Catholicism In Irish Literature

4 Pages 923 Words

Irish literature involves largely the prestigious Catholic religion among the people and its affect on their lives. In Angela’s Ashes and in Great Irish Short Stories, the word of the priest was not one to argue against and the Catholic teachings and Bible were a way of life. Due to the rule and power of the Catholic Church over the Irish community, sexuality was a symbol of sin, becoming unhealthily repressed and denied in the people. Any sexual encounter, form of thought, or natural feelings were dutifully abstained from, in fear of sinning or becoming a heathen, for sexuality was shunned upon by the Church.
Throughout his childhood, Frank McCourt is burdened with the feeling of guilt for his own sinfulness of his uncontrollable sexual thoughts and behavior. He is frequently talking of his worries that he is condemned or that he may damn other people. However, the root of his worries stems mostly from the Catholicism in which he was raised. Although sexual feelings are natural and occur in every person with hormones, he sees himself as being dirty for even toying with any sexual idea—this because of the control the church has had over his mind. “I know about the excitement and I know it’s a sin but how can it be a sin if it comes to me in a dream…It’s a sin when you’re wide awake and going at yourself…Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, which means impure thoughts, impure words, impure deeds, and that’s what adultery is, Dirty Things in General” (McCourt 291-292).
The priests hammered Frank and his community with stories of their beloved Virgin Mary and crucified Jesus, persuading them to believe that sex was a sin, causing a total repression of feelings by followers. “He says impurity is so grave a sin the Virgin Mary turns her face away and weeps…every time you succumb to the vile sin of self-abuse, you nail Christ to the cross…I can’t help myself and swear I’ll go to confession and after that, surely a...