Where Did All the Catholics Go? Sparse Crowds for Pope's Ireland Visit

James

Humans desire correction and leadership. The meets get along and everyone gets a trophy faith is weak and penniless. If the Catholic church is to survive, she must return to the old way of leading by power and openly condemning evil doers and their ways. Why worry about others emotions if God is truely on your side and his word is you life! Live and love it, then no one can condemn your actions and will want to follow your way. That's all I'm saying.

Reed A Mathis

Ireland has suffered from Catholic abuse both physical and sexual. Watch the movie, “The Magdalenes.”

Gerry

Sad to see the RC church in retreat, but a more laity focussed church needs to take the lead and the unquestioning unconditional respect for the clergy needs rebalancing. Pope Francis has my sympathy and has a difficult job ahead of him, but zero tolerance of abuse, transparency and openness in running the RC church needs to start now,

Gary Hynous

The solution to this may be to allow priests to marry and have children. This idea of a priest being married to the church is just not working. Continued celibacy is obviously not going to solve this problem.

Alicia

IMO, the RC church is a scam. It's leaders are only interested in "sheep", which translates to money. They pick and choose what's "important" in the faith. Examples:

1. Years ago, all females had to have their heads covered. I was (unfortunately) sent to Catholic school. I remember that we had to start the day at Mass and if a little girl didn't have a hat, the nuns would give her a tissue to put on her head. Enter the 60s when beehives came into fashion and women refused to ruin their hair by wearing a hat. All of a sudden, it wasn't required to wear hats.

2. NO MEAT ON FRIDAY!!! Any Friday...no matter what time of year it was. But people liked their steaks, so that was changed to "no meat on Fridays during Lent". Ah...but now...it's "no meat on Friday during Lent UNLESS St. Patrick's day falls on a Friday! In that case, pig out on your corned beef!

3. Only a priest could give out communion. That, too, has changed. Now they have some people in the congregation who can pass out the communion wafers.

4. Mass only in Latin. Well....that was boring, so now it's in English (in the US).

5. Women had to wear dresses. It was a must. Enter the age of pants and....POOF! No more dress requirement!

Even at a young age, I saw how hypocritical this all was. No wonder people are getting disillusioned.

Ann Wood

Superstitious nonsense in the 21st century is simply a tool for corrupt politicians and oligarchs. We know of what the universe is composed, we know why bad things happen to good people, and we know that change happens with the efforts made by humans. not some unseen entity.

Minister Norman

More people showed up for Limp Bizkit!

Go figure!

Think PRIESTS SADISTICALLY RAPING innocent little boys & girls, and the Pope & his phony-cronie hierarchy covering it up, had anything to do with it???

Humm.

I'm guessing YES: And good for you Ireland! Let us pray the remainder of this "church" of the damned, follows your lead!

ALL PROPS to Irish Singer, Sinead O'Connor, who called out this Global-Terrorist Organization YEARS AGO & took a ration of grief for it that sabotaged her career!

You've been redeemed!

Now for the rest of the congregation!

Waya5

Pope Francis has only been interested in what will get more members for the Roman Catholic Church. He could care less what is done in the name of that goal. In 2015, in an act that just told Native American Catholics to "just deal with it", Pope Francis canonized a man who has been viewed as a monster by the very Native people who he had hoped to convert; Father Junipero Serra. Serra viewed California Native Americans as the "gente de razon," the "people of reason," and used them to build what he hoped would be his Catholic "utopia." California Mission Natives were tortured, enslaved, kidnapped, and brutalized in public whippings to create Junipero Serra's utopian goal. In Mission Dolores, hundreds of Native women in San Francisco gave dangerous abortions to each other, and were victims of rape from the nearby Spanish Military Presidio. So Native Americans have taken a walk from the Catholic Church. My family, my brother's family and my parents have all left. Yeah, Pope Francis "apologized" for what Catholic missionaries did to indigenous people, but it's not much of an apology when the Pope turns around and canonizes Serra, a padre who single-handedly tried to destroy Native culture, language and even families. It is, however, a slap in the face. Add this to the growing controversy of the sexual predation in Catholic Churches, and it's not hard to see why parishoners walked. To my father, who was a full-blood Native American, he viewed the Missions as "Auschwitz." To the Catholic Church, they are 21 California Missions masterminded by a Saint, and thus are considered valuable as tourism and pilgrimage sites. To be a Saint, it's all about the numbers of people you convert, not what you did in actions that are despicable in order to convert them. It's always been all about the money, and always will be.

