Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, Belgium’s Catholic Church leader, this month blamed AIDS deaths among gays on the sinful behavior of homosexuals. Namely, inserting penises into anuses. Are gay rights advocates correct in calling it slander?
In his new book, Pope Benedict XVI pal Leonard writes, “When you mistreat the environment it ends up mistreating us in turn. And when you mistreat human love, perhaps it winds up taking vengeance. All I’m saying is that sometimes there are consequences linked to our actions … [the AIDS] this epidemic is a sort of intrinsic justice.” (Leonard also said this month that retired priests accused of child molestation should be made aware of the allegations, but not prosecuted, because what good would judicial punishment do. After much pressure, he released a statement reversing his opinion.)
Not cool, says gay rights lawyer Jean-Marie De Meester: “I believe the archbishop is violating anti-discrimination law and committing slander.”
Even other church types aren’t cool with Leonard going off the deep end.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Fellow church-leaders have publicly distanced themselves and a petition circulated this weekend at the Catholic University of Louvain, one of the country’s biggest, demands Leonard resign from a post as chancellor there for remarks “which bring shame on the university.”
The latest sign of growing unease within the church was the announcement Tuesday by his spokesman Juergen Mettepenningen that he was quitting the job only three months after joining the archbishop’s office.”Monsignor Leonard at times acts like a motorist driving on the wrong side of a freeway who thinks all the other motorists are wrong,” Mettepenningen said at a press conference. He said the archbishop had promised him he would avoid statements to the media but had failed to keep the pledge. “A lack of trust means that I neither wish nor want to continue working as Monsignor Leonard’s spokesman,” he said.
A public affront to Catholic leaders saying awful things about gays and defending pedophiles? Sorry, Mettepenningen, I’m not sure there’s much work for you left in the church.
[AFP]
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Vile nasty old relic, sure there are lots of small skeletons in his closet……….
EdWoody
Maybe it’s because of a translation issue, but really, what is the point of using both “wish” and “want” in that sentence? For once, a language snafu that isn’t Queerty’s own.
Roger Rabbit
Ok, this guy is an expert at being bad! LOL
Not to mention that AIDS is NOT a gay disease, as it is devastating Africa. Me thinks he doth protest too much… The worst kind of evil…
JoeyO'H
Naming this archbishop an old relic is way too nice. It’s still amazing to me the old time (as well as current) leaders of the catholic church are supposed to be the close one’s to God are so hell bent on being hateful and their vile remarks. But like Ricky Martin said the other day, “My God does not make mistakes.” I believe that also.
In a church that can’t recognize their own mistakes and mishandlings, referring to transferring pedophile priests from one parish to another (and who should have been arrested and prosecuted- if it were a civilian, their asses would have ended up in prison and rightfully so), are the first to raise their fists and call out others and their so called sins. The catholic church is a sin and is struggling because they are unable to change with the times. And I was raised catholic! These old queen priests just can’t keep their mouths shut and they will be responsible for their own demise.
He can stick his new book up his holier -than -thou ass!
USAPatriot
AIDS may not exclusively be a gay disease but his comment is still relevant, both to gays and to those that choose to sleep around. You know the danger is out there yet you still engage in the behaviors that allow you to get the disease. What goes around, comes around, eh? Maybe that is a sort of social justice, or at least a bit of Darwinism. As for his remarks about the pedo-priests, he should have his nuts removed.
Cassandra
“AIDS may not exclusively be a gay disease”
It is predominantly a heterosexual disease, or to be accurate, the majority of those who contract it, are heterosexuals.
“but his comment is still relevant, both to gays and to those that choose to sleep around.”
No, not really.
“You know the danger is out there yet you still engage in the behaviors that allow you to get the disease.”
So true of the many deadly or crippling consequences of pregnancy, yet heterosexuals still engage in the behaviors that directly cause these diseases.
Unlike HIV/AIDS, which is simply spread by sexual contact, primarily, the deadly and crippling consequences of pregnancy are the direct result of heterosexual sex.
“What goes around, comes around, eh?”
Who knows what Karma has in store for you, eh?
“Maybe that is a sort of social justice, or at least a bit of Darwinism.”
Yes, the inevitable terrible things that will happen to you no doubt are a sort of social justice.
“As for his remarks about the pedo-priests, he should have his nuts removed.”
I wonder if the people you have wronged in life – and everyone has wronged someone, would like to apply the same standard to you.
Richard
@USAPatriot: @ usapatriot…wow. All I can say is wow. What a shameful oversimplification of such a complex disease. There are so many people who get this disease from lying partners or occasional human mistakes. With a seroprevalence rate of at least 20%, its only natural that plenty of conscientious and intelligent people get roped in by virtue of normal human mistakes. “What goes around comes around”? Good luck at your next HIV test douchebag.