What is this picture all about?
Marie Collins an Irish clergy abuse survivor holds hand with a Vatican Clergyman.
It disturbs me for many reasons.
- Marie holds hands with a POWERFUL prelate who is a responsible acting cleric who represents a vast machinery of previous cover-up of abuse.
- He is NOT a 'little boy lost' with Mamma holding his hand to offer solace and guidance!
- Holding hands is infantile when trying to address SERIOUS, SERIOUS issues.
- Holding hands BEFORE anything has been achieved is premature.
- It does not equalise any power dynamic, the Church still holds the power and women know this only too well
- It does not show humility by the prelate - it shows a skilled manipulation of POWER. 'Let Marie take my hand it shows I'm a nice humble man', it seems to suggest. No it does not. It shows manipulation whilst every Bishop worldwide still crucifies Clergy abuse victims through court procedures, hold files in secret, refusing to release information etc etc etc...
- It tries to garner public emotions : 'I'm a lost soul-cleric-man needing guidance of Maria'. No they know very well what they have done, what they have not done and what they won't do.
I dislike the image intensely. Marie Collins is being USED. I wish she could see it.