Carl Elfstrom

When I was an altarboy at St.Patrick's there were a lot of altarboys who would have been glad to let the priests go down on them. We just wanted to put them in something. We didn't care what it was. Unfortunately, all of the priests at our parish were straight, and never tried.

Lori

The Catholic Church will eventually loose its power as people begin to recognize it has none. It is big business. The abuse, cover ups and laws that don't allow priests to marry and women to become priests, are slowly beating it down. The only people still clinging to this religion are the ones who are still afraid to let go and choose ignorance. It's fear that has been instilled in them over many years. It's hard to understand why anyone would continue to support this church. Bad habits are hard to break. If they believe in a loving God, why do they condone this immorality? It's bad enough that there are so many abusers, but why do the non-abusers try to cover for them? I left the Catholic church many years ago. It was just BS on so many levels. The big brotherhood of molestation needs to close up shop. Oh, I'm sure many good people still hang on because they want to be forgiving, but sometimes it is necessary to just say "no more" and start a new spiritual journey.

Kirk

Pope Francis is a nut. He is singlehandedly causing folks to leave the church with his overly liberal and hypocritical policies. “Catholic Services” have been taking huge sums of money to settle Muslims in huge numbers in small towns across the US. That alone is self destructive. The Catholic Church doesn’t seem to stand for anything anymore.

Lea Weisenbach

I'm a survivor of Christianity...Religion is only to control the poor because the poor would kill the rich. I have no heart for the Catholic church at all..After all that has happened in the past and present...It just amazes me that people still go..Shame on them.

Jesus was not a Christian. Muhammad was not a Muslim. And Buddha was not a Buddhist.

When will people learn to take responsibility for themselves and realize that the only place that is holy is their own heart. Stop looking outside of yourself..look within.

VCDee

https://newswithviews.com/children-suffer-under-a-silent-church-part-1/ <a very profound article by Pastor Anghis. People feel the need for the herd mentality which is how certain types of belief systems find their victims. I feel zero desire to have a membership in any of the appx 4,200 man-made religions. Jesus said "follow Me"....not follow any one of these exclusive 'clubs'.

sheryl A clyde

People who prey on the vulnerable especially children are going to seek out places that people flock to and trust with their children. Why because it is the perfect hunting ground for them. That being said you should be very untrusting when it comes to your kids. People's background's need to be checks and doors need to be kept open when there are kids inside. The church was wrong by trying to cover it up and trusting their pastors admissions of "guilt and repentance". They should have been removed from office and banned from any contact alone with kids at the very least and really should have been turned over to the cops. The church's attempt's to cover it up and keep it in the family so to speak like so many real families tend to do is why so many are angry and leaving the church. It should have not been covered up. To heal a spirit of openness and more untrusting of people who work with the vulnerable needs to happen.

Helina

I currently live in Ireland and to bring light to another atrocity inflicted by the catholic church was the imprisonment of women in the Magdalene laundries and the theft and sale of any children born in them for foreign adoption. This was done by the nuns. The church profited from the slavery of so called fallen women who where not released but made work in the homes doing laundry making money for the church but living as prisoners and the priests all the while abusing small children and their position of authority in general, I cannot tell you how many times I see so called holy men falling down drunk from pubs. That is not God's work. Also the church took control of areas of land where the biggest gold veins are to be found, declaring them holy places. I can honestly say that in my opinion it is God's work that the church is losing it grip on Ireland and humanity can be restored. Sinead O Connor only said what we all knew.

O.H.O.

When officers use their authority incorrectly they are withdrawn from their duties or brought to justice, why can’t we do something to those that teach right from wrong and hold the holiest position on the land ? As adults we know right from wrong but it is said , there will be wolves dressed as sheep. Fear, trauma, belief in higher authorities and embarrassment it what holds this folks from speaking up. We must pray to the Heavenly Father that justice will be served and once left in his hands thing will fall into order. God bless those that still suffer in secrecy and in fear.

