The Power Of The Blog.
The Church in Ireland as had to withstand a few trials by media in the last 20 years. At the time of Smythe’s exposure in the early 90s, further disclosures in the late 90s, followed by the infamous Ferns Report in 2005 and now the Murphy Report and its aftermath. The Church learnt that if it kept its head below the parapet, the crisis would blow over and they would be back to the status quo very quickly.
Unfortunately in the aftermath of Murphy, this has not happened and the row goes on and the longer it goes on the Church starts to panic and in the panic more heads appear above the parapet and these heads seem to have the uncanny ability to start talking before engaging their brains, which leads to the gibberish and all the nonsense we have heard from various monsignori and bishops recently, which leads to even more pressure. This attack on the Church, its thinking and its confusion will go on as the public, day by day, engage even more in the process of retribution.
What has changed from previous trials? Why is this pogrom likely to succeed? The answer of course is the internet, the absolute and previously not felt power of the web. The whole world in five minutes knows what is going on in the back streets of Dublin. More and more people have gathered strength and confidence from what the net can do and especially the net’s machinery, such as the blog system, Facebook and Twitter. People in their thousands are writing blogs on a daily basis, on a subject of their choice, which undoubtedly is the state of the Church. With this power that the blog gives them, they gain in confidence and become even more vituperative. Thousands more log on to this conniption and become aroused to be part of the process. Years ago these thousands and thousands would have just idly read the scourge in the newspaper and forgot about it minutes later. This way you become part of the inquisition and gives you a feeling of empowerment that the individual rarely experiences.
Unless the Church comes up with some original thought and puts some deliverances on the table, I think it is ruined. The hierarchy has to go to enable this new process to occur and I cannot see that happening. These bishops are to fond of their massive joints of beef on Good Friday for them to even think of subduing themselves to this form of accountability, but the pressure will not let up. This country of Ireland is enraged and incensed and the ire cannot be cooled or controlled unless something extremely radical happens.
To change the subject for a moment, to a more happier thought. I have been recently writing about the trials and tribulations of parish and school life in the 50s and 60s. Hardly ever in the 48 years since I left school as anybody contacted me regarding those days. The paths of life have lead us in different ways and to different corners of the world as we went about the difficult business of putting one foot in front of the other. Now after writing some simple pieces about those far off days, people of my previous aquaintance are contacting me like never before. It is a very pleasant and strange feeling that as I sit here writing in the backwoods of North Roscommon there are people thinking of me round the world. The power of the blog is amazing and humbling. Long may it reign and thank you, all those voices from my past.
Tags: Brendan Smythe, The Ferns Report, The Internet, The Irish Church, The Murphy Report, The power of the Blog