Irish and Catholic?

: Towards an Understanding of Identity, edited by Louise Fuller,

John Littleton and Eamon Maher. Dublin: Columba Press, pages, 47!7
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.he title o2 this 3hapter re2er to the tele4ision programme Father Ted, and
spe3i2i3ally to an episode 5here .ed, ha4ing lost a bet to his ar3henemy, Father Di36
+o3he, is 2or3ed to 6i36 his 4ery 3riti3al boss, 'ishop Len 'rennan, a Limeri36 man,
"up the arse.0 $n a series o2 hilarious misad4entures, .ed 2inally a33omplishes this
2eat, being photographed in the a3t by his 2riend, Father Dougal. .he popularity o2
this anar3hi3 programme has been huge but 5hat is o2 parti3ular interest to me is the
de3onstru3tion o2 attitudes about the 3hur3h that it has e7empli2ied. 8hat is perhaps
most interesting about the genesis o2 this programme is that it 5as o22ered to +.9
5ho re2used to ta6e it up, be2ore buying it to sho5 on their station on 5hi3h it be3ame
one o2 the most popular 3omedies in the .,M ratings.
.his 3omedy 3ould be read as being pro2oundly antiCatholi3 : portraying the
3lassi3 stereotypes o2 the 5heelerdealer priest ;.ed himsel2 : albeit not an espe3ially
su33ess2ul 5heelerdealer<= the al3oholi3 priest ;Fr Ja36 : 5hose 2our5ord mantra
"2e36arsegirlsdrin60 be3ame the sho50s 3at3hphrase<= the idiot priest ;Fr Dougal<
and o2 3ourse, that metonym o2 the role o2 5omen in the 3hur3h, the house6eeper Mrs
Doyle ;pro4ider o2 another 3at3hphrase in terms o2 her urgings o2 3ups o2 tea on
un2ortunate guests ;"ah you 5ill, you 5ill, you 5ill/.>0<. ,nd yet the programme
a4oids any real 3riti3ism o2 the 3hur3h as an organisation. %one o2 the ma?or 3hur3h
@
s3andals o2 the past number o2 years has been dire3tly dealt 5ith, and all o2 the
3leri3al 3hara3ters are, in di22erent 5ays, li6eable. .he eponymous 'ishop 'rennan,
5ho, it is dis3o4ered, has a son by another 5oman, is ob4iously an allusion to 'ishop
Eamon Casey, but that aside, there is little dire3t atta36 on the 3hur3h= indeed, there is
a 2ondness 2or the priests as 2la5ed indi4iduals 5ho are, in their limited 5ay, doing
their best.
8hat is groundbrea6ing about this programme ho5e4er, is a pla3ing o2 the
institutional 3hur3h in a position as target o2 satire, ho5e4er gentle that satire may be.
For so long the sa3red 3o5 o2 $rish media 3o4erage, Father Ted le4els the playing
2ield and the 3hur3h, li6e the 2amily, the la5, the 5orld o2 5or6 and politi3s, be3omes
sub?e3t to a ludi3 glan3e. .he 3hur3h is no5 seen as ?ust another organisation, as part
o2 the 5ay in 5hi3h so3iety and 3ulture are ordered, and 5hi3h is sub?e3t to the same
rules, regulations and e7pe3tations as the other so3ietal stru3tures 5ith 5hi3h it
3ompetes.
$n other 5ords, the 3hur3h is ?ust one more 5ay in 5hi3h so3iety stru3tures
itsel2: it is another e7ample o2 the intera3tion o2 the system and the sub?e3t. $n the
same 5ay as politi3s, ethni3ity, ideology and 3ommunity, religion as an organisation
is a system 5hi3h pro4ides support, stability and a pla3e 2or the sub?e3t. $t pro4ides a
stru3ture 5ithin 5hi3h the indi4idual 3an e7ist, it pro4ides sets o2 rules and guidelines
5hi3h stru3ture the indi4idual and also pro4ides a sense o2 teleology, in the pro4ision
o2 a set o2 ans5ers to the Auestions posed by e7isten3e.
.his 3hapter 5ill e7amine the 3hanging role o2 the Catholi3 3hur3h as
stru3ture in 3ontemporary $reland, seeing this altered role as part o2 a larger pro3ess o2
so3ietal 3hange a3ross the 5estern 5orld. $ndeed, 5hat is remar6able is not that the
3hur3h has lost its hegemoni3 status, but rather that this pro3ess has been so belated. $
B
5ill tra3e the analysis o2 su3h stru3tural dissemination brie2ly through the 5or6 o2
Lyotard, Ja3Aues La3an and Ja3Aues Derrida, be2ore lo3ating the i3onographi3 image
o2 'ishop 'rennan being 6i36ed up the arse in a polypti3h 5ith three other images
5hi3h graphi3ally illustrate this pro3ess o2 stru3tural dissemination that $ see as
typi3al o2 the 3ondition o2 postmodernity.
Jean Fran3oise Lyotard, in his boo6, The Postmodern Condition, has de2ined
postmodernism as a pro3ess 5hereby the grand narrati4es o2 3ulture ha4e be3ome
bro6en do5n. )e ma6es the point that 5hile a sel2 does not amount to mu3h,
ne4ertheless "no sel2 is an island= ea3h e7ists in a 2abri3 o2 relations that is no5 more
3omple7 and mobile than e4er be2ore. 1oung or old, man or 5oman, ri3h or poor, a
person is al5ays lo3ated at Cnodal pointsD o2 spe3i2i3 3ommuni3ation 3ir3uits,
ho5e4er tiny these may be.0
@
,s he goes on to add, one is al5ays lo3ated at a post
through 5hi3h 4arious 6inds o2 messages pass. %o one, not e4en the least pri4ileged
among us, is e4er entirely po5erless o4er the messages that tra4erse and position him
at the post o2 sender, addressee, or re2erent. )is point is that one0s mobility in relation
to these language game e22e3ts is tolerable, at least 5ithin 3ertain limits ;and the limits
are 4ague<= it is e4en soli3ited by regulatory me3hanisms, and in parti3ular by the sel2
ad?ustments the system underta6es in order to impro4e its per2orman3e. )e goes on:
$t may e4en be said that the system 3an and must en3ourage su3h mo4ement to the
e7tent that it 3ombats its o5n entropy, the no4elty o2 an une7pe3ted Cmo4e,D 5ith
its 3orrelati4e displa3ement o2 a partner or group o2 partners, 3an supply the system
5ith that in3reased per2ormati4ity it 2ore4er demands and 3onsumes.
B

@
JeanFran3ois Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge.
.ranslated by &eo22 'ennington and 'rian Massumi ;Minneapolis : -ni4ersity o2 Minnesota
Press, @EF4<, p. @G.
B

The Postmodern Condition, p. @G.
