From my two trips to Ireland in the last 5 years, it is my impression that the Catholic Church is virtually dead in Ireland.

Their priest pedophile scandal dwarfed America's. The Church kept priests in place for years even though they knew the priests were actively molesting boys. This was a secret the Church kept for decades, and it exploded into the news all at once.

One man in his 30s from Dublin said that no one in Ireland under 30 will set foot in a Catholic Church. He was very angry when he said it.

A man in his 60s who was showing us around in a village in Ireland said that the village priest preyed on the boys for generations. My impression was that he had been victimized by the priest. The church in the village is no longer being used, and most families refuse to be buried in the church cemetery.

"Father Michael Commane, a teacher and priest from Dublin, said: “It’s great to hear of a normal heterosexual priest for a change".

As ridiculous as that sounds coming from a priest, you now know why he said it.

Considering the history of the Catholic church, a priest having a child is small potatoes. And not just because he's Irish. HA! Get it? But seriously, Popes in the past have had children. Priests have had children before. It happens. I wouldn't be making sweeping generalizations about the future of the Church based on the reaction of the Irish. Hell, I imagine that their reaction to people saying they aren't really Catholic any longer would be to get drunk and beat you with a leprechaun statue.

The Irish are Catholic for historical purposes, that's all. After years of being punished by their Protestant betters, they'd never convert. However, they're Protestant in mind and manner, but go through Catholic motions: that's it.