Pope Francis suggested the Catholic Church must address the present gulf between what it currently says on these issues and what tens of millions of believers actually do.
It was such an important and historic moment for Irish survivors, where the Pope was left in no doubt about the human and spiritual cost that clerical child sexual abuse causes.
I shudder to imagine what those mothers and their beautiful babies went through. But we need to ask the difficult question: is this the correct use of funds that children living today so badly need?
The history of Ireland’s legal adoption battle is fraught with examples of church-state collusion, even after 1952 when legislation for it was finally enacted in Ireland.
These are the unpalatable facts: we are living at a time of growing homelessness and food poverty, and we allow vulnerable children to socially excluded, neglected and ignored.
For Irish people who lived through these times to claim no knowledge of what went on in places like Tuam is disingenuous – and smacks of “I was only following orders”.
The misogynistic meddling of the Catholic church in affairs of this young state was detrimental to the blossoming of a whole, enlightened and fulfilled society – and nobody bore the brunt of that more than vulnerable women and their babies.
TWO ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALISTS confirmed, two more to follow today.
Another big Croke Park double-header lies ahead, with the mouth-watering meeting of Armagh and Galway kicking us off.
Kieran McGeeney’s Orchard county have serious momentum behind them after qualifier wins over the usurped All-Ireland champions Tyrone and Donegal, but they face a stiff challenge from Connacht kingpins Galway next.
It’s a novel pairing, and it’s hard to call which way it will swing. But this is a massive opportunity for both counties.
Another standout tie follows as Kerry and Mayo gear up to do battle.
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No strangers to the business end of the competition at this stage — or each other — the winners of this heavyweight clash will go up against Dublin in the semi-final.
Who will win today’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals?
A stray shower; breezy this afternoon
Max: 16 °C
Min: 12 °C
Breezy with rain at times
Max: 19 °C
Min: 11 °C
Variable clouds with showers
Max: 16 °C
Min: 9 °C