Kathleen Burgess

I think when people realized that the 4 billion dollars the Vatican has paid to defend their sex abuse cases, came from regular folks donating with the intent of it going to poor people; and then realizing that their donation money also went towards feeding, clothing, and sheltering these monsters in a comfortable fashion where they didn't have to work regular jobs and spend their time instead scoping out their next victims; so in essence all people who have donated are actually ENABLERS for these molesters; that perhaps they finally saw THE TRUTH and had the long awaited spiritual awakening of no longer seeking authority outside of themselves. One can only hope that this awakening may be the silver lining ?

Jack Mabry

Catholic Church has been corrupt for a thousand years!

Jack Mabry

If mankind had any smarts, they'd get rid of all religions. But they won't, because the main thing any church sells, is an afterlife. Most people can't handle the thought that they'll just disappear after they die.

Jacqueline

When enough people are truly centered in the heart chakra abuse of others will no longer be a reality and people will not look to religion, priests and popes for Truth. They will find Truth within.

SeekerOfTruth

There are so many scandals:

BBC documentary exposes 50-year scandal of baby trafficking by the Catholic church in Spain | Daily Mail Online

300,000 babies stolen from their parents - and sold for adoption: Haunting BBC documentary exposes 50-year scandal of baby trafficking by the Catholic church in Spain

Up to 300,000 Spanish babies were stolen from their parents and sold for adoption over a period of five decades, a new investigation reveals.

The children were trafficked by a secret network of doctors, nurses, priests and nuns in a widespread practice that began during General Franco’s dictatorship and continued until the early Nineties.

Hundreds of families who had babies taken from Spanish hospitals are now battling for an official government investigation into the scandal.

Several mothers say they were told their first-born children had died during or soon after they gave birth.

In reality, the babies were sold to childless couples whose devout beliefs and financial security meant that they were seen as more appropriate parents.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049647/BBC-documentary-exposes-50-year-scandal-baby-trafficking-Catholic-church-Spain.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYsj6qXQqsQ

Church of the One

I live in Ireland and it isn't just the Catholic church where numbers have fallen. The Church of Ireland in my town only has services twice a month and shares a part-time non stipendary rector with 2 other parishes. I have attended some services there over the last 2 years and except for Christmas day and Easter Sunday attendances are between 6 and 12, mostly people in their seventies. In living memory there were services every week, the parish had its own full time rector, and there were both a choir and an organist whereas now music is provided by CDs. Christianity seems to be in mortal decline not just in Ireland but all over western Europe. I was a Mormon for 45 years and they are growing, thanks to an aggressive missionary force, but three quarters of their converts have left within a year and most of them here are foreign immigrants who are probably looking for friends and somewhere to belong. I know that both physical and sexual aberations took place in the Mormon church in Ireland and no action was taken. Where missionaries were involved they were moved out of the branches they were serving in and we were never told what had happened to them. Things are coming to light about that church, especially in Utah, but as many of the higher ranking police and judiciary there are Mormons and loyal to that church very little has been done. When I lived in Wales a prominent bishop of the Church in Wales (Anglican) had to resign because of sexual abuse against young boys. Roald Dahl in his autobiography wrote how a former headmaster of the school he attended who had abused pupils went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury.
There is a saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" and I think that is what has happened in these organisations. I think there will be a lot more coming out concerning many other religious organisations leading to a further decline in religious affiliation.

Father Fred

The Catholic church is in trouble for the same reason that many other churches and people get in trouble. Not acknowledging wrong-doing, and if not covering up, giving the appearance of covering up.

Brian (@pontiacman64)

Awww... tsk, tsk. People are waking up to the fact of religion being used as a cash cow and a control vehicle. What are the fools in charge going to do now?

Secretary3rd

Maybe by chance that all that praying to Jesus seems to be a waste of time. Reading a 2000 year old book that was made when man was the center of everything and Heaven was just above the clouds and Hell was feet below where you stood. It seems that all praying to the Pope for a better life have falling short. Being force to give your money to a Church or your going to Hell is also falling by the side. Having a Male Chauvinistic Pig telling you how to live your life is getting rather dull. SDince you can start you own religion with your own rules who needs the Pope in the first place.