H
)is point here is telling in a 3ontemporary 3onte7t: the ability o2 a single o4erar3hing
stru3ture to ans5er all the Auestions, and pro4ide the epistemologi3al stru3tures
5here5ith to organise a 3ontemporary 3omple7 so3iety has been de3onstru3ted by
the 2ra3tured nature o2 sel2hood, and 3onseAuently, 5hat has emerged is a number o2
smaller narrati4es, both 3omplimentary and 3ontradi3tory, 5hi3h 3ompete 2or the
attention and loyalty o2 the sub?e3t.
.his is in a33ordan3e 5ith the psy3hoanalyti3 theory o2 Ja3Aues La3an, 5ho
sees the sel2 as split, and as moti4ated by a desire to in some 5ay heal this split.
La3an, de4eloping the 5or6 o2 Freud, under3ut the notion o2 rationality as the
dominant 2a3tor in our humanity and instead began to e7amine language as an inde7
o2 the un3ons3ious pro3esses o2 the mind. )e also 3oined the phrase that the
"un3ons3ious is stru3tured li6e a language0,
H
5hi3h brought the study o2 stru3tures to
the 2ore in 3ontinental thought. For La3an, the un3ons3ious and language 3ould no
longer be seen as gi4ens, or as natural= instead, they 5ere stru3tures 5hi3h reAuired
in4estigation. $n this model, language, no matter 5hat the mode o2 enun3iation, 5as
shot through 5ith metaphors, metonymies and 3omple7 3odi2i3ations 5hi3h o2ten
mas6ed, as opposed to re4ealed, the real sel2. .a6ing the stru3turalist ideas o2 the
5ord as di4ided into signi2ier and signi2ied, he stressed the la36 o2 3orrelation
bet5een the t5o, adding that meaning is al5ays 2raught 5ith slippage, la36 o2 3larity
and play.
)is re3asting o2 the Cartesian "cogito ergo sum0 ;"$ thin6 there2ore $ am0< into
"desidero ergo sum0 ;"$ desire there2ore $ am0< has led to a re4ision o2 the prima3y o2
reason in the human s3ien3es. )e also suggested that sel2hood 5as a 3omple7
3onstru3t in 5hi3h the sel2 too6 on re2le3tions and re2ra3tions 2rom the so3ietal
H
Ja3Aues La3an, The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis ;)ar
monds5orth: Penguin, @E77<, p. BI.
4
3onte7t in 5hi3h it 5as pla3ed. )is notion o2 the "mirror stage0 stressed the imaginary
and 2i3ti4e nature o2 the idealsel2, 5hi3h he sa5 as predi3ated on a desire 2or an
unattainable ideal 5hi3h 3ould ne4er be a3tualised. $n a 3ulture 5here repression o2
desire 5as 4ery mu3h part o2 the so3ioreligious mindset, this 4ie5 o2 language and
desire 5ould ha4e re4olutionary impli3ations 2or any analysis o2 3ulture and se7uality.
'y stressing the prima3y o2 desire, psy3hoanalysis 3on2li3ts dire3tly 5ith the tenets o2
the 3hur3h.
Catholi3ism has generally seen desire, espe3ially se7ual desire, as a negati4e
human Auality, in need o2 repression. .he adeAuation o2 desire 5ith sin has long been
part o2 the $rish psy3he: the 3orollary o2 this ethi3omoral eAuation : desire J sin K
guilt : has led to serious 3onseAuen3es 2or indi4idual de4elopment in $reland. $ndeed,
it is in relation to desire that the 3ontemporary di22i3ulties o2 the 3hur3h 3an best be
understood. .he 3apitalist, or post3apitalist, 3ultures o2 8estern Europe and the
de4eloped 5orld are in many 5ays, the ena3tment o2 desire: 3apitalism is the politi3al
system 5hi3h a33edes to the importan3e o2 desire in the human psy3he. *ne need
only remember the 2all o2 the 'erlin 5all : there 5as ne4er any great rush o2 people
2rom 8est &ermany to East &ermany : the tra22i3 5as all one5ay, another inde7 o2
the prima3y o2 desire. Despite the radi3al un3ertainty o2 mo4ing to a 3apitalist system,
the desire 2or possessions, 2or a better li2e, 2or personal 2reedom 5as the moti4e 2or3e
in determining the dire3tion o2 tra22i3 a3ross the ruins o2 that 2orbidding 5all. $ndeed,
3ommodity 2etishism, the engine 5hi3h dri4es 3apitalist e3onomies, is the pra3ti3al
embodiment o2 desire : $ need a ne5 mobile phone, a bigger PC 5ith more +am and a
Pentium 4LGL! pro3essor. (e3ular 8estern so3iety is really stru3tured by this 2orm o2
rei2ied desire and the Catholi3 3hur3h, 5ith a di22erent attitude to the satis2a3tion o2
G
desire, is 4ery mu3h out o2 step 5ith this 3ulture, and 5ith the postmodern 3on3ept o2
the se3ular sel2, a sel2 5hi3h is 2irmly lo3ated in history.
'y di4iding human sub?e3ti4ity into three orders, the imaginary, symboli3 and
real, La3an o22ered an histori3al and so3ial dimension to psy3hoanalyti3 studies, the
e22e3t o2 5hi3h is still being 2elt today, and the prima3y o2 language is 3entral to his
5or6. -ntil then, the indi4idual 5as being e7amined 4ery mu3h in isolation, 5ith the
psy3he being the ob?e3t o2 analysis in terms o2 ho5 the un3ons3ious in2luen3es the
sel2. $n 2a3t, in a La3anian 3onte7t, all sub?e3ti4ity is de2ined in terms o2 5hat is 3alled
the (ymboli3 order, and this order is the stru3tural matri7 through 5hi3h our grasp o2
the 5ord is shaped and enun3iated.
4
For La3an, the (ymboli3 order is 5hat a3tually
3onstitutes our sub?e3ti4ity "man spea6s, then, but it is be3ause the symbol has made
him man0.
G
$t is the matri7 o2 3ulture and the lo3us through 5hi3h indi4idual desire is
e7pressed: "the moment in 5hi3h the desire be3omes human is also that in 5hi3h the
3hild is born into language.0
!
.he so3ial 5orld o2 linguisti3 3ommuni3ation,
intersub?e3ti4e relations, 6no5ledge o2 ideologi3al 3on4entions, and the a33eptan3e o2
the la5 are all 3onne3ted 5ith the a3Auisition o2 language.
