The Sisters of Mercy - not so merciful

[If_It_Makes_You_Happy]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... AD98A3N3G2

The Sisters of Mercy, which ran several refuges for girls where the report documented chronic brutality, said in a statement its nuns "accept that many who spent their childhoods in our orphanages or industrial schools were hurt and damaged while in our care."

[emilystrange]

this sort of thing really doesn't help allay my deep mistrust of organised religion.

those children... it's just making me ill thinking about it

[Being645]

What else ... that's the sort of people telling children, that the Lord didn't love them, because they get hit ...

[Quiff Boy]

like the "christian brothers" then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregati ... n_Brothers

[merrisl]

I'd just like to add in true 'Daily Mail stylee' that I went to a Christian Brothers school, despite being a Proddy Dog, and every beating and/or strapping I ever had was thoroughly deserved

Far too many soft arses nowadays after a free payout

[Quiff Boy]

"thoroughly deserved"

good lad

or is that the catholic guilt telling you that you deserved them?

[emilystrange]

doesn't work on non catholics!

[James Blast]

Catholic and sans guilt...

Next!

"Bless me father for I have sinned..."
My religion is my religion and I don't force it down anyone's throat
The fact I draw some spiritual salve from it should really be no one's concern and to see it openly attacked on here so often is, well it's begining tae stick in my cra'.

I ken the Catholic church is guilty of many heinous crimes, but there are true and guid peeps out there who happen to believe in JC and can circumnavigate the hypocrisy, hatred and lies.

3 Hail Marys as usual then father?

[Harvey Winston]

Nah, it's indefensible.

[Being645]

religion and religious institutions are two different things.

I can't see any reason for the existence of the latter, apart from
instrumentalizing religion for other mostly rather mundane purposes ...

[7anthea7]

religion and religious institutions are two different things.

I can't see any reason for the existence of the latter, apart from
instrumentalizing religion for other mostly rather mundane purposes ...

They used to serve a purpose, when there were no private or state-run charities to perform the same functions. Even now, many of the best hospitals in the US are Catholic-owned (although obviously no longer entirely Catholic-staffed), and church-sponsored charities are responsible for bringing education to Third-World children who might otherwise never have such opportunities.

Still, virtually all institutions for children down the centuries have been appalling (Hello? Anyone ever read Oliver Twist or Jane Eyre???). Due, however, to the particular forces brought upon Catholic nuns and priests that either twisted or failed to effectively suppress their sexuality (gotta love that original sin and institutionalised celibacy stuff ), and the fact that many, many of them ended up in these positions without having a true vocation (it was assumed every family would give at least one child to the church, never mind whether they were suited to it or not), there was never a chance that children were not going to have the frustrations of their supposed 'protectors' taken out on them.

In the US, Protestant and other charitable organisations mostly abused children physically (e.g. beating, deprivation) and mentally/emotionally, although even those have had reports of sexual abuse of boys. It isn't exclusive to the Catholic church by any means.

[eotunun]

(it was assumed every family would give at least one child to the church, never mind whether they were suited to it or not)

...
If I had anything to say about where the money goes I wouldn't even permit any church to receive a penny of my dough. Sadly God's own Mafia cashes in royally on me.

[markfiend]

Benedict XVI is complicit in the cover-up. I have a linky on my Mac at home...

[EvilBastard]

It reminds me of a story I heard once. It seems that the priest of the small rural parish of Ballygobshite was getting on in years so the diocese appointed a new, younger priest to replace him.
On his first day Father Pat was being shown around his new stomping ground by the old priest, Father Francis Xavier. The old man explained that most of his parishoners were, like him, getting on in years and, while the calibre of sinning was not very high, they'd grown used to the old priest and the scale of punishments meted out at Confession. He handed Father Pat a hand-written list of the most common sins and what the penance was. Suitably fortified, Father Pat settled into the confessional before evensong and awaited the penitants.

The first person came into the confessional. An elderly female voice whispered, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been 1 week since my last confession. Oh Father, I was married to my Sean for 45 years and nary looked at another man. But since he left me Christmas last...well, Father, it's like this: there's a young fella does our hedges at the old peoples' home, and on Monday he was out there with his shirt off, his muscles all rippling and glowing with sweat. And I had lustful thoughts, Father."

Father Pat consulted his cribsheet. "Say 2 Our Fathers and 1 Hail Mary, my child."

