The Catholic primate of Ireland is held to account for an investigation into sex abuse that occurred more than thirty years ago and in which he played a relatively minor role. He points out that it was not his responsibility to report the sex abuse discovered to the parents of the abused children or to the authorities, that responsibility resting with his superiors.
Government ministers, senior politicians, journalists, and an easily-led public clamour for his resignation-- including Eamon Gilmore, the Tanaiste and leader of the Labour Party.
An RTE current affairs programme, all the way back in dim and distant 2011, falsely accuses a Catholic priest of sexually abusing a girl and fathering her child. Today, the Labour Party member and Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, said that he had not sought any resignations from the board of RTÉ-- the people who should assume ultimate responsibility for the actions of the national broadcaster.
Church-bashing? Anti-Catholicism? What, here, in liberal and pluralist and tolerant Ireland?
It will almost certainly get worse, as the militant secular wing of the Labour party gain in strength and confidence-- not to mention their sympathizers in other political parties, and in other walks of Irish life.
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