*n3e a 3hild enters into language and a33epts the rules and di3tates o2 so3iety,
it is able to deal 5ith others. .he symboli3, then, is made up o2 those la5s and
restri3tions that 3ontrol both desire and the rules o2 3ommuni3ation, 5hi3h are
perpetuated through so3ietal and 3ultural hegemoni3 modes. La3an 3ondenses this
2un3tion in the term the "%ameo2theFather0. *n3e a 3hild enters into language and
a33epts the rules and di3tates o2 so3iety, it is able to deal 5ith others. .he symboli3 is
made possible be3ause o2 the a33eptan3e o2 the %ameo2theFather, those la5s and
4
(ee Ja3Aues La3an, crits ! A "election# .ranslated by ,lan (heridan. ;London:
.a4isto36, @E77< and The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psycho!Analysis# .ranslated by
,lan (heridan. ;)armonds5orth: Penguin, @E77<.
G
La3an, crits, p.7B.
!
La3an, crits, p.@@H.
!
restri3tions that 3ontrol both desire and the rules o2 3ommuni3ation: "it is in the $ame
of the Father that 5e must re3ogniMe the support o2 the symboli3 2un3tion 5hi3h,
2rom the da5n o2 history, has identi2ied his person 5ith the 2igure o2 the la5.0
7
.hrough re3ognition o2 the %ameo2theFather, you are able to enter into a
3ommunity o2 others. .he symboli3, through language, is "the pa3t 5hi3h lin6s...
sub?e3ts together in one a3tion. .he human a3tion par e%cellence is originally 2ounded
on the e7isten3e o2 the 5orld o2 the symbol, namely on la5s and 3ontra3ts.0
F
.he 3onne3tion 5ith +eligion here is all too 3lear. Catholi3ism, as a subset o2
Christianity is a patristi3, and patriar3hal, religion par e%cellence. $ndeed, one o2 the
most uni4ersal o2 the Catholi3 prayers is the blessing o2 the sel2, beginning, as 5e all
6no5: "$n the name o2 the 2ather, and o2 the son, and o2 the holy spirit/.0. La3an,
5riting 2rom 5ithin a Fren3h milieu, pro2oundly in2luen3ed by a Catholi3 (ymboli3
order, uses this phrase as an inde7 o2 the la5 into 5hi3h an indi4idual, as Lyotard has
pointed out, is born, and 5hi3h, in many 5ays, re3on2igures that indi4idual. .his
order is patriar3hal, 2i7ed and strati2ied, 5ithin a gi4en temporal and spatial stru3ture,
not unli6e the hierar3hy o2 the 3hur3h itsel2.
8hat separates this order 2rom mere notions o2 peerpressure is the 2a3t that it
e7erts a huge in2luen3e on the un3ons3ious as 5ell as the 3ons3ious sel2. .hese
in2luen3es are not ob4ious at times, and 2orm part o2 the in3hoate but in2luential series
o2 seemingly 3ore 4alues 5hi3h dri4e our personalities. ,nd o2 3ourse, the 3ru3ial
point here is that the 4ery notion o2 the $ame of the Father, o2 3ultural 3onstru3tion,
la5, language, so3ietal norms is one 5hi3h is 3onstantly sub?e3t to 3hange. .he
(ymboli3 order o2 BIIG is 4astly di22erent 2rom that o2 @EIG, to ta6e a broad s5eep, as
7
La3an, crits, p.!7.
F
Ja3Aues La3an, Freud&s Papers on Techni'ue ()*+!()*,. The "eminar of -ac'ues
.acan/ 0oo1 (. .ranslated by John Forrester. Edited by Ja3Aues,lain Miller. ;%e5 1or6:
%orton, @EE@<, p.BHI.
7
5e 5ill see in terms o2 a 3ontrast bet5een Ulysses and American 0eauty later in this
3hapter. ,s Paula Murphy has noted:
.he signi2i3an3e o2 the symboli3 in La3an0s theory o2 sub?e3ti4ity has already been
highlighted: it go4erns both the imaginary and the real, to the e7tent to 5hi3h the
real 3an be arti3ulated. For La3anian psy3hoanalysis, it means that 5hile the
stru3ture o2 his theory remains stable, its 3onstituents are 3onstantly 3hanging,
shi2ting and modi2ying. For deri4ati4e theories o2 La3anian psy3hoanalysis, the
3onseAuen3es are also numerous. $2 one a33epts that the symboli3 3hanges and
de4elops, then it Auestions the ob?e3tions o2 2eminists that are based upon a
patriar3hal stati3 notion o2 the symboli3 and it allo5s 2or a 2resh analysis o2 5hether
the phallus is still a master signi2ier in the present symboli3 order o2 8estern
so3iety.
E
.his 4ie5 o2 the so3iosymboli3 order, itsel2 hugely 2ormati4e o2 the
indi4idual that 5e be3ome, as sub?e3t to 3hange is important in terms o2 the politi3s o2
theory. $n 2a3t, La3an sees the relationship bet5een language and reality as 3onstantly
in 2lu7, and only 6ept in pla3e by spe3i2i3 nodal 3onne3tions, 5hat he terms "points de
capiton0, Auilting points ;a metaphor dra5n 2rom the points in a mattress 5hi3h are
nailed do5n 2or stability<, 5here signi2ier, signi2ied and re2erent are in some 2orm o2
stasis and harmony.
@I
.hese an3horing points, 5hi3h he also 3alls Master (igni2iers,
are our 6ey to some 2orm o2 3ertainty: in language, 2or e7ample, they are to be 2ound
in pun3tuation, 5hi3h guarantees the stability o2 the senten3e and allo5s us to
retroa3ti4ely ma6e sense o2 5hat 5e ha4e been reading. .he parti3ular (ymboli3
order o2 a 3ulture, a language, a temporal period, is an important aspe3t o2 any
La3anian analysis o2 indi4iduality. .he 6ey Auestion, o2 3ourse, is ho5 su3h
stru3tures 3hangeN $2 the (ymboli3 order is di22erent in di22erent times and pla3es,
ho5 does it 3hangeN .hese 4ery points de capiton, 5hi3h 6eep a stru3ture in pla3e,
E
Paula Murphy, Textual Practice 19 (4), 2005, 531549, p. 544.
@I
La3an, crits, p. HIH.
F
must be dislodged in some 5ay. $t is here that 5e 3ome to the 5or6 o2 Ja3Aues
Derrida.
$t 5as 5ith this same issue o2 stru3turality that Derrida0s 5or6 5as 3on3erned,
as he presented a 3ritiAue o2 "logo3entrism0 ;the 3entral set o2 belie2s or truth3laims
around 5hi3h a 3ulture re4ol4es< and introdu3es his strategy o2 de3onstru3tion ;the
dismantling o2 the underlying stru3ture o2 a te7t to e7pose its grounding in
logo3entrism<. Derrida postulates that the history o2 any pro3ess o2 meaning or
signi2i3ation is al5ays predi3ated on some "3entre0, some 4alidating point seen as a
"2ull presen3e 5hi3h is beyond play.0
@@
Derrida, and perhaps spe3i2i3ally his
neologism "de3onstru3tion0, has be3ome a syne3do3he o2 this pro3ess o2 theoreti3al
3ritiAue. ,t its most basi3, de3onstru3tion 3onsists o2 ta6ing the binary oppositions
5hi3h are 3onstru3ti4e o2 the epistemologi3al paradigm o2 8estern philosophy and, as
Derrida himsel2 notes: "to de3onstru3t the opposition, 2irst o2 all, is to o4erturn the
hierar3hy at a gi4en moment0.
