Gay Marriage, the Catholic Church and abuse

There has been a glaring omission from media coverage of the gay marriage issue. It has been left to comedians to point it out. A bulletin with recent history as its context would sound very different.

‘The Roman Catholic Church, an organisation notorious for its widespread and systematic child abuse practices and cover up, tried to draw attention away from its problems by launching an attack on gay marriage. A Bishop, who asked not to be identified, admitted attending a meeting at which this strategy had been devised. He said the church had lost  credibility over its handling and promotion of abuse. Gay marriage was seen as an issue which most people were not too exercised about. It had the advantage of making the church sound like it was an authority again. He thought it was vital to reassure the dwindling band of followers and arrest the rapid decline in membership. He maintained the very existence of the church was at stake.

A victim of abuse, who had to campaign for twenty years to get his case heard, described the move as a last-ditch attempt to continue their denial of responsibility for decades of abuse. He said that Cardinal Keith O’Brian, among other senior figures in the organisation, were desperate to continue the cover up, and not face up to just how evil they were. Abuse had been widespread and the cover up had gone right to the top of the organisation. “If the Roman Catholic Church ceased to exist that would be fine by me,” he added.’

What would be the impact of such coverage on the status and credibility of the serial abusers masquerading as a church? 

One welcome consequence would be a lot less airtime devoted to pontificating men in frocks. 

Another could be the church finally taking responsibility for its actions .......

Are those pigs flying past the window?