You Think Philomena’s Story Was Bad….

This past January, I posted a review of the movie, Philomena, which depicts the story of a woman who had a child out of wedlock and was sent off to a convent in disgrace.  The nuns sold her son to Americans who adopted “Tony.”  The movie shows Philomena to be almost saintly in her faith, charity and forgiveness.  The nuns do not come off well, appropriately.

Now, imagine Philomena’s son Tony was totally neglected by the nuns, starved to death and was buried in an unmarked mass grave with 800 other dead children.  This unimaginable horror is the latest revelation from the despicable era in Ireland when there was no sin worse that a sexual sin.  As an observant Catholic, I find it unfathomable that nuns could commit this atrocity.  What possible justification could they find for this kind of behavior?  It makes the Nigerian kidnappings seem almost humane by comparison.

I’m often asked how I can remain faithful to a Church that would commit such acts.  My answer is always the same.  I am faithful to the Catholic religion, not necessarily to the institutional “Church.”  The human beings that run this church are just that, human beings, who can be evil.  This is a story of evil.

As usual, Andrew Sullivan strikes the right cord by unsparingly criticizing the Church for tolerating this abuse while remaining hopeful that exposure of these crimes will lead to a “Christianity worthy of Jesus.”  I can only share his hope.

Category: Catholic Church