Papal Visit to Ireland August 2018

There is an article in today's Daily Telegraph which comments on Ireland, the Irish and the Papal visit now taking place there some 40 years after the last Papal Visit to Ireland. 

The Telegraph article which at least currently may be found at: 
Papal Visit to Ireland is in my view a good one. There is of course considerable criticism of the abuse  of children and some adults by many clergy in that country and elsewhere over the years. Much of the criticism is well founded but sadly has led to the majority of comments of the newspaper's readers being negative about priests and catholicism generally.

This blog has  number of posts about abuse, religion and law and perhaps the one at: The Church; The Law and Abuse is a good example but the comments following the Telegraph article, signify in my view how far society is moving from historic religious roots to the modern consumer age.  

Many priests within the Church have committed appalling crimes which their superiors including some bishops, have endeavoured to conceal. 

Pope Francis is in my view, a good man and great Pope and will do his best to move the Church on from this tarnishing. Hopefully the visit to Ireland by Pope Francis will be good for the country and of course for the Church.

The publicity of dreadful abuse  was sadly recently exacerbated by the reports of major scandals of the same kind  affecting the USA diocese of Philadelphia for the past 70 years or so,  which in turn come so soon after the report about the conviction of an highly placed cleric in Australia for similar offences, on which a local news report reads:

Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia (CNN)The highest ranking Catholic official to be convicted of covering up sex abuse was spared prison Tuesday and sentenced to six months' home detention in Australia, due to his ailing health and age.

The Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson was found guilty in May of concealing the abuse of altar boys in the 1970s by pedophile priest James Fletcher.

Wilson, 67, said in a statement Wednesday that he intended to appeal the ruling under the "due process of law."

"Since that process is not yet complete, I do not intend to resign at this time. However, if I am unsuccessful in my appeal, I will immediately offer my resignation to the Holy See," he added.

The senior church official stepped aside from his role after his conviction, and said he would not resume duties until after his appeal, if it's successful.