It's the sycophants who landed us in this mess

This column appears in IN&M Irish regional newspapers today.

By Michael Commane
Once I turn on the radio in the morning at 7 it is non-stop bad news about Ireland. Yes, there is a turn-off switch on the radio but that’s analogous to the unwise person who never opens her or his bills when they arrive in the door.

No matter how painful, surely it is important that we know what is happening and why. At last we might now be afforded the opportunity to begin to search for the truth and speak it.

The majority of commentators are up in arms with what is happening in the country. Across the entire spectrum from Joe Duffy callers to the established commentators there is a palpable anger.

Hold on a second. The vast majority of these commentators were telling us some short time ago that we should all go with the flow and they were explaining their reasons with pie charts and PowerPoint. Please give me a break.

There are very few people who ever stand up against those in control and power. It’s not easy to criticise our bosses.

I happen to be a Dominican priest albeit on the fringes. It is natural that I am interested in church life and hierarchical politics. At this stage of my life I know the reality that I am going nowhere on any sort of promotional greasy pole. That’s due to my own inabilities and my refusal to be a good sycophant.

Last December a Capuchin priest, Fr Owen O’Sullivan wrote an article in The Furrow magazine on homosexuality

It was reported in the Irish media that the Vatican has banned Fr O’Sullivan from writing after he suggested homosexuality is ‘simply a facet of the human condition’.

When it comes to banning the written word one thinks of countries such as Burma, China, North Korea and the former Soviet Union and its satellite States.

If you belong to an organisation you are expected to follow the party line. If a politician writes critical material about her or his party it is likely that they will run into trouble with authority. But no political party in a democratic society will admit to banning any member from expressing opinions critical of the party.

Banning someone from expressing her or his opinion is not appropriate in a democratic society. It is certainly not appropriate in a church, which claims to preach the Word of God and is in constant search of truth.

Every society has its norms of behaviour. And in every society the people in control make sure to secure their positions. Some do it in more subtle ways than others. That’s the way of the world.

All my life I was led to believe that our Civil Servants were a special sort of people – the mandarins in Merrion Street knew best and deserved our respect. I have met one or two departmental secretary generals over the years but the idea of questioning a word of what they said was simply not possible. It would have been considered down right rude and even silly.

They make sure we treat them with reverential respect and pay themselves ridiculous salaries.

If our Civil Service was a shadow of what I hade been led to believe how come they never had the conviction or courage to stand up to politicians and speak their mind. They were and are complicit with the mess we are in now.

I don’t claim to be a prophetic person or any different from the ordinary Joe but 20 years ago I asked for an open and honest discussion within the Dominican Order on all matters relating to sexuality. Noting happened and my comments were put down to, ‘ah that’s Michael at it again’.

The support and honesty of a number of friends made the difference.

There is something profoundly wrong with the relationship between the governed and those who govern, between the people in charge and those who are on the margins. And that too is the way of the world.

I’m tired, frustrated and angry too at how people in power and control do their damndest to surround themselves with the best type of sycophants, who know exactly how to massage the egos of their masters and mistresses.

In these dark days we should place great value in the support we get from our friends, who are willing to speak the truth to us.

In this column last week I wrote about how we Irish seem to have a facility to take so much on the chin and are experts at criticising behind closed doors. In a similar way we seem to have a special talent in saying one thing in public and something very different in private. That’s so in all sectors of our society.

I have seen first hand the trickery that goes on among the priestly class. But that goes on in all groups and classes.

I cherish my friends, the ones, who in good times and bad have told me what they believe and have told it to me in charity and honesty.

I have worked as a journalist, a teacher, a press officer, a factory worker and a priest and all I can say is that I have been fortunate to be blessed with great friends. Systems and what they do to people scare me.