How Byrne lost his faith

Gabriel Byrne is one of Ireland’s many angry ex-Catholics, said Nigel Farndale in The Daily Telegraph (U.K.). The actor grew up in Dublin in the 1950s, a time when the Catholic Church permeated almost every aspect of Irish life. “It was a very religious, oppressive society,” says Byrne, 62. “I remember walking with my mother along a narrow pathway and she was holding onto a stroller and two priests came along. She had to wheel the stroller into the road to let them walk by, these mysterious men in black.” At age 11, Byrne decided to study for the priesthood, and was sent to a seminary in England. There a priest sexually abused him. He won’t elaborate other than to say it left him “deeply hurt,” but his anger at the church still rages. “How can you deny men who are supposed to be serving you the comfort of a marriage and children? How can they deny sending condoms to Africa? How can they deny women becoming priests? It’s an anti-woman and anti-love church.” Byrne chose not to raise his children in any religion. “I never discussed religion with them ever. As far as I’m concerned, it didn’t do me any good. And it’s interesting to watch two people grow up without it and find their own kindness and conscience.”

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