Troubled Men
What do the Catholic Church and the Scottish Labour Party have in common?
Well, they both know how to dump and wash their hands of troubled men - men whom they were happy to use in days gone by, as ambassadors of their respective causes.
In the first case, that of Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the Vatican has announced that the former top Catholic prelate in the UK should be banished into exile - which seems like a very barbaric and cruel punishment for someone who served his church loyally for many years.
True, the Cardinal stands condemned as a hypocrite - having lambasted gay relationships and and sex marriage in his sermons and public statements - only to be found on the receiving end of complaints from fellow priests over his 'innappropriate behaviour'.
Instead of dealing with these allegations in an open and transparent way, the Catholic Church - via the Vatican - has brushed them all under the carpet and intends to keep things that way if it can, by sending Cardinal O'Brien somewhere very far away.
Which is a very odd way to behave especially as the Church has obvious responsibilities in terms of pastoral care to one of its leading figures - no matter what embarrassment he has caused.
Likewise in the case of Eric Joyce, the former Labour Party MP is clearly another troubled man - although his problems seem to revolve around alcohol and managing his aggressive temper - which led to Eric being convicted of assault after a bar room brawl in the House of Commons last year.
A short time later Eric found himself all over the tabloid newspapers in Scotland - after an alleged affair with a young female member of his office staff - which was seedy and creepy, but nothing completely terrible.
But again, after being suitably 'monstered' in the press Eric was dropped like a sack of potatoes by the Labour Party leadership - which he had served for a long time - even though, by then, his personal life and judgement were clearly falling apart at the seams.
Now I don't have any problems with a political party severing links with one of its MPs - but the manner in which these sometimes unpleasant tasks are carried out - says as much about the true nature of organisation involved, as it does about the person being shown out the door.
I imagine Eric Joyce will survive though I can't say he's likely to prosper in the years ahead - though I'm not sure if the same can be said about Cardinal Keith O'Brien.
Seems to me that what the Cardinal needs most is the help and support of his Church - which has presumably become his 'family' over the years.
Instead he is being lined up for a one-way ticket - to some remote and lonely place like outer Mongolia, I imagine.
