Recently media from around Europe reported on the findings of the Report of the "Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality issues in the Defence Forces". The report brought to light the horrific abuse suffered by women in the Irish army. It has been an ongoing problem as Andrew Naughtie of Euronews wrote - "Ireland is also host to one of the longest-running and most shocking military scandals in Europe."
Although the report centred on the horrendous treatment of women, a number of men have also suffered various forms of abuse and at times severe bullying within the ranks of the Defence Forces.
In response to the details in the report, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:
“This report is a watershed moment. While it correctly acknowledges the high regard in which the Defence Forces is held, and its decades of peacekeeping roles, it nonetheless, signals the critical need for fundamental and immediate cultural change which goes to the very heart of issues relating to dignity and mutual respect."
The Euronews article goes on to ask the question; "So why has changing the military’s culture been so hard?". The article did not provide any adequate answers to that question. Journalist Andrew Naughtie, along with government TDs and the Defence Forces Command seem to miss a vital point: Ultimately the problem lies with the fact that the culture condones, promotes and celebrates pride and vice rather than virtue.
In an environment where there are so many evil actions, it should come as no surprise that there is also anti Catholic abuse within the ranks of the Irish Army. A number of sources, both past members and current serving members who do not wish to be named, have informed us of the anti-Christian attitude within the army.
Irish political leaders have been relentlessly leading the Irish people away from God and in recent years have made sure that the Irish Army toes the line by coercing the Army into flying sexual vice flags and participating in pride marches. Given that the head of the army was happy to spit on the Irish proclamation and reject God by such actions, it was all but guaranteed that their culture of sin would ripple down to the lower ranks. In the past few years there has been a high percentage of dropouts among the new recruits in the army. Training which is supposed to test and also build up the new recruits has done the opposite, it has torn them down and driven them away.
As we become aware of more stories from past recruits explaining their reasons for dropping out, it is surprising that anyone perseveres to the finish line at all and I suppose given what the army promotes, who would want to persevere? In one such case it would have been not only understandable but commendable if everyone in the group walked away in defiance of the anti-Catholic rhetoric. There is a high chance many of those in attendance were baptised and confirmed in the Catholic faith and it would therefore be their duty to walk away, afterall their confirmation confirms them as soldiers of Christ above all else. Any who stay silent and put up with anti-Catholic speech out of cowardice or other motives, are guilty of betraying Our Lord and Saviour.
A number of sources claim that their training sergeant openly mocked God and His Commandments, mocked their attendance at mass and derided them for their beliefs. One can only imagine what would happen if a new recruit was to mock their new alphabet soup flag. Other sources report instances of their commanders saying vile comments which are too grotesque to repeat.
More recently some members of the defence forces have expressed their disgust that they have been offered a day off duty if they would like to attend this year's Dublin pride parade, but yet they were offered no such privilege for the Feast Day of the patron Saint of Ireland. Instances such as those mentioned ensures that there will be other members who will refuse to renew their contracts and will seek career changes in order to escape the increasingly anti-Christian climate within the ranks of the Defence Forces.
Many Irish men rightfully had a desire to serve their country in a role which should exude integrity but instead they were met by officers who appear to have watched too many American movies and have wrongly tried to prove toughness and train discipline, by the use of vulgarity and the practice of abuse. The Irish Army would do well to look at the founding principles of the state and look to the preamble of the Irish constitution which states -
In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Éire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
They would do well to follow the commandments of God and build their army cadets not by abusing them and tearing them down, but by training them up in the practice of virtue which will lead to a disciplined force full of integrity instead of depravity.
10 Commandments
I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
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