We need a national exorcism

Another week, another utterly devastating report into the rape, sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children at the hands of the Catholic Church. What is there left to say, other than it is nothing short of insane that this country allows a depraved, immoral, criminal and inveterately evil institution as the Catholic Church to retain any influence at all in our society, much less in our health and education systems.

The Catholic Church will no doubt keep going, much like the mafia and other criminal organisations do, so perhaps the best we can hope for in this sick little country of ours is for total separation of Church and State, along the lines of the French model: no religious involvement in hospitals; certainly no involvement in schools which should all be under the auspices of the State and follow a strictly non-denominational line; no Angelus on RTE.

Everything and anything that gives any special preference or power to the Catholic Church needs to be stripped away immediately. If that involves drafting a new Constitution - which I think we need anyway - to totally re-model this country free from such a twisted dogma, then so be it. In short, and without meaning to sound any way facetious, we need a national exorcism to rid us of this devil.

Amidst all the coverage of this appalling national tragedy, two articles, for me, get to the heart of the matter: they are by the peerless Mary Raftery in yesterday's Irish Times, and Fintan O'Toole in today's Times.