Neko_Bast
I was wondering how Irish pagans feel about St Patrick, and if they celebrate St. Patricks day. Also if you do, how do you feel about the Catholic church saying that there can be no St. Patrick day celebrations on St. Pattys day because it lands in Holly Week, the week befor Easter.
I loath St Patrick.
I loath the fact that he was made our patron saint.
I loath the fact that he has become synonomous with Irish Culture when he personally (as can be read in his letters to rome) detested it.
I loath the fact that mainstream history teaches that he came with peace and converted without the sword where, if you know who to talk to {and these people are not neccessarily pagan} you get a different story altogether.
However, St Patricks day has become about more than St Patrick. It has become a day to celebrate the Irish Culture. While I hate the man and all he stood for (convert by sword and fire), St Patrick's day has nothing to do with St. Patrick any more. Not the man, anyway. The Catholic Church broadcast this edict
every year since I was about 15. The local church priests ignore it and extend the same stay of lent that they always have.
The parade will go ahead on the same day it always has, because we stopped taking our ques from Rome when they tried to tell us to jail people for seeking divorce information and abortion information.
The 'power' of the RCC has diminished in this country to the point that I only know two Catholics in my generation who know what Transubstantiation is
and believe in it.
I tried it with my sister yesterday. I asked her what communion is. She told me it was bread. I asked her if that was all. She said yes. When I explained it to her, she thought I was bugnuts. My mam turned around with "Ciara" (that's her name), "if that were the case, I wouldn't go to mass".
Catholicism is the crazy old uncle of Ireland who spouts crap like "in my day, x wouldn't happen." who continuosly ignores the newspaper reports as heathen propoganda.