I was born and raised Catholic. Irish Catholic to be more accurate. I went through 8 years of Catholic elementary school and then never really looked back. In the years after I pretty much avoided the church as the message sent by them and received by me is "we don't want you, you are damaged." Little did I know that in many, many cities all over the world, priests were molesting children. Repeatedly. Fortunately I was not one of them but I know a few who were. The ensuing cover up has been sad and uncomfortable to watch and learn about as more details come to light through lawsuits. Just the other day it was discovered that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, currently the Archbishop of New York and President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops seems to have hidden funds during his tenure as Archbishop of Milwaukee, to the tune of about $57 million dollars to protect the funds from victims of clergy sexual abuse who demanded compensation, and the Vatican approved it.
Here is the link to the story. Dolan is also a vociferous opponent to marriage equality, using his pulpit to promote his views and make suggestions to his flock on how to act politically. This is from a group that enjoys tax breaks due to religion.
In another new article today, it was stated that in the Dominican Repbulic, the Catholic Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez referred to James “Wally” Brewster as a “maricón”. Brewster is the Nominee for US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic from the US. Once again, religion goes where it wants to. Once again here is the link.
I know people, gay people, who are still active in the Catholic church, and I want to know how? Why? The Catholic Church does not practice what they preach. How can anyone stand by and support or find comfort in a group that (a) doesn't want them and (b) thinks they are damaged and (c) damaged many individuals and covered it up? I stepped away from it a long time ago, and religion in general. It offers me no comfort at all.
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