@B

(ome o2 these 3entres, or to use the La3anian term points de capiton, 3an be
tra3ed as 2ollo5s:
@. Early Christian era to eighteenth 3entury: a single god posited as the 3entre and
3ause o2 all things=
B. Eighteenth CenturyLEnlightenment to late nineteenth 3entury: &od 6i36ed out o2
the 3entre, and human thought ;rationality< posited as the 3entre and 3ause o2 all
things=
H. Late nineteenth 3entury@E!!: rationality mo4ed out o2 the 3entre, and the
un3ons3ious, or irrationality, or desire, posited as the 3entre and 3ause o2 all things.
@@
Ja3Aues Derrida, 2riting and 3ifference. .ranslated by ,lan 'ass ;London:
+outledge, @E7F<, p. BFI.
@B
Ja3Aues Derrida, Positions. .ranslated by ,lan 'ass ;Chi3ago: -ni4ersity o2
Chi3ago Press, @EF@<, p. 4@.
E
)o5e4er, this re4ersal is only the 2irst step in the de3onstru3ti4e pro?e3t. Ma6ing the
point that an opposition o2 metaphysi3al 3on3epts is ne4er the 2a3eto2a3e opposition
o2 t5o terms, but a hierar3hy and an order o2 subordination, Derrida goes on to say
that de3onstru3tion "does not 3onsist in passing 2rom one 3on3ept to another, but in
o4erturning and displa3ing a 3on3eptual order, as 5ell as the non3on3eptual order
5ith 5hi3h the 3on3eptual order is arti3ulated.0
@H
$t is this sense o2 displa3ement o2
the stati3 oppositional 3riteria that is important in the 3onte7t o2 the present
dis3ussion. 8hat Derrida has termed the "stru3turality o2 stru3ture0 stresses that 4ery
little in human 3ulture is "natural0 or "gi4en0= instead, all stru3turations are 3reated
2orm an ideologi3al standpoint 5hi3h, and here 5e 5ould be in Fou3ault territory, is
go4erned by po5er relationships. 8hat 5e might term the "politi3s o2 de3onstru3tion0
e7erts a loosening 2or3e on these relationships by suggesting the ne3essity 2or
alternati4e stru3tures 5hi3h are sel2a5are in terms o2 the po5er relationships.
For Derrida, the teleology o2 de3onstru3ti4e 3ritiAue in4ol4es the imbri3ation
o2 te7t 5ith 3onte7t. )e is un5illing to bra36et any 2ield o2 3ultural endea4our 5ithin
its o5n sel2de2ined parameters. De3onstru3tion, he says, 3onsists:
only o2 trans2eren3e, and o2 a thin6ing through o2 trans2eren3e, in all the senses that
this 5ord a3Auires in more than one language, and 2irst o2 all that o2 the trans2eren3e
bet5een languages. $2 $ had to ris6 a single de2inition o2 de3onstru3tion, one as
brie2, ellipti3al and e3onomi3al as a pass5ord, $ 5ould say simply and 5ithout
o4erstatement: plus d0une langue : both more than a language and no more o2 a
language.
@4

@H
Ja3Aues Derrida, 4argins of Philosophy. .ranslated by ,lan 'ass ;Chi3ago:
Chi3ago -ni4ersity Press, @EFB<, p.HBE.
@4
Ja3Aues Derrida, 45moires: For Paul de 4an. .ranslated by Ce3ile Lindsay,
Jonathan Culler and Eduardo Cada4a ;%e5 1or6: Columbia -ni4ersity Press, @EFE<, pp. @4
@G.
@I
.he ideas o2 hermeti3ally sealedo22 3ultures, national languages, ideologies are
de3onstru3ted to re4eal a broader 3onte7t o2 3omparison and 3ontrast, a pro3ess 5hi3h
5ill ha4e rami2i3ations 2or any e7ploration o2 $rish so3ial, 3ultural and politi3al mores.
8hile these theories re2erred initially to a3ademi3 te7ts, and 5ere presented in
language that 3ould be des3ribed, at best as opaAue and at 5orst as unreadable, their
politi3al subte7t 5as sub4ersi4e in the e7treme. Derrida0s o2tAuoted remar6 that "Il
n6y a pas de hors!te%te0 ;"there is nothing outside the te7t0<,
@G
meant that su3h
theoreti3al approa3hes 3ould be applied to all politi3al and 3ultural paradigms, as they
5ere all 3omposed o2 linguisti3 stru3tures, and hen3e all 3apable o2 being
de3onstru3ted. )e 5ould later amend this datum to the more in3lusi4e "Il n6y a pas
de hors conte%te0 ;there is nothing outside o2 3onte7t<.
@!
.his tag has be3ome one o2
the most 3ontested items in the dis3ussion o2 de3onstru3tion. Derrida, basi3ally, is
stressing the 3onstru3tedness o2 almost all so3io3ultural and linguisti3 stru3tures, and
addu3ing the need 2or interpretation and 3onte7tual pla3ement i2 interpretati4e
a3ti4ities are to ha4e any sense o2 3losure, an issue underlined by La3an in relation to
the sub?e3t: that ea3h indi4idual his 3onte7t spe3i2i3 : "his history is uni2ied by the
la5, by his symboli3 uni4erse, 5hi3h is not the same 2or e4eryone.0
@7
$n other 5ords, it is through the relationship o2 te7t and 3onte7t that meaning
is to be 2ound. (o, i2 5e are to analyse the 3hange in role o2 the Catholi3 3hur3h as a
system or organisation, then these theorists 5ill pro4e in4aluable in terms o2 outlining
the pro3esses o2 trans2ormation 5hi3h are, in the $reland o2 the third millennium,
possibly the only 2orm o2 3onstant that e7ists.
@G
Ja3Aues Derrida, 7f 8rammatology. .ranslated by &ayatri Cha6ra4orty (pi4a6
;London: Johns )op6ins Press, @E7!<, p. @GF.
@!
Ja3Aues Derrida, .imited Inc. .ranslated by (amuel 8eber and Je22rey Mehlman
;E4anston, $llinois: %orth5estern -ni4ersity Press, @EFF<, p. @H!.
