(0 votes)Irish history has been peppered with Catholic scandals that have greatly weakened the image of the Church and the faith in Ireland. As a reminder, the Emerald Isle is a deeply religious country with a strong attachment to Christianity… But recent scandals linking the church to cases of child abuse and sexual deviance have thrown the population into a real crisis of faith. To help you better understand what happened, we’d like to take a look back at the dramas that have been unfolding until recently…
<h2>Catholic scandals in Ireland</h2>
<h3>Actions long held in silence…</h3>
It took a long time. A lot of time, in fact. As a result of repeated complaints and investigations, a number of scandals have emerged that have stirred public opinion.
Starting with the convents and laundries affair. In the 1950s, it was common practice to place unmarried pregnant girls in these religious institutions. They were forcibly kept in these establishments, gave birth on the premises, had their children put up for adoption without their consent, and had to work in the convent as washerwomen for the rest of their lives. A dramatic policy that ruined many lives and left its mark on Ireland forever…
The situation has also degenerated in orphanages, including Tuam in County Galway. This orphanage has taken in many children from out-of-wedlock relationships. Recent work beneath the foundations has uncovered the remains of over 800 children and infants, all of whom died between 1925 and 1961 as a result of neglect and other forms of abuse.
A macabre discovery that literally caused a scandal throughout Ireland, and lifted the veil on decades of cruelty and violence perpetrated by the Irish Catholic Church.
