Sunday, January 24, 2010

Justice In Ireland

A new website in relation to Child Sex Abuse and highlighting the issue here in Ireland (http://www.justiceinireland.com/) was launched on Friday 22nd. January 2010.

We asked the creator of the site to explain how and why this site now exists:

The website is very simple. I am, like many in Ireland, extremely ashamed and angry with the scandal that has engulfed the church.

The extent of the physical and sexual abuse is appalling and the reaction of the hierarchy and the Vatican to the events has been nothing short of disgusting.

They have completely failed to grasp what has happened and that the only way to solve the problems are to make a complete investigation into all cases and to bring those guilty to justice, and this includes all priests/nuns who turned a blind eye to the crimes that were committed.

I'm not an activist, though. I have been quite happy to sit back and watch as other brave people have come forward to protest and complain while all I have done is pontificate from the safety of my armchair.

I finally decided to do something after reading a letter from a victim published in the Irish Times before Christmas. It hit the nail on the head. It is up to us, the people of Ireland, to force the church to do something.

For this reason I have decided to set up a petition asking every priest of Ireland to come forward and answer particular questions about the scandal. I am asking them to do this on Easter Sunday, April 4. If enough people sign the petition then I am hoping that after Easter we will have one of the following scenarios:

1. The majority of priests will have declared their support for action and the Vatican/Irish Hierarchy will have to take action

2. The majority of priests will either not have declared their support for action, or will have made no comment at all. In this scenario the church going catholics of Ireland can then decide whether or not they should continue to support the Irish Catholic Church.

Those who continue to do so, will be knowingly supporting an organisation who implicitly feels that sexual and physical abuse of minors is a crime that is not serious enough for punishment.
That's it.

Linked in to this I hope to have 2 protests on Facebook and twitter at the beginning and end of Lent.
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