Atheists in church

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

At the Church where I used to attend Mass, if you announced to the other people in the pews that you were an atheist, the other people would be very likely to inform the staff of what you said, and you would then be escorted out of the building.

Dave Allen was an Irish-atheist-comedian.

The clip below pretty much some of the attitudes of the Irish Catholicism in which I was reared. Mercifully in Australia, not Ireland. 

At 1minute 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxo81Ok9Urk

To be fair, my ex wife was/is chronically Catholic. She joined this family group, which did things together.  They knew I was atheist and that made no difference I ever noticed. A few even phoned me after my wife and I split up.  The parish priest came over to comfort me, without preaching. I mentioned she had not left any money. He emptied hsi swallet and gave me all the money he had. He was a Passionist, very different from the average parish priest, who to me always sounded like parrots. 

Pope Francis  said that even an atheist who lives a life of conscience will go to heaven. Patronising, but " he means well"  


I guess my point is that there doesn't seem to be one broad Catholic attitude to atheism. Perhaps it has something to do with how confident a person is in his/her faith..  Could it be like the insecurity often behind homophobia?