Comments on: Thy Tears Might Cease

By: garfer

garfer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:01:35 +0000

Oh dear.

But I will not give you any idol or idea, creed or king,
I give you the incidental things which pass
Outward through space exactly as each was.

Louis Macneice

By: Midlife Slices

Midlife Slices — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:56:32 +0000

Jeez Louise are you lost at sea on TFH’s mistress or are you vacationing in Hawaii? Where you be, girlfriend??

By: Anne Gibert

Anne Gibert — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:45:48 +0000

This is so so sad. To me, the saddest thing of all is that your mother slapped you because she didn’t like you. How could that be? Children can cope with a lot of pain and trouble, though they should never have to bear the kind of violent abuse described here, but if their mothers love them they can overcome.

And what of today? Is there any reason to believe that the church is any more benevolent than it was then? Are these people just biding time until the world is distracted with something else to begin these sorts of practices again>

By: Croneandbearit

Croneandbearit — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:04:39 +0000

This made me cry – Such indignities and such suffering. I started out in a religious school as a child and even here in the great states kids were once beaten at schools – I got whacked regularly. No excuse for child abuse and there should be no tolerance. And now in Africa there are so-called Christian priests who are beating up and abusing children and calling them witches. It’s an abomination to God I know and it breaks my heart. I know God is crying and I truly wish he would put an end to this type of suffering. Hugs to you dear!

By: Kate Lord Brown

Kate Lord Brown — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:38:58 +0000

What amazes me is the bravery and strength of so many of the survivors who have come forward recently … Even in my generation the schools still had caning, slippering (and worse). As a mother your blood runs cold and you just think ‘how’?

By: Conortje

Conortje — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:18:01 +0000

Great to hear your cousin finally got something out of them! So many horrific stories out there it tears me up. Too much to even begin to comprehend.

By: Grannymar

Grannymar — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:04:21 +0000

Tessa, when we were not being beaten and belittled the clergy were bellowing hellfire & brimstone from the Pulpits. Is it any wonder Ireland is a nation of alcoholics.

By: The Poet Laura-eate

The Poet Laura-eate — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:47:37 +0000

Wow – what an incredible story! Your cousin certainly had the right idea getting his revenge like that, but sounds like your brother was a very different boy. I hope he found some level of peace with his life and himself before he died so young.

I went to progressive day school in Northern Ireland (supposedly for Catholics as well as Protestants) where they walked around with a cane beneath their arms but seldom used it as to see them carry one around was usually enough to deter us. The year before I left the cane was banned and chaos began.

Years after leaving, I hear that it is now the town’s worst school, having started its life as a flagship example.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:33:16 +0000

This breaks my heart, for all the children and for your brother.

By: Duchess

Duchess — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:31:30 +0000

I was so sorry to hear your personal account of how you and your family were affected. And horrified — but sadly not all that surprised — to read summaries of the report.

Most of all I was impressed with the tremendous bravery of the man who suffered as a child and as a man just kept insisting he was not guilty — and the only way of making that point was to come out in the open and make other people see what happened.

Tessa, I do not think your final optimism is well placed. That you didn’t hear rumours makes me think it only went deeper. I fear the sexual abuse was also all too common.