What about the other 96%?

Let us face reality rather than look for scapegoats. The liberal agenda, which accepted sexual activity as normal, inevitably had the effect of flooding over into the extremes of unacceptable behaviour.

There is a widespread refusal to condemn immoral sexual behaviour. The excuse is we must not be judgemental and never limit freedom at any cost. Maybe that is to blame for the mess society is now experiencing.

We need to think a bit more deeply about these problems. But to quote Senator Ronan Mullen “there is a shortage of high quality religious analysis”!

That is very different from papers selling headlines. The sad thing is that most people are satisfied just to read the headlines and take it all as gospel truth.

Seamus Ó Niadh,

Convent St,

Abbeyfeale,

Co Limerick