How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The rain drove us into the church – our refuge, our strength, our only dry place. At Mass, Benediction, novenas, we huddled in great damp clumps, dozing though priest drone, while steam rose again from our clothes to mingle with the sweetness of incense, flowers and candles.
Limerick gained a reputation for piety, but we knew it was only the rain. (1.6-7)
This seems like a pretty cynical statement to us, but maybe Frank's got a point. After all, we didn't see a whole lotta charity or compassion or forgiveness on the part of the Church in Angela's Ashes.
Quote #2
The sisters knew what was right and they knew what was wrong and any doubts could be resolved by the One, Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church. (1.29)
The McNamara Sisters might use religion to mask their true intentions, and they don't really care about Angela or what's right or wrong. This passage shows the black-or-white way of thinking that McCourt thought characterized the Church. Things were right or they were wrong, no doubts allowed or allowances made for difficult circumstances.
Quote #3
There is a picture on the wall by the range of a man with long brown hair and sad eyes. He is pointing to his chest where there is a big heart with flames coming out of it. Mam tell us, That's the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I want to know why the man's heart is on fire and why doesn't He throw water on it? Grandma says, Don't these children know anything about their religion? and Mam tells her it's different in America. Grandma says the Sacred Heart is everywhere and there's no excuse for that kind of ignorance. (2.95)
With America's separation of church and state written into its constitution, it's hard to appreciate how much religion permeated Irish culture. Much education was religious education, and Catholic beliefs dictated laws of family life, e.g., birth control or divorce. Divorce was illegal in Ireland from 1921, when the country gained independence from Britain, until 1997. Sales of contraceptive devices were illegal from 1935-1980 (source).