No difference between rape and shielding rapist

HERE is when the coin dropped for me — it was around 1995 on RTÉ radio.

Gerry Ryan: “And what kind of priests would come to live in your home, Father?”

The gist of the priest’s reply was: “Oh, priests who have broken their vow of celibacy, who have had affairs with women, often involving adultery, or who have been involved in homosexual relations and encounters or have interfered with children.”

Adults having consensual sexual relations (however surreptitious) and the rape of children — the fossil idea that fills their minds leaves them unable to grasp the difference.

I see no difference between raping children and enabling a rapist to hop with impunity from parish to parish, since the harm is the same.

As a “cradle Catholic” et cetera, till age 14, I feel I’ve both the right to say this and the duty to spell it out like this, as a part of the debate we’d be having.

Happy New Year.

D Edmond

Cool Mountain West

Dunmanway

Co Cork