@7
La3an, "eminar (, p.@E7
@@
.he 4alue o2 Father Ted, $ 5ould suggest, is to pla3e the stru3ture o2 the
3hur3h in the 3ru3ible o2 satiri3al 3ommentary. (atire is 4ery mu3h an interrogati4e
dis3ourse in its mode o2 operation. ,s it po6es 2un at ob?e3ts, people and stru3tures, it
impli3itly Auestions the standards and 3odes through 5hi3h these ob?e3ts, people and
stru3tures 5ere a33orded 4alue in the 2irst pla3e. +ather than seeing the 3hur3h as an
organisation that in some 5ay trans3ends the norms o2 system, bureau3ra3y, hierar3hy
and the normal stru3tures o2 so3iety, this programme underlines ?ust ho5 mu3h the
3hur3h is part o2 su3h stru3tures. .he 4isual image o2 a priest 6i36ing his bishop "up
the arse0, 5hile another priest ta6es a photograph o2 this a3t, is an i3oni3 metaphor o2
the 3hange in the attitude o2 people to the 3hur3h as stru3ture, and at this ?un3ture, $
5ould li6e to bring t5o other 4isual metaphors to the 2ore in order to 3reate an i3oni3
image 3hain 5herein the 3hange in role o2 the 3hur3h as stru3ture 3an be tra3ed.
.hese images in4ol4e t5o pairs o2 similar e4ents : a polypti3h 5hi3h in their
3hronology, attest to the altered role o2 the 3hur3h as an organisation in $reland today.
.he 2irst image is the i3oni3 one o2 .ed 6i36ing 'ishop 'rennan up the arse, 5hile the
grinning Dougal ta6es a photograph o2 this e4ent. .he se3ond is also an image 2rom
tele4ision, in4ol4ing a 3amera, albeit o2 a di22erent order, a bishop and a priest.
*n re3alling the 4isit o2 Pope John Paul $$ to &al5ay, 2or the youth mass in
@E7E, one o2 the images that stays in the mind is that o2 2ather Mi3hael Cleary and
'ishop Eamon Casey 5arming up the 3ro5d by leading them in the hymn "'ind us
.ogether.0 $n a 5ay, this s3ene 5as the apotheosis o2 Catholi3 po5er in re3ent $reland
: the pope 5as dra5ing huge 3ro5ds, the youth mass 5as thronged 5ith people, and
t5o o2 the most popular 3leri3s in $reland, both men seen as being 4ery mu3h in tou3h
5ith younger people, as 5ell as being telegeni3, 5ere masters o2 3eremonies. .he
2uture 2or the 3hur3h in $reland seemed bright indeed. 8ith the 5isdom o2 hindsight
@B
it is all too easy to unpa36 the personal li4es o2 these men, and see them as
syne3do3hes o2 5hat is 5rong 5ith the 3hur3h in $reland, but that is not the aim o2 this
3hapter. $nstead $ 5ant to ?u7tapose the di22erent images o2 bishops and priests and
then turn to a di22erent set o2 signi2ying images.
$n @EEE, the Film American 0eauty appeared to 5idespread a33laim. .he
2ilm, an intelligent probing o2 midli2e 3rises among middle 3lass ,meri3ans,
a3hie4ed both popular and 3riti3al a33laim. *ne o2 the 3entral images o2 that 2ilm is
the obsession o2 the 3entral 3hara3ter, Lester 'urnham, 5ith a young 2riend o2 his
daughter, ,ngela )ayes, a 3heerleader. .his obsession begins 5ith Lester 5at3hing
,ngela go through her 3heerleader routine, and obsessing about one image, namely
that o2 ,ngela 2lipping up her s6irt to re4eal her under5ear. .his is an image 5hi3h
5ill haunt Lester0s daydreams, and also 2uel his masturbatory 2antasies. $ndeed,
Lester, in his 4oi3eo4er, tells us that his early morning masturbation in the sho5er is
the best part o2 his day: "Loo6 at me, ?er6ing o22 in the sho5er... .his 5ill be the high
point o2 my day= itOs all do5nhill 2rom here.0
@F
$ 3all this to mind be3ause nearly one
hundred years earlier, another narrati4e has a similar s3ene.
$n the %ausi3a episode o2 Ulysses, &ertie M3Do5ell is being 5at3hed by
Leopold 'loom, and as she leans ba36 to 5at3h 2ire5or6s, she 3at3hes her 6nee in her
hand, re4ealing to 'loom0s gaMe her:
nainsoo6 6ni36ers, the 2abri3 that 3aresses the s6in, better than those other
petti5idth, the green, 2our and ele4en, on a33ount o2 being 5hite and she let him
and she sa5 that he sa5 and then it 5ent so high it 5ent out o2 sight a moment and
she 5as trembling in e4ery limb 2rom being bent so 2ar ba36 that he had a 2ull 4ie5
high up abo4e her 6nee 5here noone e4er not e4en on the s5ing or 5ading and she
5asnOt ashamed and he 5asnOt either to loo6 in that immodest 5ay li6e that be3ause
he 3ouldnOt resist the sight o2 the 5ondrous re4ealment hal2 o22ered li6e those
@F
American 0eauty ;@EEE<. Dire3ted by (am Mendes. 8ritten by ,lan 'all.
@H
s6irtdan3ers beha4ing so immodest be2ore gentlemen loo6ing and he 6ept on
loo6ing, loo6ing. (he 5ould 2ain ha4e 3ried to him 3ho6ingly, held out her sno5y
slender arms to him to 3ome, to 2eel his lips laid on her 5hite bro5, the 3ry o2 a
young girlOs lo4e, a little strangled 3ry, 5rung 2rom her, that 3ry that has rung
through the ages. ,nd then a ro36et sprang and bang shot blind blan6 and *> then
the +oman 3andle burst and it 5as li6e a sigh o2 *> and e4eryone 3ried *> *> in
raptures and it gushed out o2 it a stream o2 rain gold hair threads and they shed and
ah> they 5ere all greeny de5y stars 2alling 5ith golden, * so lo4ely, *, so2t, s5eet,
so2t>
@E
.he similarity bet5een the t5o men, both engaged in ad4ertising and in their 2orties,
neither o2 5hom has had se7 5ith their 5i4es in years, and the t5o younger 5omen
5ho en?oy the se7ual attention o2 the gaMe is 3lear. .he dissimilarity is also 3lear.
.his s3ene in Ulysses, 2irst serialised in The .ittle Re9iew, 5as deemed to transgress
moral good taste, and lead to 3on2is3ation, boo6 burning, legal prose3ution 2or
obs3enity, and banning in @EB@.
BI
.he s3ene 2rom the 2ilm translated into a number o2
a5ards in3luding a &olden &lobe and an ,3ademy ,5ard 2or the s3reenplay 5ritten
by ,lan 'all.
