2018
Never before has Irish politics been so corrupt, so committed to evil. In this desolate scene just a few politicians stand out for their courageous integrity.
Even worse, we have become, to a large extent, a people who can no longer tell good from evil, a people for whom evil is good and good is evil.
Ireland has had a long and often tragic history. But the evil done here in 2018 has been the worst ever committed in our country.
Having voted a few years ago to make a nonsense out of marriage, the only solid basis for family life, fewer than a quarter of voters were willing to stand up for the most vulnerable members of our society, our unborn children.
Because the evil cruelty so many voted for is carefully hidden does not make it one iota less horrendous. A people that turns against its children turns against its own future. That is profound despair.
The media, having abandoned truth for propaganda, are confused and lost themselves, a fountain of despair in our country.
In all this shocking darkness the silence, compromise and cowardice of the Church has been beyond belief. A "listening Church" listens above all to the risen Christ, "Do not be afraid... Go and preach the gospel to all nations."
Tolerant society
Refusing to face the truth, we go on flattering ourselves that we have become a compassionate, open, tolerant society, freed from the bonds of religion and even of morality itself. But who pays the price for this callous self-centricity?
According to a recent report, Ireland has the highest rate in the European Union of suicide for girls up to the age of 19.
One of the report's authors said, "We need to put structures in place and the policies that react to what women say they need on the ground."
Structures, policies, this is a distorted response to a profound issue; it's a call to transfer more responsibility from the community to the loveless, power-grabbing state.
Surely it is more important to find out why our society makes so many young people feel so unable to cope, so confused, lost, hopeless.
Ultimately the Church alone can provide the answer to modern despair. Advent is a time of hope and joy as we look forward to the Saviour's coming.
The Church needs to regain confidence in itself and recommit with enthusiasm to its God-given mission.
Even worse, we have become, to a large extent, a people who can no longer tell good from evil, a people for whom evil is good and good is evil.
Ireland has had a long and often tragic history. But the evil done here in 2018 has been the worst ever committed in our country.
Having voted a few years ago to make a nonsense out of marriage, the only solid basis for family life, fewer than a quarter of voters were willing to stand up for the most vulnerable members of our society, our unborn children.
Because the evil cruelty so many voted for is carefully hidden does not make it one iota less horrendous. A people that turns against its children turns against its own future. That is profound despair.
The media, having abandoned truth for propaganda, are confused and lost themselves, a fountain of despair in our country.
In all this shocking darkness the silence, compromise and cowardice of the Church has been beyond belief. A "listening Church" listens above all to the risen Christ, "Do not be afraid... Go and preach the gospel to all nations."
Tolerant society
Refusing to face the truth, we go on flattering ourselves that we have become a compassionate, open, tolerant society, freed from the bonds of religion and even of morality itself. But who pays the price for this callous self-centricity?
According to a recent report, Ireland has the highest rate in the European Union of suicide for girls up to the age of 19.
One of the report's authors said, "We need to put structures in place and the policies that react to what women say they need on the ground."
Structures, policies, this is a distorted response to a profound issue; it's a call to transfer more responsibility from the community to the loveless, power-grabbing state.
Surely it is more important to find out why our society makes so many young people feel so unable to cope, so confused, lost, hopeless.
Ultimately the Church alone can provide the answer to modern despair. Advent is a time of hope and joy as we look forward to the Saviour's coming.
The Church needs to regain confidence in itself and recommit with enthusiasm to its God-given mission.