What ever happened to Fianna Fail's anti clericalism?

SirHenryGrattan

This quote is taken from a speech by Sean Lemass in 1925. I think the campaign took rather longer than he expected.

The question of the political influence of the Catholic clergy, an influence that throughout our history has been used with uncanny consistency to defeat the aspiration of Irish nationality has to be faced sooner or later......Whenever the Irish people came within sight of achieving their national independence the full political power of the Church was flung against them, and forced them back. That political power must be destroyed if our national victory is ever to be won.....We are opening the campaign now against the political influence of the Church. If we succeed in destroying that influence we will have done good work for Ireland and, I believe, for the Catholic religion in Ireland.

Sean Lemass - March 1925.

MoominPapa

SirHenryGrattan wrote: »

What ever happened to Fianna Fail's anti clericalism?

Its with O'Leary in the grave.

ejmaztec

I expect the bishops made them see the error of their ways and showed them how powerful their collective thumb was. I think that even the British had to keep the Church happy, if no-one else.

The Raven.

SirHenryGrattan wrote: »

This quote is taken from a speech by Sean Lemass in 1925. I think the campaign took rather longer than he expected.

Better late than never !!

Mise le meas,
The Raven.

nkay1985

MoominPapa wrote: »

Its with O'Leary in the grave.

Verynice. You must have stumbled over from the poetry forum!

Nodin

ejmaztec wrote: »

I expect the bishops made them see the error of their ways and showed them how powerful their collective thumb was. I think that even the British had to keep the Church happy, if no-one else.

Actually I'd imagine they craved social 'respectability' primarily, with perhaps genuine fear of supernatural retribution amongst some when they got older....Dev and a few of them were excommunicate for a while, I seem to remember, yet theres scant evidence of a free thinking Catholic there later on.

ejmaztec

Nodin wrote: »

Actually I'd imagine they craved social 'respectability' primarily, with perhaps genuine fear of supernatural retribution amongst some when they got older....Dev and a few of them were excommunicate for a while, I seem to remember, yet theres scant evidence of a free thinking Catholic there later on.

I was thinking recently about the abuse cases, and whether any of the politicians decades ago knew what was going on, but were too in awe of the Church to do anything about it.

Múinteoir

SirHenryGrattan wrote: »

This quote is taken from a speech by Sean Lemass in 1925. I think the campaign took rather longer than he expected.

The question of the political influence of the Catholic clergy, an influence that throughout our history has been used with uncanny consistency to defeat the aspiration of Irish nationality has to be faced sooner or later......Whenever the Irish people came within sight of achieving their national independence the full political power of the Church was flung against them, and forced them back. That political power must be destroyed if our national victory is ever to be won.....We are opening the campaign now against the political influence of the Church. If we succeed in destroying that influence we will have done good work for Ireland and, I believe, for the Catholic religion in Ireland.

Sean Lemass - March 1925.

One statment from Seán Lemass does not anti-clericalism make. Even the Home Rule Party told the Vatican to go stuff itself once when they didn't like some of their interference in Irish politics in the late 19th century. I'm not aware of any attempt by Seán Lemass to stem the power of the church in any of his time in government. And as for Dev:



enough said.

Nodin

ejmaztec wrote: »

I was thinking recently about the abuse cases, and whether any of the politicians decades ago knew what was going on, but were too in awe of the Church to do anything about it.

It's more than likely. Add in the tendency to not see the unpleasant and much is explained....