The Catholic Church in Ireland - Essay Example

The constitution of the Republic of Ireland and the special position of the Catholic Church Table of Content Serial Number and Topic Page Number 1.0 Introduction 02 2.0 Ireland and the Catholic Church 03 3.0 The Cultural and Historical Context 05 4.0 Conclusion 06 5.0 Bibliography 08 1.0 The republic of Ireland and the Catholic Church Eamon de Valera, a dominant political figure of 20th century Ireland, in drafting the Irish constitution in 1937, reflecting on the cultural and historical role of the Catholic Church granted it a special position in the constitution of the republic of Ireland. This was quite contradictory to many 1920s constitutions, notably the Irish Free State Constitution of 1922, which, following secularism, prohibited any discrimination based on religion or avoided religious issues entirely (Wikipedia, 2006)1. A lot of people thought that this draft on the Irish constitution was a betrayal of sorts. The 1937 draft was a betrayal of women (Mulhoffand, 1995)2 According to Mulhoffand; women played an active role in the overthrow of colonialism, the rise of suffragette movement, and the progress of labour movement. The constitution enshrined the Catholic Church as the state religion and relegated women's place to the home and with it their ideals and aspirations. With the democratic states seeking to run its politics, the Church sought to establish a relationship that harbored on non-interfere in specific areas of social life such as family, education and vocation over which it held jurisdiction (Crotty, 2004)3. The Catholic Church in Ireland, once the dominant social institution commanding overwhelming affiliation of church-goers, today maintains a role familiar to its competitive, pluralistic and competing interests. 2.0 Ireland and the Catholic Church Ireland is a mix state between church-state separation and state religious neutrality, but a look at the 1937 constitution indicates that the Irish state has never been neutral when it came to religion. The recent trends show that Irish State is far from neutral in handling different religious communities. Currently, the relationship between secularisation and Irish state policy looks weak (Kissane, 2003)4. Richard D. Finnegan (Ireland: The Challenge of Conflict and Change, 1983) wrote that the Roman Catholic faith in Ireland survived the Reformation, its penal laws and independence movement because its people felt that the church's religious liberty juxtaposed with Ireland's quest for freedom; the people felt that devotion to the church was devotion to the country. Moreover, the Gaelic Ireland movement associated devotion to the church with Irish cultural identity (Crotty, 2004)5. The autonomy that the church enjoyed saw it create its own style of institutions devoid of backward peasantry class or dominant landlord; it emphasised on a more traditional classical curriculum in its school. Gleeson and Munnelly (2004:3) wrote that the Catholic Church was not in favour of the creation of a separate single school subject on citizenship as it believed that moral education and personal development were best taught through religious education (Dr. Harris, 2005).6 In 1878 the government passed an Intermediate Education Act in which every student who passed the Intermediate examination was offered between 3 and 10. The church termed this system as a murder of the education system. The church was against such frivolities, and guarded their control over education, citing that the government system was a deviation from nationalism. The church protected their system to encourage children to learn more on nationalism and language. The primary curriculum was widened to take in more subjects, and much stress was laid on encouraging nationalism, particularly in the teaching of history. Irish was made compulsory (Changes in the Irish Education System, Ireland: culture and religion, 1912-49, multitext.ucc.ie)7. The Church also shaped public opinion against British nationalism and became so close to its subject that a strong church-state interrelation evolved. The Catholic Church sought to provide the lost morale among the people after the trauma of the Famine that struck Ireland, and tried to oppose violence in politics in the 1919-1923 periods. The Church preached the doctrine of forgiveness, a move that was found to be a profoundly liberating idea among the masses; and emphasis on self-sacrifice. In difficult times, brothers, nuns and priests provided the people with social services, a task which was beyond the state (Bruton T.D, 2006).8 The Church came in for a lot of criticism when the church began to force its influence on the secular state by following political movements and ideologies of the 19th and 20th centuries; for the creation of a Catholic Ireland. The clergy had the support of the majority of Irish public opinion and politicians of the time, including some politicians of other faiths. This led to the misuse of power and showed the church in bad taste. The most notable was child sex abuse; a crime committed in church-run institutions by members of the church, both clerical and lay. There was a general consensus to the opposition of a union, which could erupt into violence. There were several attempts made to restore the autonomy of independent Ireland, without success. Partition was forthcoming. In 1914, the British House of Commons passed an Act of Parliament known as Government of Ireland Act 1914 that sought to seek the exclusion of Northern Ireland (dominated by Protestants) from the working Bill. This bill granted Ireland national self-government within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This Bill was also known as the (Irish) Home Rule Act 1914 (Wikipedia, Home Rule Act 1914, en.wikipedia.org)9 The Constitution of the Irish Free State got the recognition of the British government and many governments worldwide. This constitution conformed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiated between British and Irish leaders in 1921. This treaty, called the Articles of Agreement established an Irish dominion within the British Empire and an option with Northern Ireland, which it turned down (Answers.com, Anglo-Irish Treaty)10. 