Madam, - While taking issue with Thomas Walsh's characterisation of much of the recent criticism in the media of religious orders on institutional child abuse as "unthinking" (December 12th), I think that there is some merit in his suggestion that we need to examine "the peculiar contemporary culture" of the times when the abuse was at its worst.
He admonishes us "to attempt to analyse the values of that society at that time". He's quite correct. To get the ball rolling, let me suggest that the organisation principally responsible for defining such values at the time was the Roman Catholic Church. The values propagated by this organisation included:
- A relatively high priority to bringing up children as good Catholics (in contrast with the lesser accent on bringing them up as happy, rounded, independent-minded adults);
- The effective prohibition on criticism of the clergy and of the institutions of the Catholic Church (including educational institutions);
- A theologically grounded attitude that the good of the Catholic Church was more important that the interests and rights of individuals (particularly of children);
- An almost complete ban on discussion of human sexuality (particularly the sexuality of the religious);
- A rather strong emphasis on the theological concept of "original sin", which, amongst other things, contributed to a peculiar tolerance of corporal punishment in Catholic schools.
When one combines such values with the extensive control by the church of a very wide range of public institutions at the time (and now), and with the church's enormous physical and social resources, it becomes surprising that Mr Walsh does not mention the church explicitly in his letter.
By all means he is right to call for thoughtful analysis of the roots of child abuse. As part of this analysis there are certainly disturbing questions to be answered about the actions and inactions of politicians, gardai, parents, doctors, educationalists, journalists and many others. But it would seem to be reasonable to start our investigation by examining what's staring us in the face: - i.e. Roman Catholic theology, practices, and institutional power.
The suggestion that the Catholic Church was somehow just another passive recipient of the values of the time (as Mr Walsh seems to suggest), is one that simply does not wash.
It was (and unfortunately often still is) the central institution in Irish society defining and defending such values. - Yours, etc.,
JAIME HYLAND, Heinrich-Mann-Str, 13156 Berlin, Germany.
