A politically astute organisation

Francis Hunt has launched a blog under the name Attempted Essays.

In the statement from Rome during the week there was no reference made to the fact that child abuse within the church is something that has been going on a long time. Indeed, if one reads the statement carefully there might be an attempt to link modern 'secular' thinking with what has happened. Of course nothing could be further from the truth.

It would seem the oxygen that is central to all of this is the church's almost paranoia with secrecy. And that whole culture would seem to run counter to the life and style of Jesus Christ.

The institutional church seems to behave more or less like any modern State. Diplomatic services around the world openly admit that the Vatican is top of the list when it comes to diplomacy. But is that really the role of the church?

The non show of the Archbishop of Dublin at the press conference in Rome is mesmerising. Was it that he did not want to be associated with the other bishops? Is it that the pope has decided to listen to Diarmuid Martin and has relegated the rest of the Irish bishops to the background?

Obviously a powerful political game is taking place. How can one connect this to Gospel values? How can one explain all this 'stuff' to people who have sworn allegiance and obedience to Holy Mother Church?

Of course it has been noted and commented on but in the midst of all the pictures, statements, photographs there has not been one single woman in sight. And to think that at the centre of all this terrible abuse is sexuality - a sexuality that has been perverted. Not a word about how possible is it for a man to live a celibate life and at the same time lead a full, healthy and normal life.

Is it unfair to say that there is something wrong right at the centre of the hierarchical church?

Maybe celibacy 'works' for a minuscule number of priests but the evidence all around would suggest that it is an extraordinary burden that can drive men mad. And in the process the games that are played out are simply obscene.

It is also always important to keep things in perspective; priests account for a tiny proportion of child abusers.

Strange.