3.0 The Cultural and Historical Context By 1912 and the years which followed, Ireland witnessed great political instability. While the north of the country had a majority of Protestants, and the south dominated by Catholics, each section had different political aspirations. The war ensured that the treaty would not be enforced immediately. However, the war had a telling effect on the minority population of the south of Ireland. Protestants had voiced their fears during the Home Rule debate of 1912. The Church of Ireland issued strong statements against Home Rule. In addition, Protestants expressed their concern of the political and economic concerns wherein the Catholic Church's influence on Irish politics could promote Catholic beliefs. The Catholic Church was also demanding that the children of mixed marriages should bring up as Catholics, a move seen to enlarge the minority Catholic population. The Irish people were also for a free state whether the Northern state joined it or not. After the war, many Protestants moved north to protect their religious beliefs and freedom (15. A Catholic State, Ireland: culture and religion, 1912-49). The Irish Free State was born. In 1929, the Catholic Emancipation saw the religious and political achievements being celebrated in Ireland. Nearly a million people attended the Mass at Phoenix Park. Religious fervour was conspicuous with the participation of the political leaders who were committed Catholics. Laws such as the Liquour Act, reduced hours of Public Houses, Film Censorship Act to dissuade nudity, and action against divorce were passed, reflecting the moral values of the time. The Censorship of Publications Act banned indecent and obscene literature, and literature advocating contraception. 4.0 Conclusion Ireland became an autonomous state under a treaty signed with the British Government in 1914. The British House of Commons passed the Treaty of 1914, wherein Ireland was offered autonomy to self-rule within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Northern Ireland stayed away from this treaty. The Catholic Church was guarded its education system, and taught nationalism and Irish to its students. Because of its active participation in the great Famine, and the personal involvement of priests, brothers and nuns in testing times, the people accepted the church. The Irish constitution in 1937 reflected on the cultural and historical role of the Catholic Church and granted it a special position in the constitution of the republic of Ireland. This was not well received its women, who saw this move as a motive to suppress them. The Church sought to establish a relationship that harbored on non-interfere in specific areas of social life such as family, education and vocation over which it held jurisdiction. 5.0 Bibliography 1. Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, Wikipedia, 2006, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland 2. Marie Mulhoffand, Religion and feminism in Ireland, Marie Mulhoffand, Women resisting fundamentalism world-wide, WAF Articles, Journal no.7 1995, Pages 26-35, http://waf.gn.apc.org/journal7p26.htm 3. William Crotty, The Catholic Church in Ireland, With Reference to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, Ireland, Page 7, http://www.csd.neu.edu/TheCatholicChurchinIrelandApril2004.pdf Finnegan, Richard B. 1983. Ireland: The Challenge of Conflict and Change. Boulder, CO: West view Press. Website: http://www.questia.com/library/book/ireland-the-challenge-of-conflict-and-change-by-richard-b-finnegan.jsp 4. William Crotty, The Catholic Church in Ireland, With Reference to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, Ireland, Page 9, http://www.csd.neu.edu/TheCatholicChurchinIrelandApril2004.pdf Finnegan, Richard B. 1983. Ireland: The Challenge of Conflict and Change. Boulder, CO: West view Press. Website: http://www.questia.com/library/book/ireland-the-challenge-of-conflict-and-change-by-richard-b-finnegan.jsp 4. John Bruton T.D, CatholicIreland.net, The debt Ireland owes the Catholic Church, http://www.catholicireland.net/pages/index.phpnd=2&art=471 5. Dr. Clodagh Harris, Democratic Citizenship Education in Ireland, Democratic Citizenship Education in Ireland, Page 2, http://www.tascnet.ie/upload/Adultlearnerarticle2__3_%5B1%5D.pdf Note: Author has asked not to cite or quote without consent. 6. Wikipedia, Home Rule Act 1914, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Home_Rule_Act 7. Changes in the Irish Education System, Ireland: culture and religion, 1912-49, The Pursuit of Sovereignty & the Impact of Partition, 1912-1949 http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_culture__religion_1912-49#17IrelandandtheCatholicWorld, Cork Multitext Project, 8. Answers.com, Anglo-Irish Treaty, http://www.answers.com/topic/anglo-irish-treaty 9. Bill Kissane, Abstract, The illusion of state neutrality in a secularising Ireland, Routledge, Vol.26, Number 1, http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/(2153w2r1v3eox255echjcz45)/app/home/contribution.aspreferrer=parent&backto=issue,4,12;journal,18,22;linkingpublicationresults,1:108554,1 Read More