“A government investigation into the horror of Irish clerical abuse – both sexual and physical – brought everything to the surface. All the usual elements were there, thanks to the Irish bishops – cover-up, lying, bullying, threats, the hiding of evidence, the sealing of witness testimony, and most of all the willingness to let the guilty clergy get away with the crime.”
Anne M. Burke
“There's a very, very common surname in Ireland that actually means 'priest's son'. Go figure…”
Anon.
“If you allow ancient texts, and the mores of the first and sixth centuries, a huge amount of respect in certain areas of society, it's quite hard to say that they can suddenly be disregarded in another.”
Christina Patterson
“Religious leaders continue to occupy an elevated position in our society not because they are representative, not through any expertise, qualifications or experience but because they assert the divinity of their own institution.”
Naomi MacAuliffe
“As soon as a religion fails to meet human needs – or even to connect with its audience – it begins to die. History is strewn with the wreckage of once vibrant faiths that became irrelevant.”
Oliver Thomas