Texts and Emails, Monday 22 March 2010
Topic: The Pope's pastoral letter and the Cabinet reshuffle.
Panellists: Fr Enda McDonagh (Theologian), Fr Brendan Leahy (Theologian), Gemma Hussey (Former FG Minister) and Eoin O'Malley (DCU, Dept of Law and Government).
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It is now for the people to come forward and take their place in the church. We need a mature educated laity.
John D.
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Would the Pope stepping down help salvage some of the damage done tn the church?
Laoisa
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Your theologian seems to be taking sides with the Pope by passing the buck on to the IRISH Church, the entire institution is to blame not just the Irish arm of the church.
Phil, Wexford
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As a victim of abuse why did the Pope not mention the cover-up by the Vatican? Personally I no longer have anything to do with the church as it disgusts me.
David
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The harassment of cardinal Sean Brady by the usual 'special interest' groups with their own agendas "and who are doing quite well" and print media is intolerable and unfair to the hardworking and wonderful clergy we have. Give us a break.
Marie K.
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Have we now become so numbed by this scandal that we have lost sight of all logic? Were we to live in a society where it were possible for paedophiles to form associations etc we would not be surprised to find such bodies engaged in the abuse of children and the subsequent cover ups. However, we are now unsurprised to find a body (the Church) that should be the polar opposite of this type of organisation involved in similar behaviour. What has happened? Declan, Westport.
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The way that the Pope has tried to label the abuse issue as an Irish problem only is a cynical ploy to distract from the German Jesuit abuse scandal and his own role when head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when he ordered that abuse allegations only be reported to bishops and not the police.
Joe, Wexford
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All the clergy who either moved or didn't report paedophiles (including the Pope) has to step down so we have some hope of the truth coming out and the church getting on with healing all those that were hurt.
D. Freeman
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Fear of women & female sexuality is at the root of the Church's problems & has made it a safe haven for misogynists & paedophiles.
Nora
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Clerical abuse has caused enormous damage to the Roman Catholic Church and is the greatest scandal in its history. It has been known about for many years, yet only now has it been made the subject of a dedicated address by the Pope, And that is in itself a major scandal, as he seems to have done so only under pressure . A case of the tail wagging the dog.
Ned
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Why are the Irish bishops castigated by the Pope for applying oaths of secrecy to victims and officials under pain of excommunication, processes directed by the Roman Curia and Canon Law?
Jim Lawless
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Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to you in sheep's coverings, but inside they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits YOU will recognise them, never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they, really by their fruits will you recognise those.
From the gospels, Luke Chapter 7, Phil, Wexford
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Let the people decide how the church should be run by a referendum.
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Will media people stop speaking for all ordinary people. We had a Mission in Cork today at our (large) church & it was mobbed. And many of us felt awfully sorry for good priests reading that letter yesterday.
Aine
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Regarding Cowen's pointless game of musical chairs, it is a true measure of the man's jaw-dropping arrogance, that he is going to retain the disastrous Calamity Coughlan as the second most powerful politician in the land.
Tom, Rathfarnham
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Why not give some air time 2 the high percentage of clergy who do so much good work in our society instead of concentrating on the small percentage of those who abused.
Damien
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