The next person in was a young boy, perhaps 10. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I took a sweet from the jar on my mam's kitchen counter even though she told me I couldn't have any until I'd done my homework."

Again the priest consulted his cribsheet. "Say 2 Hail Marys and 3 Our Fathers."

There was a bit of a gap and Father Pat could hear the congregation arrive for evensong. Just as he was thinking about closing up and going into the vestry to change, he heard the confessional door open.
A young woman, somewhat out of breath: "Bless me Father for I have sinned. Father, you know I try to lead a virtuous life - I've never stolen, or told a lie, but...well, me and Tommy Doyle, we've been walking out for 6 months or so, and he keeps asking me to have s-e-x with him, but I always refuse - it wouldn't be right unless we were married, would it, Father? Well, the other night it was after the Young Farmers do in the village, we were both a little drunk. He was walking me home and he asked me to do something. Well, you know, I was a little drunk, so I did."

"What did you do, my child?"

"Father, I'm ashamed to say it, but I gave Tommy Doyle a blowjob."

Father Pat consulted his cribsheet, but to his horror he could find no reference to the crime.

"Sit quietly for a moment, my child, and think about what you have done."

Father Pat dashed out of the confessional and into the vestry where the altarboys were preparing for the evening service.
"Quick, lads - what did Father Francis used to give for a blowjob?"

The altar boys turned to each other, then said in unison,

"2 Mars Bars, a can of Tizer, and don't tell your ma."

[James Blast]

well I LOL'd

[abridged]

Actually was turned down to be an alter boy. Guess I wasn't pretty enough...

[James Blast]

I got kicked out before I even hit the stage.... eh, altar

Wrong colour of sandshoes ye' see, my poor Ma couldna afford tae buy me a black pair and I was rather fond of the white ones with the rainbow colored elastic bit. The Canon who schooled us newbies informed me that only 'El Papa' was allowed tae wear white shoes on stage... eh, altar. He was an odious cunt anyway (except in the confessional booth where he was a very wise, contrite, gentleman) I remember being very happy when he died - went to meet his maker.

a blip, I still enjoy the smoke, candles, incense and ritual

[markfiend]

Actually was turned down to be an alter boy. Guess I wasn't pretty enough...

You should have asked to be an altar boy, you're asking for trouble applying to be an alter boy.

(Sorry)

[James Blast]

maybe he was in an altared state at the time?

[abridged]

Ah if the entry test for heaven includes spelling am screwed...

[EvilBastard]

Ah if the entry test for heaven includes spelling am screwed...

And on the subject of screwing...

I was reading a book the other night about people who survive accidents and disasters. It seems that when the Andrea Doria sank some years ago, the following incident took place:

As the passengers were waiting to be rescued, three men found themselves standing together. Two were men of the cloth, a rabbi and a priest. The other was an attorney from a hot-shot Manhattan law firm. As the passengers were scrambling over each other to reach safety, the rabbi pleaded for calm:

"People, people! The children! Think of the children!"

The attorney was more worried about getting salt-stains on his $1500 suit.

"Ah, fuck the children," he retorted.

At this the priest brightened.

"Oooh, do you think we have time?"

[EvilBastard]

Actually was turned down to be an alter boy. Guess I wasn't pretty enough...

You should have asked to be an altar boy, you're asking for trouble applying to be an alter boy.

(Sorry)

I hear Catholicism is very big in the Philippines...

[EvilBastard]

...church-sponsored charities are responsible for bringing education to Third-World children who might otherwise never have such opportunities.

I'm all for education, but when those same church-sponsored charities spend too much time shoving cant down the throats of kids in the developing world ("If you wear a condom you're going to hell. They don't stop you from getting AIDS, you know - and yes, I know your entire family died from it - it's because they were evil filthy perverts and they were smote by the hand of god almighty!") and not enough time teaching them to read, write, and 'rithmetise then there's a problem. Not to say that they're all like that - some are really very good - but there's enough ignorant crap being peddled around by people who should know better to people who don't know anything else for it to be a worry.

[Jingo]

Next!

My religion is my religion and I don't force it down anyone's throat

Fnaaar! Fnaaar!

[Andrew S]

I got kicked out before I even hit the stage.... eh, altar

Wrong colour of sandshoes ye' see, my poor Ma couldna afford tae buy me a black pair and I was rather fond of the white ones with the rainbow colored elastic bit.

So, the opposite of this problem