Anna-Marie

Since we are talking about the Catholic Church and their selling babies. I'm wondering if anyone can help me in my search for information concerning the selling of babies of unwed teenage mothers by the CC in Minneapolis, Minnesota . I tried to look into my adoption records and was told by the State they are sealed. When both of my adoptive parents passed on I was told by a relative on my mother's side that they went to Catholic Social Services and paid ten thousand dollars for me through the Church. Any information would be helpful. Thank You Anna-Marie Livingston beautiful_dreamer1955@yahoo.com

Jim D.

I might be a little late to the party with this, and perhaps no one will read it. But so what? It's not costing me anything.

The Catholic church and it's problems is like a bazillion-layered onion. Peel each layer, and you find something new to hate about them. But I'll try to keep this wrapped a little tighter, just in the interest of time.

I like comparing and contrasting. Makes it way easier to highlight the blemishes. So, let's compare the Catholic church to Judaism.

First, the Catholics got it wrong from the very beginning. They sent missionaries to the deepest jungles in Africa and South America to convert these primitive cultures to Christians. Why, because these primitive people needed it? Hell no! For the Catholics it's about the numbers. You can't be the biggest religion in the world if you don't force a few people to belong to your church. As for the Jews, they don't send missionaries anywhere. They don't cold-call or solicit their religion one bit. In fact, they make it hard for you if you want to become Jewish. C'mon, who remembers in "Sex and the City" when Charlotte had to convert to marry the Jewish guy. That was not walk in the park for her, but she did it.

Second, only men can be priests, they cannot marry, and they cannot have sex... ever! Men and women can be rabbis, and they can marry and have all the sex they want, but they can't eat a bacon cheeseburger. If you had the choice of giving up sex or bacon cheeseburgers for the rest of your life, which would you choose? As an aside, we all know there are a fair number of priests that have engaged in sex in the form of abuse toward minors. Now, I'm not suggesting rabbis are perfect people, and I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but I would guess there are rabbis that have indulged in a bacon cheeseburger, or at least a pork chop here and there. The difference is the cheeseburger does not surface ten years later and accuse a rabbi of eating it, and the other rabbis don't conspire to cover up the transgression.

Third, there is an issue of optics. The Catholic church is one of the wealthiest organizations, if not THE wealthiest organization on the planet. The opulence is almost overwhelming. Every morning the Pope drops a deuce sitting on a 24 karat solid gold toilet. Meanwhile, a large part of the congregation are some of the poorest people in the world. Really? The pope needs to take a dump on a gold toilet while little Jose and Juanita in some dung heap of a village in South America don't know where their next meal is coming from? Hell, I bet some of those people have never even seen a toilet, let alone one made of gold. And thus is the problem with centralized power. All the wealth accumulates in one place, and goes to the benefit of one man... the one at the top. And every few years they have an election, voted on by the very men (and not women) that stand a chance of being the lottery winner. It's a racket the likes of which should the mob jealous. Jews, however, do not have centralized system. Each synagogue pretty much fends for itself. Sure, Jerusalem is their holy capital, but there does not exist a seat of power and a grand high exalted mystic rabbi eating matzoh balls rolled by virgins.

And lastly, the Catholic church just can't seem to get away from major controversy... Abortion, birth control, child sex abuse and cover-ups, the Holocaust, discrimination against women, Jews, Muslims, heretics, homosexuality and trans-genderism, the Crusades, the Inquisition (parts 1, 2, 3 and 4)... the list goes on. So what's so controversial about the Jews? They don't believe Jesus was the Messiah? Next. They don't eat pork? ENHHH!! Sorry, wrong answer. They dress funny? Okay, well, if you're talking about Hasidic Jews, I'll give you that one. But that hardly rises to the level of major controversy.

So, the Jews have kept to themselves, they don't bother anyone, they don't try to convert people, and for the most part, they are not the center of controversy. The Catholic church is the complete opposite. Yet, the Jews have been persecuted throughout history for keeping to themselves, quite often by the Catholic church. So is all that missionary work designed to increase a congregation, or is it to build an army? You decide.

Jack Mabry

Totally agree with you. Catholic Church is the most corrupt organization that has ever been on this planet.

AUGUSTHYBABY

I see the corruption of the RC from its early beginning by adopting pagan cultures disrespecting God s word eg Sunday worship and idol veneration at the behest of Roman Empire see history what it reveals. Babylon the great harlot!

Rev. Ray

I don’t think God condemns love, heterosexual or gay, love! True love is God. Dignity in love is true!