Reading through Pope Benedict XVI’s letter to Ireland’s Catholic community, where he bestows his “shame and remorse” for “sinful and criminal acts,” we can understand why Europe’s Catholics aren’t too impressed. The pope didn’t say anything about the growing sexual abuse scandals in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He didn’t promise to participate in criminal inquiries into the priests responsible for the abuse. He didn’t outline a plan that would prevent such horrors from happening again. He didn’t take personal responsibility for his own role in cover-ups. He didn’t answer the question of how forced celibacy might play a part. And it sort of makes us wonder, were this organization — the Roman Catholic Church — not claiming its entire reason for being was driven by a belief in Jesus’ teachings, we would be calling it out for what it is: an organized pedophilia ring with better recruiting tactics than NAMBLA.
hephaestion
40% of Italians believe Pope Maledict (aka Benedict) had a role in the murder of the pro-gay Pope, John Paul I. Read “Murder in the Vatican” by Lucien Gregoire.
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Vatican-Revolutionary-Life-Murders/dp/1434387224/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
Ritorna
And Ratzinger didn’t address his own involvement in transferring a pedophile priest in Munich and then ignoring repeated written and verbal warnings from the priest’s psychiatrist, giving the pedophile continued access to children, until his suspension just last week. No wonder Ratzinger hasn’t fired any of the Irish bishops or Cardinal Brady. They’ve done nothing that Ratzinger himself hasn’t done.
Pete
What the hell does an oath of celibacy have to do with it? Child rapists don’t rape for “sex,” they rape to control and punish, it’s just that they use sexuality as the weapon of choice. Even when they have ample opportunities to have actual sex with consenting adults, they insist on raping children. And, in case you haven’t noticed, no one is forcing these men to become priests so it’s not even “forced.”
mk
@Pete: I’ve always thought the celibacy oath plays a significant part in attracting pedophiles because it makes becoming a Catholic priest a way they can avoid ever having any adult partner or dates with adults without it looking weird or suspicious. I think historically it has also been a way gay men could be publicly excused from dating women or having a wife, but now that homosexuality is more accepted that is less relevant to gays.
The celibacy oath that requires giving up the chance for a family and kids is likely to discourage non-pedophiles from becoming a catholic priest, they can have a romantic and sexual life as a congregation member or by changing churches to become an episcopal priest.
terrwill
Finally Gay karma is coming to smack the pointy hat right off Pope Benedick’s (aka the boy nazi) wicked head!!
As much as I despise the evil doings of the catholic church they actually do some good for the poor and down on their luck in this world. Usually when you view the Pope at least there seems to be a somewhat gentle kind aura about the man.
Since day one Benedick has just seemed downright evil. He has waged one of the most agressive hate campaigns against the Gays. He has instituted a modern day inquesition into the US Nuns orders for their “straying from the church’s teachings”. Each and every one of them is being audited by his evil minions from the vatican I think his involvment in the kiddie diddling drama is going to continue to show he is more involved than any other authority yet exposed in the vatican. One can only hope this evil, wicked man is forced to step down. And maybe the catholic church may realize the wisdon in the old adage of those living in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones. It seems the entire vatican is a huge glass city that is becomming more transparent each and every day…………..
stt
Kind of funny how the institution dedicated to a man who lived in abject poverty is the richest institution on earth, and then we question why evil it is. Of course it is.
rudy
@Pete:
The notion of celibacy as part of one’s “calling” to the priesthood attracts all kinds of confused young men with serious issues regarding sexuality.
In the seminary they are indoctrinated with an Orwellian theology that makes true understanding or study of any subject impossible and end up in a lifestyle with no possibility of mature and loving romantic attachments.
The sick and twisted result is a Vatican that barred women, married people and open and honest gay men from the priesthood has been acting as a refuge for pedophiles.
jeffree
With child sex abuse scandals rocking the church & church teachings say that gay men cannot become priests & gay catholics are “disordered” & should be celibate we have some intresting results:
1: less men & no gays allowed to become priests = fewer men seeking refuge from marriage in the priesthood
2: church is super focused on gays versus pedophiliacs who prey on children
3. Claims that celibacy has *nothing* to do with abuse because its a *gift from god*
4. Accusations that priests have carried on relationships w/ women & fathered childlren
5: women are still forebidden 2 the priesthood
6. Satan is the main guy resonsible 4 these evils
Upon those kinky shakey rocks did peter construct his church. Bad seed is spread by bad men and evil men protect evil men.
Throw them in jail & see how they do!!
How can a rational person support this crumbling mess!??
eagledancer
I was the chief curriculum writer for something called the Gathering of Native Americans, a federally funded program on Native Substance Abuse Prevention that was considered one of the most successful projects of its type. The Secretary for Health and Human Services sent copies of our materials to every federally recognized tribal Nation in the United States.
