Magdalene Laundries - another Church scandal

[Fanum]

So............wasn't the Irish State complicit too

Yes, but 'the state' is not the people.

I doubt either of us feels the remotest bit sullied or personally ashamed about the UK MP's thieving.......embarrassed for our country maybe, but certainly not responsible

 

[GrinningGSer]

My house is the gate house of a closed and demolished Catholic Orphanage, run by nuns, which was closed in the 1970s and the orphans were shipped to Australia. They occasionally return, knocking on my door tracing their memories. None have reported bad stories to us but a Google search has revealed stories of abuse from surviving orphans.

 

[wessie]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318411/

this is an excellent movie about it, real heartbreaking stuff

Very moving film. I saw it at the cinema with a friend who was in a state of shock by the end of the film.

 

[jonnie comet]

My house is the gate house of a closed and demolished Catholic Orphanage, run by nuns, which was closed in the 1970s and the orphans were shipped to Australia. They occasionally return, knocking on my door tracing their memories. None have reported bad stories to us but a Google search has revealed stories of abuse from surviving orphans.

Too much to go through here......Eleven years ago I didn’t know that I had a half sister. Ten years ago I met my half sister for the very first time....Our Mother is Irish, I’m English (now 55) and my half sister (now 65) has spent most of her life in Australia......Join the dots.

The abuse she received from the nuns and priests, isn’t for this place.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Yes, but 'the state' is not the people.

Not entirely...................but it is 'of the people'


You can't tell me everyone in the State turned a blind eye - from the janitor, to the council workers, to the maintenance men................right up the people's representatives at the Dáil Éireann

 

[DavidHale]

Not entirely...................but it is 'of the people'


You can't tell me everyone in the State turned a blind eye - from the janitor, to the council workers, to the maintenance men................right up the people's representatives at the Dáil Éireann

No, but you can't tar the majority with the same brush. The vast majority are not complicit in this. Their government and church need to be brought to book though; a bit of hand-wringing just won't do it.

 

[harry]

Not entirely...................but it is 'of the people'


You can't tell me everyone in the State turned a blind eye - from the janitor, to the council workers, to the maintenance men................right up the people's representatives at the Dáil Éireann

... the catholics were petrified of the priests and church in those days..

 

[Mandylicious]

Too much to go through here......Eleven years ago I didn’t know that I had a half sister. Ten years ago I met my half sister for the very first time....Our Mother is Irish, I’m English (now 55) and my half sister (now 65) has spent most of her life in Australia......Join the dots.

The abuse she received from the nuns and priests, isn’t for this place.

How very sad for you all. I hope your sister made a good life for herself and didn't allow the awful experiences at their hands ruin it for her.

 

[Fanum]

Not entirely...................but it is 'of the people'


You can't tell me everyone in the State turned a blind eye - from the janitor, to the council workers, to the maintenance men................right up the people's representatives at the Dáil Éireann

JB, if you want to start saying that the Irish people here are responsible for some of this, go ahead.



I was just answering petcul on a personal level after he said

For all that is great about Ireland and for all I am proud to be Irish this stain is difficult to bear.

And I stand by what I said......people who are Irish shouldn't feel responsible just because they are Irish......the ones responsible are the Catholic church leaders/priests, and as you say, anyone representing or part of 'the state' who hushed it up or ignored it.




Institutional hush-ups are not by any means a new thing.....Apart from 'unofficial' sources like many hundreds of blogs and internet news sites, you won't find ANY official mention of "The right dishonourable Edward Heath", our former Prime minister, who probably (allegedly) had his cock up quite a lot of under-age boys in his time.......link his name and 'Saville' into 10 minutes Googling and if you're not convinced, you will also believe that the Merkins didn't land on the moon

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

JB, if you want to start saying that the Irish people here are responsible for some of this, go ahead.

I wasn't intimating this



The ones responsible are the Catholic church leaders/priests, and as you say, anyone representing or part of 'the state' who hushed it up or ignored it.

That's more like it

 

[(RIP) drillam]

... the catholics were petrified of the priests and church in those days..

As I was.
Brought up in a Scottish catholic school in the 50's and 60's run by priests and nuns.
No physical abuse, unless you count the tawse every other day for minor "infringements", like not saluting your teacher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawse), but the verbal and phycological treatment was bad.

Not to mention the religious brainwashing.

