Tuesday 14 September 2010

Papal visit.

I know this post has nothing to do with photography but as an artist I am shaped by my past so I wish to express myself over the Popes visit.
As far as I'm concerned I hope his visit is safe positive and constructive. To all Catholics who hold him in such high regard I sincerely hope his visit brings them all they desire. I wish nothing but peace and safety to all denominations. 
I am an atheist but am tolerant to all religions. I support fully and unreservedly our inalienable right to worship as we see fit and to do so in in safety.
I know a person who was not afforded the privilege of safety in the early 60's, justice was not done at her Catholic church, she suffers still from the effects of the physical and sexual abuse she received whilst 'being cared for' by the Nuns and Priests of her church. 

On her behalf I have written this to add my voice to other small voices in order that a crescendo occurs calling for action in the hope that a pure, cleansing and unflinching spotlight is shone on dreadful past events to keep new generations of children safe. If we tolerate the unforgiveable acts of the past then we only nourish it and encourage it to occur again and again in the future.
During the Papal visit my friend will stay indoors with her friends and avoid TV and newspapers as his visit will re-ignite her suffering and pain.
I believe his holiness is sanctioning an enquiry into the abuses carried out by the nuns and holy fathers of the past, I hope he finds the courage to carry out this task unflinchingly and with great thoroughness. As Catholics regard him as gods representative on earth he holds massive power and if any-one can instigate a move to justice for the abused then he has to.
Surely the future of Catholicism rests upon his committment to the task in hand, he could turn out to be a very important Pope if he finds the inner resolve to tackle this.
I was sexually abused when age 17 whilst a member of a Catholic football team but not by the Catholic church. My brother who is mentally handicapped has been sexually abused, again not by the Catholic church. The son of my best friend who is also mentally challenged was sexually abused several times not by the Catholic church but within a different church. Even the very vulnerable members of our society are not safe from the vileness of paedophila, their favourite prey is the the weakest and most defenceless. We must act to stamp out this execrable behaviour.
The first step is to acknoweledge the past.
The Catholic church must do so with great penitence under under a massive spotlight. Sexual abuse is not only occurring within its church, it happens in schools, other churches, sports clubs, in the home and on the internet to name but a few.
If todays Catholic Church finds the courage to change, to purge and ultimately to apologise to its victims then the message to all paedophiles and to all society will be clear, this behaviour is perverse, abhorrent  and cannot continue.
Perhaps one-day we will thank this Pope for the difference he has made to our society in this respect. But I'm afraid the cynic in me thinks many stones will be left unturned, large ones at that. I have heard he has stated that abusive priests will not be handed over to the Police, surely any-one else would be brought to book for obstruction to the judicial process.
Cover ups, bodyswerves, fudging of the truth and downright denials have been taking place for years and this sadly continues.In any other sphere the Pope will be sacked, instead he is de-fied. If I was Catholic I would be ashamed.
Articles like the one below do nothing to relieve my worry.

Pope Implicated 

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