CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised over a so-called “chivalry camp” for young boys taking place this weekend in Co Kildare.

 A group called the Irish Society for Christian Civilisation is holding the camp for boys aged 12-18 this weekend in Prosperous.

Its material outlines an aim to instill “manly virtues of courage, purity [and] Catholic militancy” in attendees as a way of allowing “young Catholics the chance to break away from the filth” and by fighting “immorality, blasphemy and impurity” in the world.

Local representatives who spoke to The Journal said they were concerned at how appropriate the camp is for youths, in particular its aim to “instill manly courage” in the youngsters in its charge.

According to its website, it runs faith classes alongside treasure hunts and medieval swordplay lessons.

Tradition, Family, Property movement

The ISCC is an arm of an umbrella group called the Catholic Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) movement, which  was founded in 1960 in Brazil and expanded to the U.S. in the 1980s.

In 2021, the Institute of Strategic Dialogue -  a group that studies extremist and conspiratorial movements – described the TFP movement as the “oldest node” in a global network of “ultra-conservative organisations” which campaign on the furthering of “repressive policies”.

The Institute links these policies to curbing rights for women and LGBTQ+ people, along with restrictions on abortion access.

A website for a branch of Tradition, Family, Property – called TFP Student Action – includes references to the camp organised in Ireland. It notes that it is “unlike most camps that only focus on fun, [as] this one also fostered manly faith”.

Accounts

The ISCC is a registered charity and according to its accounts for 2021, its total income for 2021 was €625,516 – an increase on the 2020 figure of €324,382. This was “driven mainly by one-off unexpected bequest of €198,512 from a private donor,” its annual report said.

Its total expenditure in 2021 was €376,109. “100% of the expenditure is related to charitable activities and the provision of services,” the report said, further outlining that around half of this expenditure related to publications in newspapers, conferences, workshops and the printing and distribution of pamphlets and newsletters.

The remaining “43% of expenditure” was used towards wages, salaries and the day-to-day running of the charity.

The ISCC did not respond in time for publication to queries from The Journal.

When The Journal contacted the Catholic Church parish in Prosperous, it was told the local Catholic church membership had no knowledge of the camp or the group.

The Journal contacted the Bishops Conference body which acts as a representative group for dioceses and was told:

“The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is not aware of or familiar with this programme, and is not hosting it in any of its premises.”

Previously, the ISCC was able to hold a camp in 2019 at Glencomeragh House, a former monastery on the Tipperary-Waterford border. The site is owned by the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. 

In one video published by the ISCC, it shows youngsters speaking about abortion, describing it as “selfish” and the need to end the treatment. 

“So my concern would be is they are peddling a message to young boys who don’t necessarily know any better at that age,” Newbridge Social Democrats councillor Chris Pender said. 

Pender said he was the “first openly gay county councillor in Kildare” and believes that “who I am would form a massive part of what they’re teaching people to be militant against”.  

“It sounds like a very specifically fringe organisation on the outskirts of the Catholic Church but their status as a fringe group also depends on what support they get from dioceses in the church,” Pender said.

“I know a lot of churchgoers here and I would know a lot of priests in the church and I have no issue with them. I believe faith is a very personal thing. I was brought up with a born again Christian mother and so I respect people’s ability to respect people’s desire to believe in something so I will never denigrate somebody’s belief. 

Pender’s local elected party colleague Nuala Kileen said she found the material “alarming” as described in the ISCC’s own outlines for their camps. 

“I’m shocked by what they’ve described,” she said.

“If you’re deliberately exposing young people and just shoving your doctrine down their throat, you’re manipulating those young people,” she said. 

She said of the group’s Tradition, Family, Property links, that it “sounds like something out of the Handmaid’s Tale”, and “has me thinking that women are the ‘Property’ part”. 

Councillor Joe Neville, a Fine Gael councillor in the county, said he would be concerned about what he called attempts to create “division”.

“I go to mass and help out with the church here but this sounds like a typical Catholic Church in Brazil or the US, the fundamentalist side even. That leads to more division and I wouldn’t like for that to be recreated here.”