Shame and Hope

Perhaps there are signs of moving with the times. Prior to Pope Benedict bowing out there was a report that some German Catholic hospitals might be permitted to issue certain types of morning-after pills for women who have been raped.

Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne suggested changing the policy after two Catholic hospitals refused to assist a rape victim due to prohibitions on issuing the pill. He reasons some pills rather than induce abortion actually prevent fertilisation.

Might all sound like angels dancing on the head of a pin type reasoning to those of us not the slightest interested in theological jabberwocky but at least the clerics are bowing to the pressure of a public opinion concerned that the de facto rights of the rapist to force his victim to bear him a child are considered greater by the Catholic Church than the rights of the rape victim to terminate. The refusal by the Catholic hospital in Cologne caused a public outcry in Germany leading to an apology from the Cardinal who said the refusal to help rape victims "shames us deeply because it contradicts our Christian mission and our purpose".


Inappropriate

Shame is not something Cardinal Keith O’Brien was much given to prior to his outing as someone who liked to try it on with fellow priests once he had downed a few drinks. Priests banging priests is okay by me if it is consensual and they don’t pester those not inclined towards sex with the sexton.

For long enough O’Brien attacked the gay community for promoting and practicing same sex relationships. It earned him a bigot of the year award from the Charity, Stonewall.

Since then four men, three of them priests and one a former priest, have made complaints to the Vatican about o'Brien behaving 'inappropriately' towards them while they were young ckerics. O’Brien was the spiritual director of one of the men when an inappropriate relationships developed. Seems spiritual erection concerned him more. The men made their complaints just prior to the resignation of Pope Benedict.

They later expressed fears that feared that ‘if O'Brien travels to the forthcoming papal conclave to elect a new pope, the church will not fully address their complaints.’ One of the men making the allegations stated.

It tends to cover up and protect the system at all costs The church is beautiful, but it has a dark side and that has to do with accountability. If the system is to be improved, maybe it needs to be dismantled a bit.

O’Brien consequently was not permitted to travel.

But Cardinal Sean Brady was allowed to travel. Whatever O’Brien’s transgression it did not involve the failure to protect children. How he was considered an inappropriate delegate and Brady appropriate.



Little Red Biting Hood


Luiz what big teeth you have got!


All the better to eat you up with.
 

Luiz Suarez is protesting that press criticism might drive him away from Liverpool FC.

It is regrettable   .... that it takes the media to do the job that the fans should be doing. Suarez should not be allowed to feature in a Liverpool shirt ever again. A talented player but a thug who thinks nothing of sinking his teeth into the arms of an opponent. Perhaps he has been watching too much of The Walking Dead. 

My seven year old son says of himself that he is ‘zombie mad and soccer mad’. But at least he knows what his teeth are for. He watches soccer avidly and there is no way that he should see a role model savaging an opponent. Even Norman ‘bites yer legs’ Hunter of the famous but physical Leeds United side never took the description literally.

If Lupine Luiz wants a taste of Spanish soccer opposition let him have it. It might take the bite out of the English game. Hardly a bad thing.









This & That: Take 20

Guest writer Thomas Dixie Elliot with a humourous take on the recent border poll. The writer is a former blanket man who still campaigns for prisoners' rights.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy declared victory in the recent border poll held in South Armagh.

South Armagh wins Border Poll

Tonight The Pensive Quill carries commentary from Guest Writer Carrie Twomey

Enda Kenny and Boston College

Kevin Cullen writing in the Boston Globe earlier this month examined the issue of Boston College's invitation to Taoiseach Enda Kenny to speak at their commencement. Because Boston College is a Catholic University, some people were upset at the invitation given the recent abortion debate going on in Ireland and Enda Kenny's refusal to automatically bow down to demands of clerics. Previously, Kenny had given a landmark speech about the Church and its shameful handling of child abuse; it was much needed, and reflective of the changes in Ireland. For whatever else one may think about Kenny's leadership, he has been very strong in publicly distancing the State from the Church -- much to the Church's chagrin.

Comment from Carrie

Guest writer Aodan Ferguson with a piece on the ongoing British state harassment of Republican Society activists.

If you are asked to believe all the Political and Media hype about this ‘‘shared future’’ or ‘‘island of equals’’ and the new dispensation that is being promoted by Sinn Fein and other politicians, then you must ask yourself the following questions. Is there freedom of expression? Is there freedom of speech? Is there freedom to express your political view? What type of treatment is given by the State and the Forces of the State to those Republicans who express their view publicly?

Political Harassment