THE Catholic Church and the GAA have been moving in opposite directions in recent decades. Such has been the shrinkage of the Catholic Church and the expansion of the GAA, in quite a few parishes the GAA  acts as the social glue that holds communities together rather than the Church.

But now Allianz Insurance has confronted both with a shared problem. Allianz, some of us may need reminding, is a German company. Their significance for the GAA is visible at every turn: Allianz GAA Football Championship, Allianz Hurling Championship.

Allianz pays money to the GAA in exchange for branding, advertising and general association with Gaelic games. Think GAA, think Allianz. The sponsorship helps fund GAA competitions and grassroots activities. They’ve been hooked up since 1993, so clearly the marriage is a happy one, or at least mutually beneficial.

But here’s the rub facing the GAA now: Allianz has bought (allegedly) a lot of Israeli bonds. Which means that  Israel has the wherewithal to pursue what is sometimes foolishly referred to as ‘the war in Gaza’. The truth is that there is no war in Gaza. From the start it’s been a straightforward  slaughter of Palestinians, and Allianz, by buying Israeli bonds, supports Israel’s ‘war’ effort.

You may say, “But the GAA is not involved in any war against Palestinians” or “The GAA-Allianz is purely a financial contract.” And you’d be right.  But in another sense, you’d be wrong.

If you sit outside in a car, the engine running, while your mates go into a bank and shoot dead dozens of employees, you’re involved in that murderous heist. You’ve made it possible. The gang could have chosen another car and driver but it chose you, and you went voluntarily along. So you share the guilt.

The GAA has been confronted with this and has  responded with many excuses.

1. Allianz has a long-term major funding deal dating back to 1993.

So what?

2. The GAA is bound by legal and contractual constraints.

That’s true. It’d probably be messy and even involve some financial hardship to sever links with Allianz. But the guy sitting with the motor running might find he has no job, is on the dole, will be swallowed up in hard times, if he doesn’t stay outside the bank with his engine turning over.

In fact, the relationship with Allianz is mutually beneficial and it’d be a bummer to have to end it. But sometimes doing the right thing involves hardship.  Did I say ‘hardship’?  Related to the GAA?  Listen. The GAA may not have as much money as is in the bank that your mates robbed. But it has undeniably a lot of money. And normally they spend it very well – boosting local Gaelic clubs, working with schools, building stadia. Yes, Allianz put money into all that. But it doesn’t do it for the good of its digestive system. It does it because it pays off for them.

And if Allianz were dropped, there’d be lots of Irish institutions – such as AIB – who would be knocking the door down to replace them.

It’s an ethical choice that faces Jarlath Burns, GAA President. It’s messy only in that it would probably cost the GAA, at least in the short term. But even though he claims the issue gave him “the most sleepless nights”, Jarlath  shows no signs of doing anything  much about it. Maybe Miriam O’Callaghan should get him on Prime Time and ask him when he last went to confession.

It’s a painful thing to say about an organisation I genuinely love, but it now faces an ethical test and looks like it’s going to fail. Blood has begun to drip from the GAA boardroom. Shame on them.