Scrap all special status for Church

WITH regard to the “elderly nun” referred to in your editorial (July 15) did you stop and ask her was she aware of even the slightest hint of the sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse that went in at all levels of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.

Who did she think washed the sheets she slept in?

Who did she think cleaned the robes the priest wore? Where did she think all the young people she would have come into contact with came from? Did she ever ask any of them were they given a choice?

This “elderly nun” may not herself have personally abused anyone but the fact she may have given such blind and complete loyalty to an institution that inflicted so much misery on so many people, and did nothing to change it, means she cannot simply abdicate all blame on the claim that “it wasn’t me” or “I was only following orders”.

It would seem that no matter what amount of material evidence is placed in front of people the ability of some Irish people to dig deeper in denial remains unaffected. Until that stops and the religious authorities and those involved in religious life stop trying to create a justification for their own actions or lack of, then they do not deserve any forgiveness.

Forgiveness can only follow when you accept what you did was wrong and stop denying it or justifying it.

The State too has a long way to go before it can begin the process of regaining trust and the first step in that journey should involve the expulsion of the Papal Nuncio, the removal of any special status for the Roman Catholic Church, a final end to the nonsense that Canon Law is in any way above the State and finally to make the entire education system secular as in France.

Desmond FitzGerald

Canary Wharf

London