being raised Catholic, although I have no religion any more,
I was so moved to watch/hear you
you are all Jesus Christ talked about and tried to teach us
I hope you have a good life,
and for the first timein many years,
I was proud to hear a Father speak
you are a great, great man
I agree wholeheartedly.
With so few Roman Catholic public figures to look up to, Father Tom Doyle is a genuine hero - more concerned about doing what's RIGHT, and not about the dictates and loopholes that the Vatican has operated under.
God bless Father Tom Doyle.
I think many of the low level Priests agree with Father Tom Doyle, it is the Hierarchy that is responsible for much of the cover ups. Your average Priest is not like Oliver O'Grady or Roger Mahony. What I believe is rare is for one to be brave enough to speak out against Church policy.
every day may not be good, but there is good in every day
Excellent point.
It is also unfortunate that priests who are genuine, who are good, must bear with the stigma of the abuse scandal.
What confused me about Father Doyle (and this may be getting into a religious discussion that won't interest people) was that although he was a Catholic priest, in virtually everything he said, he seemed to be a Protestant. The lack of necessity for and the abuses of the extensive structure and political hierarchy, the ability of every person to read Scripture and communicate directly with God, the importance of following Christ rather than church mandates, even the lack of any Scriptural support for forced celibacy for pastors ... it was almost like he was making a list of what separates Protestants from Catholics, yet he still identifies himself as a Catholic.
This would make more sense back in Luther's day when there was essentially only one Church, so attempting reform from within was the only real choice. But by now the distinctions between Protestants and Catholics are fairly clear, and for someone like Father Doyle who seems to realize that the Catholic system is hopelessly broken and far from anything resembling Biblical Christianity, it seems to me like he could simply join a Protestant church.
Maybe he doesn't think Catholicism is broken. He probably has very good reasons for staying in the Catholic Church.
"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"
I'm only speculating here but I guess he still believes in some sort of spirit of community in that it's not individuals who communicate with God alone but a whole community. Also as the film points out, the Catholic Church has passed edicts on the moral position of a whole swathe of things (except for child sexual abuse) and that's a great level of power over people's lives in communities worldwide. Obviously he wants to change the authority of the Catholic Church for the better so that its influence over people's lives becomes a force for good.
Like everyone here, I completely agree with the O.P. I'm not religious either but whatever people's religion (or lack thereof), nationality, etc., I see an innate, universal goodness in humanity that is apparent as far back as Christ and many other people before him, which I see in Tom Doyle.