Catholic beggars on the Plaza

So yesterday I went to the Plaza Art Fair as I do annually. I love it. I always will.

I love seeing any and all new artists, especially the ones who are creating truly unique, wonderful pieces in whatever medium. That, more than anything, is why I go though I enjoy it regardless.

I go in, I see the art, I dodge the people, I try to tell a select few artists how I enjoy their work and I get out.

Twice yesterday, while there, I was approached by two students from St. Vincent de Paul grade school, asking if I would, one way or another, support them--and their school--by buying a candy bar or just making a donation or some such.

And I have to tell you, the chutzpah of both the school, in allowing such a thing, and the kid's parents, for dressing them up and making them do it strikes me as just absolutely shameful.

Begging, mooching for support, on a street corner, in public, on the Country Club Plaza in broad daylight when actually, the kid could be out playing. Shoot, for that matter, he or she could even be doing something useful or more productive like cutting the lawn or studying.

There's just no shame with these people.

Forget that these families seem to come from what are clearly at least middle-class families who could go to a public school so they don't have to incur any additional expense. The way some of the mothers and children look, they may honestly even be from upper-class families but there they are, out begging on the street corner.

Then, forget that the Catholic church has so many sexual predators in priest's clothing.

Forget that the male hierarchy has and still does go to great, great lengths to protect those same predators and abusers instead of protecting the children, first.

Forget that a priest was just found guilty of it here, locally.

Worse yet, forget that their current Bishop, Finn, was just found guilty of doing just that--protecting a priest who had sexually exploited Catholic school children at, apparently, three different, local Catholic grade schools.

Forget that this has happened all over the planet, in many, many different nations of the world.

Forget that this sexual abuse has gone on for literally centuries, seriously.

Forget that it still seems to keep happening.

Sure, forget all that.

Just clean up the kids, dress them up up in those adorable little uniforms, and put them out on the street corner to hawk their Catholic school and beg for financial support.

It galls me every time I see them out there.

Then there's this headline that I just got, today, in my email:

Papal Nuncio left Ireland after vast sums of money found in his bank accounts

"A former Papal Nuncio left Ireland under a cloud after vast sums of South American funded money were found in his bank account.

Archbishop Gaetano Alibrandi left Dublin and the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 1989 after investigations into his financial affairs."

Further proof of why, no way in heck do I want to have any money--any money at all, in any form--go to these people.

Cute and bright as the kids seem to be, each time I had to just wave them off and tell them I don't support the Catholic schools. Geez. Make us the heels.

Someone has to be a Grinch about this so I guess it has to be me.

Let me make it clear, here, too--I was nice to the kids. It's certainly not their fault. Hopefully, one day they can break away from all that entrapping dogma and abuse.

It's almost enough to ruin a perfect weather day at the annual art fair.

Link: http://www.snapnetwork.org/

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Papal-Nuncio-left-Ireland-after-vast-sums-of-money-found-in-his-bank-accounts-170813076.html