What I'm here for, the United Nations, the Catholic Church, & it's all too much

That title may actually seem rather ambitious for a single blog post, but I have actually only today identified the theme that runs through my magical workings: it is that of bringing things to an end. That is obviously my 'thing' magically in this incarnation.

Another thing going on which really needs to be brought to an end is the Catholic Church's ridiculous attitude to child abuse & its own responsibility. This week it has been in the news that the United Nations' child protection arm has asked the Vatican to disclose all records of child sexual abuse between 1995, & January 2014, when it is conducting a hearing into whether the Catholic Church is actually doing enoiugh to protect children (Source: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23251503).

Most news sources have based their headlines on the fact that the Vatican 'may' be able to refuse this request, even though the Convention on the Child is legally binding. But to me that is not what makes this extraordinary. Let's consider for a moment just what the United Nations is:

'The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.

'The UN has 4 main purposes

'To keep peace throughout the world;

To develop friendly relations among nations;

'To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other�s rights and freedoms;

'To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.

Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 193 Member States to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.

'The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, environment and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women, governance, economic and social development and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more, in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future generations.'

Source: http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/index.shtml

This to me is what makes it extraordinary that the United Nations is examining the Catholic Church's total failure to protect children, which to my mind amounts to an act of commission. There are no doubt excellent human beings within the Catholic Church who do what their Lord & Master commanded them to, but the Catholic Church should be ashamed that it is not itself fulfilling the purposes of the United Nations. It should be ashamed that a secular body is examining its multiple failures, rather than it policing itself.

At last a body with clout is going to examine what the Catholic Church is doing now: it's suspicious when a body with a terrible record of failings claims it's all in the past. Now you're going to be surprised at what I'm hoping will happen: I hope the Catholic church does refuse to open up its records to the UN. My reason for this is that my opinion is that the church has to come to an end. The way for this to happen is twofold: the Catholic hierarchy has to continue as it always has. If the hierarchy gets robust about the things that matter to normal, rational, thinking people, the institution will continue with the illusion that it can safeguard anybody or anything. The sort of wide-ranging institutional failings & corruption that have hit the headlines (and, dear readers, there will be more, I know of at least one that hasn't hit the news, but don't worry, it will) can only be definitively ended by the institution changing. This one has not. Child abuse has always been a mortal sin. The church's teachings have not greatly changed: they're still focussed on the wrong things. This is a breeding ground for continuing scandals, so the mere continuance of the institution guarantees it will end.

Because the point is the Catholic church shouldn't need to be looked over the by UN if it was what it claims to be. This is the point at which some devout Catholic will tell me we're all sinners, or that the church is for sinners. When a body is a paedophile magnet which then institutionally covers it up & systematically refuses to co-operate with lawful child protection efforts over decades, that isn't a church, it's a cess pit.

Where this leaves the ordinary Catholic in the pew is up to them. I'm a witch. If your will is to believe & practice the Catholic faith, at least as it's presented in the literature, I'm in no way against that. But there are things you can do, which would not necessarily lead you to such a confrontation you get excommunicated. You can keep mental reservations if need be. You can pray. You can continue to complain to the hierarchy of the church, which will continue to build the evidence which will cause their downfall. Most important of all, you can withhold money. Stop giving to the collection, do not give to any body of the Catholic church. Starving 'em out works on anyone.

Witches & other magical people, I'm sure, although we're quite often ex-Catholics like me, would only wish faithful Catholics well. From our view outside, I feel we would see it as necessary that all things end - even if it is only an approach or a particular set-up - the opposite of the Church's own view that it will remain until the bitter end. I feel those kind of endings are not only beneficial, they are to be brought into life. We have not seen the end of the saga of the Catholic church!

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