Pope Benedict XVI in Loreto, Italy
Photo: Giuseppe Cacace / Getty Images
Some have thought that while still Cardinal Ratzinger, the current Pope Benedict XVI may have been complicit in cover ups, but a recent decision arguably sets a new low standard. Benedict has issued instructions that Catholics pray to cleanse the church, but no instructions for taking strong disciplinary actions within the church itself.
Church leaders at the Vatican said each parish or diocese shall designate a person or group to conduct daily and continuous prayer services to cleanse the church of the scandal.
Vatican officials said the order appends support for legal action targeting sexually abusive priests and a code to prevent men "with deep-seated homosexual tendencies" from entering the priesthood.
Source: UPI (via Bligbi)
What's notably absent from this is any sort of punishment or consequences for priests who abuse children. There's a "code" to keep gays out of the priesthood, but it's a well-known fact that child abuse is not committed exclusively by gays. This suggests that the abuse of children is being used as an excuse to go after gays in the church, but not as a reason to protect future children from abusive priests. Pope Benedict may "support" legal action by civil authorities, but what about decisive action within the church itself?
I get a fetch error when I try to access this article. Strange.
It is baffling that the Vatican has showed no reaction on what the Bishop of Teneriffe has said on paedophila. According to the Monsignore, victims sometimes ask for it and can be also responsible. The lawyers of the perpetrators will be happy to hear that new argument from such an authority.
he looks evil on that picture
(he looks evil on that picture). That is because he is an evil, closed minded old man.
Think of the emperor in the Return of the Jedi, when he is blasting Darth Vadar.
Gotta love it how you take a man to task for what he believes.
The picture was undoubtedly chosen because it is a bad picture of the man.
Atheists are too much like former smokers. Too much hate for religion. It’s scary how tribal y’all are.
What’s wrong with that? Would you complain about taking a racist to task for his racism?
As opposed to a picture of a bad man?
It’s easy to attack people personally for saying things you disagree with; actually disputing what they say is harder and I think if you could offer substantive objections to what I wrote then you would.
‘Vatican officials said the order appends support for… a code to prevent men “with deep-seated homosexual tendencies” from entering the priesthood.’
I find this disgusting. Who cares if any priests happen to be gay? Homosexual people are no more likely to abuse children than heterosexual people. The idea that gay people prey on children is a ridiculous stereotype.
If a person, on the other hand, had sexual attractions to children that he couldn’t control, then and only then, would it be appropriate to not allow him into the priesthood. But, merely being gay is a ridiculous reason.
Let’s see… the Pope asks for prayer to cleanse the Church of pedophile priests and for this, he has hit a “new low”?
Somebody obviously has an axe to grind.
Anyone who knows anything about Benedict knows good and well that he’s the first fresh air the Church has had in decades. He firmly stands for traditional Church discipline and taking steps to rid the Church of the “homosexual” mentality in seminaries. But that takes cooperation by others, at the local level. That will come slowly.
After all, he is the Pope, not God.
“Let’s see… the Pope asks for prayer to cleanse the Church of pedophile priests and for this, he has hit a ‘new low’?”
He asked for prayer to cleanse the church of homosexual priests, not pedophile ones. THAT’S why he’s hit a “new low”!
“Behold, the all powerful and operational vatican.”
All he’s missing is the black robe and vaders mask.
I’m fascinated by what this reveals about the mechanics of prayer. I would assume that many of the molested children prayed for their abuse to stop, but their prayers were not sufficient. It seems likely that many of the abusers asked God to help them control their urges, but we know that they continued. I’m certain that the bishops prayed that the abuses would end each and every time that they moved these pedophiles to new stalking grounds, but they didn’t stop.
I know that many people include requests for the safety and security of all children in their daily prayers, yet these supplications also went unanswered. Surely the Pope, who claims to be God’s chosen representative on earth, has asked God to prevent any more of these horrors, but he doesn’t think this is enough. Apparently the Pope believes that all of these prayers were the wrong kind of prayers. Continuous prayers offered up by local representatives in every parish are necessary to cause God to intervene and change reality.
What exactly is it about the continuity that makes a difference? Does Ratzinger believe that God will eventually get annoyed by the endless praying and give in like a parent who will buy their kid a candy bar just to stop them from asking for one? Does it really matter that the supplicant is from the same parish? Why does it matter to an omnipresent entity that the prayers had a local origin, and if that is the critical element then why weren’t the prayers of the children sufficient? Perhaps the Pope believes that the crucial point is that all parishes participate? Maybe God only answers prayers that are supported by a unanimous vote among parishes? How does that fit with Jesus’ statement that he would grant any request if even two followers asked for it in his name?
All of this gets even more confusing when you ask yourself how God could possibly act on these prayers without either violating the supposed sanctity of free will or changing, however minutely, his unalterable plan for the universe. People often say that quantum mechanics is difficult to understand, but it is nothing compared to the complexities of prayer mechanics.
I said the same thing–about the Emporer in the Star Wars movies–in another comment section for an article that used this same photo! It’s so true. I want to see that image with electricity coming out of his finger tips.
I challenge anyone to find a photo of Pole Benedict where he DOESN’T look like a Sith lord or Hannibal Lector. Seriously, I’ve tried to find one. I gave up after the 10th page of a Google image search.
What would you expect from the man who went from Rat-zinger to Pope and who brought Cardinal Law, one of the most egregious supporters of abusive priests, from Boston to the Vatican instead of to jail and gave Law an honored position.
LETS FACE IT THE POPE IS JUST ANOTHER
DELUSIONED RELIGIOUS CREEP!!
I heard recently that the Pope has announced that there will be recruitment and training of more exorcists because of the evil in the world. Why not teach people that they are responsible for their behaviour and that children must be cared for. Exorcism is just another step backward to superstition.
This guy is one, scary, looking mother. If one was to look into anchient and current prophecy they would find out he is the anti-pope.
Jesus is coming!!
Dear Sir/Madam:
The Pope, Cardinals and all the Priests who are Sexual Predators are HYPOCRITICAL. They bury their heads in the sand when anyone finds out about a Priest who is a Sexual Pervert and rather than send the Priest to trial and jail they hide the fact. I am sorry Mr. Pope, but a simple prayer will not do the job and, in fact, simply shows their arrogance. The majority of the Abused suffer decades of mental horror and a significant number commit suicide. Therefore the R.C. Church endorses MURDER. Now how can the Pope, with blood on his hands, say abortion, condoms and sex for pleasure is a sin. Throw him out of Office and get a women in there who knows what she is doing. Rob Evans, Toronto, Canada, Jan. 17, 2011.