WARSAW (Reuters) – Prosecutors in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland have asked priests to read out the names of drink-drivers from the pulpit as part of efforts to reduce the country’s high road death rate.
Church leaders have not said yet whether they will support the scheme, aimed to shame drivers into sobriety.
"We post the names of convicted drunk drivers at town halls," said Rafal Grabia, a prosecutor in the mountain town of Zywiec in southern Poland. "But who reads that? The information is not reaching family, friends and neighbors."
So will the Drunkology come after the Martyrology?
10 comments
The world started to go to Hell in a handbasket as society grew to the point when public embarassment ceased to be something that affected people.
I think that confinement in “stocks” in public squares would be in order for some people. Especially the young with minor offenses.
This anonymity thing has got to cease. It only protects them. We’re not talking about tipping over outhouses any more.
Wouldn’t this mess with the sacrament of confession? It also seems contrary to Scripture where we are to rebuke in private and if they don’t listen, in the presence of witnesses and so on.
Scott
Are we talking about naming parishoners who drive drunk, or will everyone in town who does so will get named?
The world started to go to Hell in a handbasket as society grew to the point when public embarassment ceased to be something that affected people
I’m inclined to suggest that the problem might as much be rooted in the prosecutors thinking that a tactic out of an elementary school discipline guidebook would be appropriate for adults committing real crimes.
I don’t get it.
These policy makers seriously think an effective away to prevent drunks from getting behind the wheel is the threat of having their names read in Church?
Well, maybe it makes sense when you’re drunk.
Holy crap! I don’t know what to think about this one. Except, glad I don’t drink anymore…well at least for today…. 😉
In all seriousness, I think the idea of reading the names at Mass is horrible. But I think the idea of deliberately sharing the lists with local clergy is a really good idea. Most of our priests are so overworked, they wouldn’t ever know that a parishioner, especially one who was less-than-regular about Mass attendance, had a DWI. It could provide a moment for fruitful outreach from the priest– a rejuvenated faith life has been essential for some people to beat the bottle.
If the person is avoiding God and the Church because they know they are doing bad things, then are they going to be present to hear the names read aloud?
If they are seeking guidance through the sacrament of confession for this fault of theirs, wouldn’t the priests be leading them to seek re-hab?
I don’t see how this will work out positively in the end.
I doubt that this would mess with the seal of confession since the information would not have been obtained from the confessional. The priest is bascially supposed to act outside the confessional as though he didn’t know about what was revealed. Therefore, everyone on the list would be treated the same whether they had gone to confession or not.
Oh hell NO!!!!!!! Are they kidding?
Suppose a parishioner had a DWI, repented, and sincerely wanted to reform, but stayed away from Mass because he knew his name would be read and was too ashamed to go.
How could that be a good thing?