Catholic Priests Say That Irish Nuns Are ‘Being Discriminated Against’

Catholic priests have issued a statement condemning the language used by the media and public to describe the involvement of the nuns with the proposed new maternity hospital.

The Irish public continues to express their outrage over the religious ownership of the National Maternity Hospital - a petition to prevent the Sisters of Charity from having sole ownership over the hospital has reached over 100,000 signatures to date.

The Association of Catholic Priests said yesterday "in the current debate concerning the proposed Maternity Hospital and the Sisters of Charity, we consider some of the language and expressions being used about the sisters, and indeed nuns in general, both in the media and by some public representatives, to be both distasteful and unfair."

The statement continued:

"In fact, if some of the things being said publicly about nuns today were being said about any other minority group, they would be clearly seen as highly inflammatory and viewed as being in violation of the laws against discrimination.

We are fully aware that, (for a multiplicity of reasons), some of the institutions run by religious sisters in the past left a lot to be desired, and that people’s lives were damaged. But it is equally the case that religious sisters contributed greatly to our society over the past two hundred years, especially in the areas of education and healthcare and that the vast majority of them served church and country selflessly.

It is unjust and not indicative of a mature society, or a balanced debate, if a group of mainly elderly women are being demonised in order to promote particular social and political agendas.

One of the most revealing measures of the health of a society is how it cares for its elderly citizens. Right now, some sections of Irish society are showing scant care or respect to this particular group of women."

"Let’s have some balance and fairness in this matter", they ended.

The petition against the Sisters of Charity is aiming for 125,000 signatures, and can be signed online here.