 

[Geno]

Up until a few years ago my mum lived with having twins that were still born and wasn't allowed to bury them in proper grave and blessed by priest . They were buried in the paupers plot , mum grew up in fear of priests and never approached a priest to get them a proper burial . I have no respect for the CC and priests so got in touch with local priest and got a small marble marker for mum and the twins , my dad buried there wee bodies in shoe box and never spoke of it for the rest of his life , he took those feelings and and thoughts to his grave . So all this about the church is no shock . I plan to be buried with my sisters when I go . Sorry about this but all this crap about priests and chapel pisses me off big style .

 

[(RIP) drillam]

Up until a few years ago my mum lived with having twins that were still born and wasn't allowed to bury them in proper grave and blessed by priest . They were buried in the paupers plot , mum grew up in fear of priests and never approached a priest to get them a proper burial . I have no respect for the CC and priests so got in touch with local priest and got a small marble marker for mum and the twins , my dad buried there wee bodies in shoe box and never spoke of it for the rest of his life , he took those feelings and and thoughts to his grave . So all this about the church is no shock . I plan to be buried with my sisters when I go . Sorry about this but all this crap about priests and chapel pisses me off big style .

Dunno what to say to you Geno
Like too many of these accounts, your story brings a mixture of tears and anger

 

[harry]

....that's a sad, sad story Geno, and the years of silent suffering so unnecessary. I feel for your mam..

drop in for a coffee sometime

 

[digga]

Religion the world over is in place for one purpose, and one purpose only ....

CONTROL

CONTROL of the people.

Control through fear and brainwashing ( thats my way of 'seeing it')

sorry if i've detracted ....

 

[PeterNI]

Well put Peter.

A shower of fuckin bastards the lot of them.

PRIEST = Paedophile Resident In Every Small Town

Here we go again.
Another universally generalised statement.
God help the abused. Shame on the those who hide them. But please don't put every ordained minister in that group. The website one in four makes for very disturbing reading. In my view for what it's worth, there are those you abuse and those that don't. What their job title or what the do for a living is irrelevant. Abuse in humanity is terrible. I really hope the abused can have the courage to seek help

 

[Fanum]

Here we go again.
Another universally generalised statement.
God help the abused. Shame on the those who hide them. But please don't put every ordained minister in that group.

Why?

Where they completely unaware of it, or the proactive movement of accused priests to other areas to hide their paedophilia?

A religion that 'forgives all sins' and then considers them wiped and not subject to the law, then moves the person to another place, is just condoning it IMO, although they can argue until they're blue in the face that it's only for their imaginary friend to judge that person.....sorry, bollocks......nobody is above the law...the pope should be tried for leading a paedo ring (and hung too.....I'd love to see a proper pope on a rope)

Every single person who has put a copper coin in a collection plate in a Catholic church, with the full knowledge of how their church actively hides away paedophiles, is guilty of supporting a Paedophile institution, in my opinion.

 

[PeterNI]

Up until a few years ago my mum lived with having twins that were still born and wasn't allowed to bury them in proper grave and blessed by priest . They were buried in the paupers plot , mum grew up in fear of priests and never approached a priest to get them a proper burial . I have no respect for the CC and priests so got in touch with local priest and got a small marble marker for mum and the twins , my dad buried there wee bodies in shoe box and never spoke of it for the rest of his life , he took those feelings and and thoughts to his grave . So all this about the church is no shock . I plan to be buried with my sisters when I go . Sorry about this but all this crap about priests and chapel pisses me off big style .

Geno, it's crazy that these innocent children were treated like this. My mother lost children in a similar way. My dad made two white coffins and went to the grave yard and buried the babies himself, in his own parents plot, after being told not to do it by the local priest. No theological argument will ever explain the hurt caused to the parents of these innocent children. All churches are slow to learn from their mistakes. But hopefully they will.

 

[jonnie comet]

How very sad for you all. I hope your sister made a good life for herself and didn't allow the awful experiences at their hands ruin it for her.

Mandy.....Many thanks for your kind words.....

My half sister made a great life for herself in Australia. She married a ‘Ten bob pom’ and has children and grandchildren. She has visited us, and we have visited her. Thanks to Skype and email, she is day to day part of our lives

When I first met her I was gobsmacked.....The absolute spit of our Mam......Green eyes, red hair and full of ‘it’......Australian my arse !!....

 

[Aidan1150]

But please don't put every ordained minister in that group.

Any why not Peter?

Every ordained priest who doesn't stand up, or speak out against the hierarchy and what they have done in this country is helping to maintain that organisation. Let them have the courage to challenge the status quo within the catholic church.

Fuck the lot of them.

What their job title or what the do for a living is irrelevant.

I really can't believe that you can say that. With the history that the catholic church has in this country?