Of all the reactions to the ongoing abuse scandals amongst the Catholic church (and there have of course been plenty), I’m most fascinated by Ireland’s handling of it. Whenever I’ve taken an interest in my distant Irish ancestry and the history thereof, Catholicism has generally been at the heart of whatever was going on, at least in the better-documented past. It’s been tied to the Vatican unlike pretty much any other first world country, possibly excluding Italy. So hearing of the open anger at the church and the backlash that’s going on is somewhat surprising.
And amusing.