When we were preparing the curriculum, we were aware of the incredible extent of sexual abuse Native American and Canadian Native children had suffered in federal residential schools. Most Americans are unaware of the fact this country practiced apartheid for generations, where we were not permitted to attend public schools. In a culture that preaches “separation of church and state,” over 60 percent of the boarding schools were run by the catholic church.
We were also aware of the impact this sexual abuse had on substance abuse within the Native community. Drugs and alcohol are often used as a form of self-medication to numb the terrible pain of abuse.
I mention this because we collected various news articles documenting the continued sexual abuse of children by non-Native priests, not only amongst Natives, but also in other communities, because we were aware of how many people would disbelieve us without the documentation. We placed this information into an appendix, since our focus was on prevention issues, rather than an attack on churches and clergy.
The only change in our curriculum from the feds—was to remove the appendix without any discussion or explanation. We were very careful not to make any direct accusation about the church…we simply included the published articles without comment.
ossurworld
Ratsass may be the first pope to resign.
christopher di spirito
The Vatican should be taken over by a Las Vegas conglomerate and turned into Las Vatican, with gambling, hookers (male and female), carnival rides, shows and marketing mottos like, “What happens in Las Vatican stays in Las Vatican.”
Meanwhile, Pope RatNAZI should stand trial for sex crimes against children.
Robert
In Catholic dogma, the pope is “infallible.” However, Popes in the past have committed such sins as fathering children out of wedlock. And now this.
Usually the Catholics explain a scandal by changing a “pope” to an “antipope” in the history books.
By the way, popes have resigned before:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_V
It’s been a LONG time, though!
Cat Walker
As much as I despise the evil doings of the catholic church they actually do some good for the poor and down on their luck in this world
Read more: http://www.queerty.com/pope-benedict-xvi-is-the-leader-of-the-worlds-largest-pedophilia-ring-20100321/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29#ixzz0j3t5kGWD
Ok, I hope this goes through, because the first one didn’t, and I don’t want to have to write this out again …
Just what is this “good work” that you mention the Catholic Church doing?? They only work with so-called poor and ‘down on their luck’ people to convert them to Catholicism … it’s always been that way. More people, more ppl to convert more ppl, more $$, more land, more resources.
Often they made their moves on lands inhabited by indigenous peoples … because the Papal Bull of 1452 (?) stated that they (explorers, like Columbus) must go forth and claim lands and resources from pagans and saracens, since they were not actually people. Columbus himself came to the island of San Salvador … present day Dominican Republic / Haiti … slaughtered upwards of 3 million “people”, through out and out murder, rape, torture, disease, working to death, and suicide.
It was the beginning of the end of so many indigenous cultures across the “Americas” (aka Turtle Island to many of us)(America comes from Italian expolorer Amerigo Vespucci). It was all to take the land, and take the resources.
As one commenter mentioned above, Indian Residential Schools, being run by the churches, with heavy religious indoctrination here in Canada, and a more militaristic teaching in the U.S., came about in order to continue where Indian Reserves left off. Remove the Indians, take the land, and then take the children. Kill the Indian in the Man (Colonel Pratt – Carlisle Institute, USA)/ Kill the Indian in the Child (Duncan Campbell Scott, Canada), so that eventually, there would be no more Indian, and no more Indian Affairs dept, and the land would all be theirs.
Indians had served their purpose after the War of 1812. The first Residential School opened up in Brantford, Ontario in about 1832 / 33. More than 75% of the schools were run by the Catholics.
And since they have this twisted oath of celibacy, which came out some time in the 13 – 1400’s, it leads to the sexual deviation that we see now, and has been going on all this time. They are also deeply mysogonistic … viewing women with contempt and suspician.
Also, Pope Ratzinger was in charge of keeping the Diocese around the world informed of their oath of secrecy in regards to pedophilia and beastiality … with the document called the Crimine Solisitationis. The deliberately did their best to simply move sick and twisted men from one diocese to another, knowing full well that they were sexually preying on boys and girls.
There are so many films, and documents proving all of this; however, they have so insulated themselves, and protected themselves … who knows how many of them will actually serve any time in jail. They usually just pay people off, settling out of court – aka: bribing their way out of court!
They always come back with some ridiculus comment, like … well, out of the thousands of priests around the world, there are only a handful of offenders. Ok, but each of these “offenders” has molested and raped hundreds of kids each!! And have been able to do so for years and years … some as long as 40 years! It’s Disgusting and Criminal.
Arbi Amiri
The Pope stepping down won’t solve anything. They will just get someone else who would look the other way. They law enforcement must take every allegation very seriously. Then if convicted then you serve time in general population of the prison. Pedophiles get what they deserve in gen pop.