Shock-research in Ireland: In the former very Catholic Eire almost half the population does not have a positive opinion of the Church.
A survey conducted by the religious «think tank» «Iona Institute» (a non-governmental organization dedicated to strengthening civil society by supporting religion and marriage) reveals that three quarters of the Irish people are critical of the church hierarchy, indicating the sexual abuse of clergy on children as the cause for their opposition to the Church.
In addition, 23% of respondents attributed their negative view of the Church «to history and ecclesiastical institutions».
A wake-up call for a Catholic community which, says the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, is facing a difficult road to renewal.
«Some outside of Ireland still believe that the country is a bastion of traditional Catholicism - Monsignor Martin points out. It is surprising to find that in Dublin there are parishes where Sunday Mass is attended by only 5% of the Catholic population, and in some cases does not reach 2%».
The situation has deteriorated significantly over the past two years.
According to several studies, in fact, a number of Irish children were beaten, raped and humiliated by Catholic priests and nuns while in "corrective" public institutions in Ireland until the '80s: this was reported by the Child Abuse Commission, which conducted the largest survey ever on institutions in the hands of religious orders in Ireland, a study which lasted nine years and for which thousands of victims of abuse were interviewed.
In particular, in public institutions for boys run by Catholic religious orders - reformers, schools for "troubled teens", and homes that housed disabled - the violence was "endemic", as defined by the judge who coordinated the report, Sean Ryan .
Violence that has left thousands of people marked for life.
In November 2009, a survey conducted by RedC, always on behalf of "The Iona Institute," photographed a very different reality: two thirds of Irish people went to church at least once a month, about five times more than the French co-religionists.
With a significant increase over the previous year (2008), when another survey, conducted by ESRI, had shown a religious attendance of 54%. To deal with the emergency that arose in the period 2009-2011, the Holy See resorted to drastic measures.
«This is the first time this has happened in the history of the church - highlights the weekly of Pauline Sisters "Christian Family". The Church of the entire nation, Ireland, its diocese, its seminaries, all its congregations were practically commissioned by the Vatican. In ecclesiastical language this is called "apostolic visitation" and the Pope had already announced in the Letter to Irish Catholics after the sexual abuse scandal».
Benedict XVI has appointed nine inspectors, including two nuns, to "purify" the Church of Ireland.
In this manner, the Holy See «intends to offer Bishops, clergy, religious and faithful lay» help to «properly» deal with the situation that has arisen as a result of sexual abuse. Some Irish Bishops were forced to resign. The breadth of the scandal has impressed the Pope, but what has shocked the Holy See most is the many years in which incidents of pedophilia were covered up.
A year ago a meeting was held among all the Irish Bishops, the Pope and some departments of the Curia in order to face the storm. The result was that the Irish Church came out commissioned.
The inspectors are an English cardinal, O'Connor, former Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal O'Malley of Boston, the Archbishops of Toronto and Ottawa and the Archbishop of New York.
Two priests, a Jesuit and a Redemptorist and two nuns, including mother Haron Holland, who for years has worked as office manager at the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life collaborate with them.
The investigation began with a questionnaire sent to all religious to determine the status of compliance with Holy See guidelines on sexual abuse.
Judging by the 50% of Irish people who are hostile to the Church, the road ahead is still long.