B@
8hen 5e pla3e these images together, t5o o2 bishops and t5o o2 se7ual
beha4iour, 5hat is interesting is the altered role o2 the 3hur3h in terms o2 the mindset
o2 people e7posed to those s3enes. .he sho36 and horror that 2ollo5ed Eamon
Casey0s re4elations in @EEB 5as e7a3erbated by the 5a4e o2 re4elations that 2ollo5ed
in terms o2 3hild abuse in 3hur3hrun organisations. )o5e4er, rea3tion to the image
o2 'ishop 'rennan is, $ 5ould argue, 2uelled less by anger or hurt, and more by a
sense that the 3hur3h is no5 ?ust another organisation among many. .he simple 2a3t is
that the symboli3 order has 3hanged and our 4ie5s and e7pe3tations o2 the 3lergy are
@E
James Joy3e, Ulysses. Edited by )ans 8alter &abler, 8ol2hard (teppe and Claus
Mel3hior First published @EBB ;London: 'odley )ead., @EFE<, p. B74.
BI
+i3hard Ellmann -ames -oyce. First published @EGE ;*72ord: *72ord *72ord
-ni4ersity Press, @E77<, pp. G@FG@E.
B@
,lan 'all, .he (hooting (3ript: American 0eauty ; %e5 1or6: %e5mar6et Press, @EEE<.
@4
4ery mu3h not 5hat they 5ere t5enty or thirty years ago. $ndeed, 6i36ing 'ishop
'rennan up the arse 3ould 5ell be a metaphor 2or the gradual disrespe3t, or to put it
more a33urately, gradual la36 o2 importan3e o2 the hierar3hi3al stru3ture o2 the 3hur3h
in the daytoday li4es o2 ordinary people.
Parious s3andals, mainly re4ol4ing around se7ual abuse, ha4e be3ome
3ommon 6no5ledge in the $reland o2 the Celti3 .iger : though perhaps the most
disturbing 2a3t o2 these is that 5hen 'rendan (myth and $4an Payne 5ere 3omplained
2or abuse, their superiors, bishops and 3ardinals did nothing to bring this to a halt, but
rather sent them to di22erent parishes, 5here the pattern o2 abuse 3ontinued. .hese
3ases o2 the abuse o2 3hildren, together 5ith the se7ual details o2 Eamon Casey
;5hose s3andal also in4ol4ed Q7I,III o2 Dio3esan 2unds< and Mi3hael Cleary, 5ho
had been most 4o3i2erous in his 3ondemnation o2 se7ual misbeha4iour, and
diminished support 2or traditional Catholi3 positions in the Di4or3e and ,bortion
re2erenda, 2urther eroded the 3entral position o2 the Chur3h as a moral arbiter in
$reland. .his is espe3ially true 5ith respe3t to the role o2 5omen and se7uality, as
indi3ated in the Ulysses and American 0eauty e7amples.
.he images o2 the s3enes o2 4oyeurism and e7hibitionism that 5e see 2rom
&ertie M3Do5ell and ,ngela )ayes in Ulysses and American 0eauty respe3ti4ely, are
separated in time, demonstrating the hugely di22erent symboli3 order that e7ists in the
5orld o2 today as opposed to that o2 the 2i3ti4e time o2 Ulysses. $n both te7ts, there is
a 3ertain le4el o2 desire on the part o2 both 5omen and men: ?ust as the men 5at3h, so
the 5omen are a5are and parti3ipant : these are not ob?e3ts o2 the male s3opi3 dri4e:
they are parti3ipants in the s3opi3 dri4e. Li6e5ise, the t5o 5i4es in these t5o
narrati4es, Molly 'loom and Carolyn 'urnham, are a3ti4e parti3ipants in the se7ual
aspe3ts o2 the narrati4es. Molly, 2amously, is ha4ing an a22air 5ith 'laMes 'oylan,
@G
ha4ing arranged that he 5ill 3ome to her home in E33les (treet later that day, 5hile
her husband, a5are o2 this, has obligingly le2t the 5ay 3lear. .hus the eternal
triangle, traditionally that o2 one man and t5o 5omen, has been in4erted and it is
Molly 5ho both has her 3a6e ;seed 3a6e in her 3ase< and eats it. (imilarly Carolyn is
ha4ing a torrid a22air 5ith 'uddy #ane, the +eal Estate 6ing, something o2 5hi3h
Lester is also a5are, )ere 5omen are seen as 2ree agents in terms o2 their se7ual
pre2eren3es, and no longer seen as possessions o2 men. .he stru3tures o2 the so3ieties
5ithin 5hi3h they li4e ha4e radi3ally altered, and 3onseAuently, so has their
beha4iours and their 3hoi3es. $ndeed rapid 3hange is a 3hara3teristi3 o2 3ontemporary
3ulture, and the pa3e o2 3hange has been rampant in $reland o4er the past t5enty
years. .his is the 3ore problem 2a3ing the 3hur3h in this present 3onte7t: it still 3lings
to the sense o2 itsel2 as an un3hanging organisation, 5hen in a3tual 2a3t it has 3hanged
radi3ally o4er the 3enturies. $n almost e4ery progressi4e 2ield o2 so3ial 3hange, 2rom
the mother and 3hild 3ontro4ersy, through 3ontra3eption and the 4arious so3ial issues
that ha4e 3ome be2ore it, the 3hur3h has adopted an antiprogressi4e poli3y, one
5hi3h it ?usti2ies by seeing itsel2 as the guardian o2 immutable standards, 2roMen in the
past. Many o2 thee issues are in4ol4ed 5ith se7ual beha4iour, 5hi3h rein2or3es the
point made earlier that the 3ulture o2 desire that permeates the 3ontemporary 5estern
5orld is inimi3al to the attitudes o2 the 3hur3h.
,gain, in terms o2 postmodernism, the brea6do5n o2 grand narrati4es means
the liberation o2 smaller ones, and the roles o2 se7ual minorities, li6e gays and
lesbians, has be3ome e4er more prominent in the 5a6e o2 5hat $ term the
de3onstru3tion o2 the 3hur3h as 5e 6no5 it. 'oth o2 these te7ts pri4ilege 2emale
se7uality as de4eloping through di22erent so3ieties. Just as so3ial stru3tures 3hange,
so too does the beha4iour o2 the sub?e3ts 5ithin those stru3tures. Part o2 the problem
@!
o2 the 3hur3h, it seems to me, is an inability to respond to the so3ietal 3hanges and
symboli3 3onditions 5ithin 5hi3h it e7ists. .he issue o2 stru3ture has been a
preo33upation o2 this paper and it is 5ith the 3hur3h0s o5n de2inition o2 itsel2 as a
stru3ture that $ propose to 3on3lude.
