On Wednesday, one of Benedict's top aides, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, called the sex scandal accusations "a pretext for attacking the church."It's just so mind-boggling. After decades and decades of this, Cardinal Jose Saraiva and many others like him still think that a systematic, international conspiracy to preserve power and wealth at the expense of thousands of raped and brutalized children is a mere—a pretext, prima facie not important enough to cause an international outcry and calls for, you know, justice to be served.
Next time I'm having a bad day I'm going to imagine Kris Kristofferson whispering 'Don't let the bastards get you down' in my ear.
Scope and nature of Catholic sex abuse cases.posted by ericb at 8:04 AM on April 2, 2010
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country.
Examples:Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States.
Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Canada.
Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland.
"What I don't understand is how anyone could still consider themselves Catholics in the face of this. One or two incidences in a vast, moneyed, unwieldy organization means bad apples. $2 billion dollars paid out in the U.S. alone to abused victims (most of whom were CHILDREN) of these 'men of God' with hundreds (and countless thousands in the past) more emerging around the world means something is seriously fucked in the midget state of Vatican.posted by ericb at 8:07 AM on April 2, 2010 [6 favorites]
The CEO, an ex-Nazi in Prada boots, is complicit in allowing a man who abused 200 DEAF CHILDREN for decades to live out 'the dignity of his days' — unmolested, by, you know, law enforcement. Because he had 'repented' — whatever that means when you are morally bankrupt — and his health was failing in a way it should have long ago had there actually been a benevolent God.
It's just mind-boggling to me. These are supposed to be the most sacred people — the most holy — the most trustworthy — the most good. They are your direct line to the Lord. And they are fucking the small children.
How could one believe in any earthly manifestation of 'religion' after that? How? I genuinely want to know."
Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, of the American Jewish Committee, called Father Cantalamessa's comments "an unfortunate use of language", AP news agency reported. "The collective violence against the Jews resulted in the death of six million, while the collective violence spoken of here has not led to murder and destruction, but perhaps character assault," he said."An unfortunate use of language."
A local Police Chief, the head of the local legal Bar Association and a Catholic Bishop are touring a newly opened orphanage. Suddenly, a fire breaks out, and rapidly spreads through the orphanage. The Cop cries out: "SAVE THE CHILDREN!"; [...]Maybe you should try substituting "an atheist" for "a local police chief" in your joke.
[...] Once upon a time, it was unquestioned that the cop would valiantly help others in need at the cost of his own safety - but interestingly, as the years go by more and more often I see people challenge that part of the joke, by commenting afterward that "not the cops I know" or something along those lines.
A final, minor but significant point of translation. The translation being used by the media of an important part of Ratzinger's letter is: "your Excellency must not fail to provide the petitioner with as much paternal care as possible". This has been rightly interpreted by some to mean that Ratzinger was saying that the bishop should keep a watchful eye on the priest. The original Latin makes that even clearer: "paterna...cura sequi" which means "to follow with paternal care". We get the word "persecute" from the Latin "per-sequi". "Sequi" is much stronger then "provide".This is clearly a case where the local civil authorities (three years of probation for child rape!) and the local ecclesiastical authorities both screwed up. But there's simply no evidence that the Vatican screwed this one up.
Needless to say, I did NOT say "I will arrest Pope Benedict XVI" or anything so personally grandiloquent. You have to remember that The Sunday Times is a Murdoch newspaper, and that all newspapers follow the odd custom of entrusting headlines to a sub-editor, not the author of the article itself.posted by pw201 at 11:36 AM on April 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
What I DID say to Marc Horne when he telephoned me out of the blue, and I repeat it here, is that I am whole-heartedly behind the initiative by Geoffrey Robertson and Mark Stephens to mount a legal challenge to the Pope's proposed visit to Britain.
Yet it is surely the most unusual government of the world, given its minute size and lack of any standard government functions, such as the administration of justice, education of the young or provision of defense. It even relies on Italy for its water, police and firefighting services.But the Vatican has its own police force, courts, and firefighters.
So the high-flying John Paul let scandals spread beneath his feet, and the uncharismatic Ratzinger was left to clean them up. This pattern extends to other fraught issues that the last pope tended to avoid — the debasement of the Catholic liturgy, or the rise of Islam in once-Christian Europe. And it extends to the caliber of the church’s bishops, where Benedict’s appointments are widely viewed as an improvement over the choices John Paul made. It isn’t a coincidence that some of the most forthright ecclesiastical responses to the abuse scandal have come from friends and protégés of the current pope.
Has Benedict done enough to clean house and show contrition? Alas, no. Has his Vatican responded to the latest swirl of scandal with retrenchment, resentment, and an un-Christian dose of self-pity? Absolutely. Can this pontiff regain the kind of trust and admiration, for himself and for his office, that John Paul II enjoyed? Not a chance.
But as unlikely as it seems today, Benedict may yet deserve to be remembered as the better pope.
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