I just don’t quite know what to make of this quote from New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan posted by Atrios – responding to evidence that Pope Benedict XVI had participated in the cover-up of child abuse by clergy.
The leader of the nation’s second-largest diocese urged his congregation to pray for the pope, saying he was suffering some of the same unjust accusations once faced by Jesus.
I just don’t remember that part of the Gospels. Was it mentioned in the Book of John? John was always my least favorite of the Gospels.
Don’t worry though. The Pope won’t be intimidated!
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March 29, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Anonymous
Sure, don’t you remember, when the apostles raped all those boys and Jesus blew it off because the kids would be rewarded in the kingdom of God?
March 30, 2010 at 5:56 am
Mitch
If you’re infallible, why do you have to read the memos?
March 30, 2010 at 7:08 am
dave
The Pope is following the lead of every other pope swince the church was formed.
Protect the church from scandals at all costs.
The victim pool for pedophile priests are the faithful.
May column last Sunday talked about this issue.
http://www.times-standard.com/davestancliff/ci_14774084
March 30, 2010 at 7:36 am
olmanriver
But the really big news is that the Pope had an awakening and has pledged to return all the money and land and treasure and cultural holdings back to the people that the Catholic church has stolen over the centuries. He wept as he confessed that the Catholic church had “missed the mark”, and was going giving everything back to the pillaged poor.
Am I the only one who read that?
Oh, maybe I just dreamt it.
March 30, 2010 at 7:46 am
Joe Blow
There’s a good article in the Saturday, March 27, 2010 Times-Standard in Section B “On Religion” – “Archbishop Chaput vs. the ghost of JFK” that explains why religion, both Catholic and Protestant as a moral compass for society are irrelevant and have been for a long time. The corruption and it’s effects run far deeper than a few pedophile priests and preachers. To put it bluntly, they are the primary reason why an amoral society can justify support for wanton criminal behavior because “THEY” need some way to survive.
March 30, 2010 at 8:28 am
catholicism can go 2 hell
I am so sick of it. A devout catholic relative went so far as to claim this problem exists in other denominations as well!! What a load of crap. I refuse to set foot in a catholic church ever again. Besides the vile abuse and cover up of that abuse of children, I am disgusted by the hollow ritual, and exclusiveness. They can all go to hell.
March 30, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Eric Kirk
It’s very easy to attack the Church that way CCG2H, but the Church has done an enormous good over the years as well, practically inventing anti-poverty programs hundreds of years ago. They have saved millions of lives. Moreover, the faith has generated some very positive theologies – liberation theology, Thomas Merton type fusions of Catholic faith with understandings from other faiths, the concept of service to the poor, etc. It’s huge church with good people, bad, and everything in between.
March 30, 2010 at 2:22 pm
suzy blah blah
It’s huge church with good people, bad, and everything in between.
-all that’s missing is God.
March 30, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Jen
It’s sad how completely they’ve missed the point.
Pope John Paul would have handled this with love and compassion. Too bad this pope seems to lack both.
Hence the reason I don’t go to an organized religion.
That and my filthy mouth.
March 30, 2010 at 2:34 pm
the reasonable anonymous
Re: Liberation Theology and progressive strains of Catholicism: Unfortunately that’s not at all the direction that the church is currently headed.
Remember, while the current Pope (before he was Pope) was refusing to even defrock a priest who sexually abused scores of deaf children, he was also leading the political crackdown on Catholic politicians who support reproductive rights. So: advocating women’s rights to control their own body = heresy warranting excommunication, whereas sexually abusing scores of deaf children is a minor indiscretion that doesn’t even warrant the defrocking of the priest, who was allowed to continue his “ministry” (and probably his abuse) for years to come. And we wonder why some folks feel like CCG2H does?
March 30, 2010 at 2:38 pm
the reasonable anonymous
Pope John Paul (the most recent one, that is) presided over the whole child sexual abuse cover-up for decades, and placed Cardinal Ratzinger (now alias Pope Benedict) in a position, as head of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith, where he could work to purge progressivism / liberation theoology from the church, while simultaneously allowing child sexual abuse to continue largely unchecked. So I wouldn’t get all misty-eyed for our most recent Pope John Paul.
March 30, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Courtwatcher
Sorry Jen, as much as I want to honor Karol Wojtyla, he’s as responsible as Bennie the Rat in allowing peaderasts and rapists to use the church as a sanctuary. Three words — Cardinal Bernard Law.
Now, John XXIII, I may listen to an argument about that good man, but JPII did nothing to address this atrocious scandal.
March 30, 2010 at 3:49 pm
the reasonable anonymous
Vatican Offers 3 Reasons Why It’s Not Liable For Abuse:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/30/vatican-launches-legal-de_n_519113.html
Yup, still protecting the pedophile priests, the church hierarchy and the treasury, rather than protecting kids.
WWJM: Who Would Jesus Molest?
March 30, 2010 at 3:52 pm
the reasonable anonymous
“…by their fruits you shall know them.”
– Matthew 7:20
March 30, 2010 at 9:27 pm
moviedad
Pope John Paul was not a fan of Liberation Theology. He denounced it. On one of his last trips to South and Central America, he made sure all the local bishops knew that if they did not stamp out this heresy, there would be hell to pay.
The heresy of course, is Socialism and the elevation of the commoners to equal status as the rich.
As a catholic I want to say: there is the church, and then there is the Church.
March 31, 2010 at 11:43 am
the reasonable anonymous
Last night on Larry King Live, Catholic League President Bill Donahue claimed “it’s not a pedophilia” because “most of the victims were post pubescent,” as old as 12 or 13 years of age.
Also the Catholic League took out an ad in the NY Times to claim that the problem is homosexuality, not pedophilia, because about 80% of victims were male. I guess the 20% that were female don’t really count as far as the church patriarchs are concerned. No surprise there.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/31/catholic-league-pope/
March 31, 2010 at 11:53 am
the reasonable anonymous
On the other hand, some slightly better news — European bishops are urging abuse victims to pursue criminal charges against abusive priests:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/31/european-bishops-urge-abu_n_520160.html