John Paul $$, in his ,postoli3 Letter, 7rdination "acerdotalis, o2 @EE4, made
the position o2 the 3hur3h 3lear in terms o2 reasons as to 5hy 5omen ha4e not been,
and should not be, ordained. )e said:
Christ 3hose his apostles only 2rom among men
/.the e73lusion o2 5omen 2rom the priesthood is in a33ordan3e 5ith &od0s plan 2or
)is Chur3h
Christ0s 5ay o2 a3ting Ronly 3hoosing menS did not pro3eed 2rom so3iologi3al or
3ultural moti4es pe3uliar to his time. +ather it is to be seen as the 2aith2ul
obser4an3e o2 a plan to be as3ribed to the 5isdom o2 the Lord o2 the uni4erse.
RTuote 2rom Paul P$S: .he 3hur3h does not 3onsider hersel2 authorised to admit
5omen into priestly ordination
$ de3lare / that this ?udgement is to be de2initi4ely held by the Chur3h0s 2aith2ul
.his tradition Ro2 e73luding 5omenS has been 2aith2ully maintained by the oriental
3hur3hes.
BB
.he 3lear point here is that Christ, as son o2 &od, is a trans3endental
3ons3iousness at 5or6 in a parti3ular pla3e and time: he is in it, but not o2 it, and as
su3h, is nor trammelled by its so3io3ultural and linguisti3 mores and limitations. (o,
his reasons 2or not ordaining 5omen as part o2 his apostoli3 stru3ture had less to do
5ith the pre4ailing so3ioe3onomi3 status o2 5omen, 5hi3h 5as little better than
li4esto36 at the time, and more to do 5ith a trans3endental grand plan. .he 3hur3h,
BB

http:LL555.4ati3an.4aLholyU2atherL?ohnUpaulUiiLapostUlettersLdo3umentsLh2U?piUaplUBBIG@EE
4Uordinatiosa3erdotalisUen.html
@7
by e7trapolation, is abo4e and beyond the systems and stru3tures o2 parti3ular pla3es
and times, e7isting as a trans3endent stru3ture.
.his is 2ine i2 one is 5illing to a33ept the dis3ourse o2 the 3hur3h at 2a3e 4alue,
but 5hen de3onstru3ti4e theory is brought to bear, problems arise. $2 this spe3i2i3
3hoi3e o2 Christ is not to be e7plained by his 3ontemporary symboli3 order, 5hy ha4e
other su3h 3hoi3es been e7plained di22erently, and ha4e not been subsumed into
3hur3h dogmaN Christ 3hose to be a 3arpenter, he 3hose his apostles 2rom a number
o2 trades su3h as 2ishermen, ta7 3olle3tors et3. 8hy are 3ontemporary priests not
as6ed to undergo training in 3arpentry or to re3ei4e 3erti2i3ates o2 mastery in di22erent
types o2 2ishingN Christ 5ent into a 3hur3h t5i3e in his li2e that 5e 6no5 o2
a33ording to s3ripture, on3e to argue 5ith the learned do3tors, and on3e to purge the
3hur3h o2 money 3hangers and hu36sters. )o5 odd, then, that the Pati3an 3an gi4e
san3tuary to ,r3hbishop Mar3in6us, 5ho stands a33used o2 2raud, and liable to arrest
i2 he lea4es the pre3in3ts o2 the Pati3an. ,ll o2 the apostles 5ere Je5s, 5here does
that lea4e a series o2 $talian popes, a Polish pope and &erman popeN 8hy are those
de3isions not seen as beyond the pre4ailing so3iology o2 Christ0s pla3e and timeN $
5ould argue that the reason that those Auestions 5ere not as6ed be2ore 5as pre3isely
be3ause the bishops 5ere those points de capiton, those master signi2iers 5ho
3ontrolled the play o2 meaning. $3oni3ally, the 6i36ing o2 'ishop 'rennan up the arse
is a ludi3 demonstration o2 the displa3ement o2 those master signi2iers, and
3on3omitantly a sign that the 3hur3h has lost its sense o2 being a trans3endent
organisation. $nstead it is no5 ?ust another stru3ture in a 3ro5ded mar6etpla3e.
$ndeed, 2urther 3ritiAue 5ould rein2or3e this point. )o5 3an the 3hur3h 3laim
to a3t outside o2 time, in a trans3endent manner, 5hen it a4ails itsel2 o2 e4ery possible
sa2eguard o2 3ontemporary 3ulture to de2end itsel2 against a33usations. $n a deal done
@F
5ith 2ormer minister Mi3hael 8oods, the 3hur3h has de2le3ted payment liabilities to
4i3tims o2 institutional abuse onto the ta7payer $t has also ta6en legal a3tion to
de2end itsel2 against 4i3tims, and had 'ishop La5s say one o2 the reAuiem masses 2or
Pope John Paul $$, 5hile he himsel2 5as under a 3loud in terms o2 his ina3tion in the
2a3e o2 rampant 3hild abuse in is ,meri3an dio3ese.
1et, despite all o2 this, there is a glaring need 2or a 2orm o2 the trans3endent in
3ontemporary se3ular $reland. $n many instan3es, this desire 2or something in 5hi3h
to belie4e has be3ome displa3ed a2ter the 2all 2orm gra3e o2 the 3hur3h. 8e see it in
the 2etishiMation o2 sport and spe3ta3le, as the almost 3ountry5ide in4estment into the
3hampionships o2 the &,, in both hurling and 2ootball pro4ides a 3ommunal outlet
2or people to e7press a sense o2 the beyond themsel4es. $t has been seen in the
3ro5ds 5ho 2lo36ed to the reli3s o2 (aint .hVrWse o2 Lisieu7, it 3an be seen in the
popularity o2 alternati4e 2orms o2 spirituality, and in the outpouring o2 genuine
emotion that greeted the passing a5ay o2 Pope John Paul. $roni3ally, the grie2, the
3ommunal sharing o2 sorro5, the 5idespread media 3o4erage 3alled to mind an e4ent
some F years earlier, namely the death o2 Prin3ess Diana. )ere too, there 5as a
similar outpouring o2 grie2, a binding o2 people around a departed i3on : in a 5ay the
epitome o2 religious desire. $nterestingly, ho5e4er, in the a2termath o2 her death,
things ha4e progressed 4ery mu3h as normal: her name has gradually been 2orgotten
and Prin3e Charles 2inally married the third person in his marriage to Diana, namely
Camilla Par6er 'o5les.
