Sinéad O’Connor has a moving piece up at The Huffington Post. Please read it.
UPDATE: I just said this below in the comments but it really does bear saying here: I should say that I’m one of these typically low-church protestant types, but that I find much to love in the contemplative traditions of the Catholic Church and other Christian communities. I hope my posting of this piece doesn’t come across as anti-Catholic by any stretch. I was just very moved by it, and impressed with its cogency. A far cry, indeed, from what was done on SNL all those years ago.
Chris Cocca 
Interesting piece. The Catholic Church is definitely complex. Most people who aren’t familiar with everything the Catholic Church teaches only sees what they see on TV–and that certainly is a negatively skewed view. I see it as the “head” (the vatican, rules, canon law etc) and the “heart” (the true essence of what we believe: love your neighbor, love Christ, we are all one, etc) The two are within one body. To “fix” it you must fix the body, not make a new one.
It’s a catch 22–a “new” Catholic church ceases to become Catholic.
That said, reform is on its way, it is just very, very, slow. When I was growing up I couldn’t become and alter server…..fast forward 30 years, my daughter was a server. Should females be priests? Of course. Is Pope Benedict Pope John Paul II? Not by a longshot. But the Vatican is not a democracy and cannot easily just reverse its stance because the people want it.
Significant reforms have been made in the church to prevent the horrific atrocities that have taken place in the past by priests from ever happening again. No Catholic condones what was done. These men are monstrous criminals and should be treated as such. I don’t think there is anyone that thinks differently.
Press for change? Yes, and it’s something that my mother would never have dreamed of doing. Break for change? No
I respect Miss O’Connors’ views, but I have to admit, find it hard to listen to a singer write about the Catholic Church who, as part of her act on national television, ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II and stomped on it. Just saying….
thank you for these insightful and heart-felt thoughts. I should say that I’m one of these typically low-church protestant types, but that I find much to love in the contemplative traditions of the Catholic Church and other Christian communities. I hope my posting of this piece doesn’t come across as anti-Catholic by any stretch. I was just very moved by it, and impressed with its cogency. A far cry, indeed, from what was done on SNL all those years ago.
Not anti-Catholic at all–it’s good to discuss these things, and maybe dispel some of the crazy rumors about Catholics.
Also, many of her references and statements don’t ring true. I could go at them one by one, but it would take too much space.
I just wish people who are not familiar with the teachings of the church saw Catholics as more than what the media makes them out to be.
Thanks for the forum, Mr Cocca.
Since 1992 Sinéad is fighting against child abuse and the political views of the Catholic Church. Her fight is not a religion fight but a political fight and is in this way that she asks for changes (congratulations for the post and sorry for my broken English)