Church and State links too cosy for comfort

IT seems to me our long-running clerical abuse scandals owe quite a lot to the cosy relationship between the Catholic Church and successive Irish governments since independence.

It might not be too far wide of the mark to suggest the church has had government in its pocket on any issues which concerned it during most of the past 87 years.

I think it would be far healthier if there was a reasonable level of tension between church and State — both acting as a brake on the perceived excesses of the other. Even today, there seems to be a marked reluctance by ministers to take on the church in any but the mildest of tones.

The existence of established churches — whether de facto or de jure — is wrong and tends to diminish both church and State.

The Catholic church seems to have been more responsive and much more in tune with the needs of its flock when it had to contend with the more hostile British state. Post-independence, it has become flabby, arrogant and out of touch with reality.

I think it would be fair to say the majority of paedophiles, not being stupid, only went ahead with their activities after judging they were unlikely to be detected and brought to court. The events of the last 20 years show their judgement was largely correct.

David Roberts

‘Gloundine’

Castlegrove

Mallow

Co Cork