$ 5ould suggest that the same is true o2 the religious 2er4our 5hi3h gripped
$reland and indeed, the 3atholi3 5orld, in the a2termath o2 the death o2 Pope John
Paul. .he emotional desire 2or religious e7perien3e, 2or that sense o2 3ommunal
belie2, 2or an identity bet5een the immanent and the trans3endent, is 4ery mu3h part
@E
o2 being human, and in $reland, the Catholi3 religion, has 2or a long time 2illed this
4oid. %o5, ho5e4er, that the t5o sense o2 the 3hur3h as stru3ture ha4e been
de3onstru3ted, and that it is seen as ?ust another organisation stri4ing to prote3t its
o5n pat3h and its o5n members, people ha4e mo4ed on. .o attempt to prea3h morals
and ethi3s, 5hile at the same time using e4ery legal and politi3al means to de2end the
organisation against legitimate 3harges 2rom 4i3tims o2 abuse, has really ?ust pla3ed
the 3hur3h as one more set o2 systems : it is the metaphori3al eAui4alent o2 6i36ing
'ishop 'rennan up the arse. )e is no longer seen as a religious i3on, not to be
tou3hed by the 4enality o2 human 2ailings: he is ?ust one more abuse boss, 5ho has
instilled 2ear and resentment among his sta22, and su22ers the 3onseAuen3es
a33ordingly. .his o2 3ourse, is a metaphori3al eAui4alent o2 the sense o2
disappointment 2elt by Catholi3s 5hen t5o o2 the more 3harismati3 2igures 5ithin the
3hur3h, Eamon Casey, the bishop 5ho s3ourged go4ernments about the third 5orld,
5ho reputedly dro4e too 2ast and dran6 too mu3h, but 5ho 5as seen as a de3ent man,
and Mi3hael Cleary, the original singing priest, 5ere both 2ound to be in4ol4ed in
se7ual relationships. $n the 5a6e o2 later s3andals, these 5ere relati4ely minor
o22en3es among, a2ter all, 3onsenting adults. ,nd indeed, the 3hur3h has had a long
history o2 sa3erdotal se7ual 3onne3tions: it is not 2or nothing that there are $rish
surnames 3alled Ma3 an (agairt ;M3Entaggert<= Ma3 an Easpaig ;M3Enespy< and
Ma3 an Papa ;Pope<.
)o5e4er, 5hat 5as signi2i3ant here is the di22erentiating o2 the status o2 the
3hur3h as trans3endent system and an immanent one. .o prea3h about the redress o2
po4erty or about se7ually 3orre3t beha4iour, as both Casey and Cleary did, on the one
hand, and to be 2ound 4iolating those 4ery pre3epts themsel4es on the other, made it
3lear that the 3hur3h0s 5arrant to be seen as a trans3endental system 5as in no 5ay
BI
sustainable. .he position o2 5omen in this stru3ture has also been signi2i3ant, though
interestingly, the 3hur3h, as already noted, as the one remaining state instru3tion
5hi3h generi3ally dis3riminates against 5omen ;5ith the e73eption o2 3ertain 3lubs<
has rarely 3ome under sustained atta36 2rom the 2eminist mo4ement. %o5 this 3ould
be be3ause 5omen as a group ha4e ta6en on board the pope0s trans3endental
?usti2i3ation 2or the menonly rule on ordination. )o5e4er, $ thin6 that this state o2
a22airs is a 2urther inde7 o2 the in3reasing sense o2 irrele4an3e 5ith 5hi3h the 3hur3h
is 4ie5ed by 5omen : they are ?ust not interested in this last bastion o2 patriar3hy.
$nstead, 2eminists ha4e 3on3entrated on issues o2 se7ual liberation, stressing
the 2reedom o2 5omen to 3ontrol their o5n pro3reati4e pro3esses, and 5ith the
in3reasing a4ailability o2 3ontra3eption o2 all types, the 3ontrol o2 the 3hur3h o4er
se7ual matters has 5aned 3ompletely. .hus the di22eren3e bet5een those s6irtdan3ers
separated by o4er @II years, &ertie M3Do5all and ,ngela, is that the latter, 5hile
still a 4irgin, is so by 3hoi3e, and is Auite happy to ha4e se7 5ith Lester to5ards the
end o2 the 2ilm 5ith no sense o2 guilt 5hatsoe4er. .he path5ays o2 desire are no5
open to e7ploration by both se7es, and any 2orm o2 e7ternal 3ontrol by the 3hur3h has
?ust lost all 4alidity. People, in this se3ular age, are no5 in3lined to 4oi3e their desire,
and the 3on3omitant guilt is no longer the pri3e that su3h desire must pay.
$n this 5ay, they are 4oi3ing the presen3e o2 a di22erent stru3ture, a ne5
symboli3 order, a dissemination o2 3ontrol, and, in short, are ?oining Father .ed and
Dougal in symboli3ally 6i36ing bishop 'rennan up the arse. .hus through t5o sets
o2 4isual images, one dealing 5ith po5er 2igures and the other 5ith se7ual desire, the
alteration in the grand narrati4e o2 the 3atholi3 3hur3h in $reland is mapped out. .he
2irst images, one set dealing 5ith a bishop in his pomp, a33ompanied by his priest,
addressing the multitudes in 2ront o2 the pope, the other o2 a bishop being 6i36ed up
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the arse by one o2 his priests, delineates the de3onstru3tion o2 the 3entral position o2
the Catholi3 3hur3h in $reland. .he se3ond set, o2 t5o young 5omen allo5ing
themsel4es to be the ob?e3t o2 the male s3opi3 dri4e, but also to a degree 3ontrolling
that gaMe, is another inde7 o2 the prima3y o2 desire, both se7ual and other, and o2 a
2orm o2 liberation o2 desire 2rom the repressi4e regime o2 traditional $rish Catholi3
do3trine. .he 3hange in 2emale attitudes to se7ual desire is an inde7 o2 that the
symboli3 order o2 $reland has 3hanged and is 3hanging, a pro3ess 5hi3h has and 5ill
3ontinue to 3ause re4erberations 5ithin the Chur3h.
$n the 5a6e o2 the re4elations in *3tober BIIG, o2 the report on 3hild abuse in
the dio3ese o2 Ferns, 5ith strong blame being pla3ed on the bishops o2 the dio3ese 2or
not ta6ing the reAuired a3tion, it 5ould seem as i2 the broader 3ommunity is engaged
in a parallel pro3ess o2 de3onstru3ting the po5er o2 the 3hur3h and its pretensions to
being an un3hanging 4ehi3le o2 moral 3ertitude. $n this 3onte7t it is important to note
that de3onstru3tion, 3ontrary to popular belie2 does not eAuate 5ith destru3tion=
instead it suggests a dismantling o2 the traditional binary oppositions and the 3reation
o2 a ne5 stru3ture 5herein the po5er relations are more eAually de2ined. $n our
3onte7t this de3onstru3tion has been imaged in terms o2 the po5er o2 the bishops
being 6i36ed up the arse, to use a 3olloAuialism, and the desire o2 5omen being
re3ognised as eAual to that o2 men. $2 the 3hur3h is to sur4i4e 5ithin the ne5
symboli3 order o2 a postmodern, post3olonial, se3ular ireland that has more in
3ommon 5ith either 'oston or 'erlin than +ome, it 5ill need to ta6e these lessons
seriously.
BB