On the “Your Radical Truth Podcast,” my guest was Bishop Cáit Finnegan-Grenier of the Celtic Christian Church, a faith deeply rooted in ancient Celtic Christian Spirituality. During our conversation, we explored topics that are often avoided in today’s Catholic Church.
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Bishop Cáit grew up in the Catholic faith and attended a Catholic high school where she experienced abuse at the hands of a religious sister. She shared that it took many years for her to realize the deep-seated anger that had been building within her. A priest counselor once offered her this advice, drawing from St. Augustine’s wisdom: “Hope has two daughters, anger and courage. Hold onto the anger, as it is righteous anger that fuels the courage to correct what’s wrong.” Bishop Cáit also highlighted the disturbing parallels between how the Catholic Church has handled abuse cases involving priests and nuns, emphasizing that both groups tend to protect their abusive members while victims suffer similar traumas.
The issue of sexual abuse involving Women Religious Sisters is almost unthinkable, but it is essential for all members of the Catholic Church, including the laity, not to turn a blind eye. Just as many did with the priest sexual abuse scandals, silence from Catholics has allowed a never-ending cycle of abuse to persist, whether by religious priests or sisters.
Our conversation also touched on the topic of celibacy. Bishop Cáit explained, “If a person is not called to celibacy, it can become a burden they may or may not bear. Celibacy means being unmarried, which can be outwardly faked, but chastity is the real challenge they must uphold.”
A new chapter in Bishop Cáit’s life began when she left her order of the Sisters of Mercy and met her future husband, Father Joe, who was also leaving the priesthood. With Pope John Paul II no longer granting laicization to priests, they couldn’t have a Catholic Church wedding. However, through an Episcopal Service, they were married. Their experiences mirrored those of other married priests and their spouses within the Catholic Church, leading them to start their “Good Tidings Ministry,” which offered support to priests transitioning out of the priesthood and to victims of sexual abuse within the Church.
Bishop Cait’s Celtic Christian Church stands out for reflecting Jesus’ ministry of love and inclusion—a type of ministry sorely lacking in today’s Catholic Church.
To hear the full interview, visit: https://yourradicaltruth.com/011-cait-finnegan/
