Church to blame for our lack of faith

JOHN Herriot (Letters, June 29) laments the paucity of young men entering seminaries in Ireland and, while his point is a valid one based purely on statistics, he falls into a very Irish trap of blaming everyone else.

Blaming doctors for having a more attractive lifestyle? Blaming Father Ted for being anything more than brilliant satire? Unfortunately, all of the Catholic religion’s problems stem from within. A refusal to progress, an attitude that is rooted firmly in 1950s Ireland, a regressive social policy, a system of inherent distrust of the public and a willful obstruction of justice for many years mean that Irish people of my generation (I am 24) just cannot connect with the organised faith. Does this mean we’re less godly? Less moral? No, it does not. Amongst my peers, most believe in God, but only two or three attend mass regularly. The disconnect is not between Irish people and faith, because faith and morality can be seen in facets of Irish life everyday, where volunteerism, community and selflessness still exist.

Rather, the disconnect is between Irish people and the idea of a Church that, while presenting a palatable version of Christianity, does not represent anything close to the mindset of most Irish people. It’s time the Catholic Church realised that its problem is an internal one and that Father Dougal did not drive the masses from the door.