Catholic Ireland

When most people think of Ireland,  they think of a Catholic red head who drinks a lot. As it turns out not all people from Ireland have red hair.... Which was kind of a disappointment for me. I have also met a lot people at the pubs who like to drink. However, the one that stood out to me the most was how many people here say they're Catholic. I have not met a person here yet that does not consider themselves Catholic.

This is very interesting, because I'm not used to people being so outspoken about their religion. After speaking to some locals about it I found out that most people consider themselves Catholic, but most do not attend church. Then in our Irish Culture class I found out how big of a role the Catholic church played in their government. The Catholic church actually had a special position for many years, until the Irish people voted it out in 1972. Our Irish Culture professor spoke about the Catholic religion, and one thing that came up was the Catholic scandals of child abuse that have been uncovered. And you could see all over her face that talking about these scandals affected her deeply. Our professor also said that its an interesting time for the Irish people, because they are deeply questioning the Catholic church. The people of Ireland felt so deeply offended that the priest who they held at such a high standard could do that to kids. Our professor said this is why so many people are still Catholic, but do not attend church. And that more than ever people are shying away from religion. It was interesting to hear about all this and discuss it. One last thing before I sign off. Today is Ash Wednesday, so if you're giving anything up for Lent I would like to hear it!