In the latest missive from the Vatican, Cardinal Julian Herranz blamed the ongoing outrage aimed at the Pope on "powerful lobbies" opposed to conservative family values: "The pope defends life and the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman..." While "defends life" undoubtedly refers to the church official position on abortion, it's not hard to figure out the target of "marriage between a man and a woman." The church has actually sunk low enough to blame the legitimate anger of millions of Catholics on gay activist groups. Unbelievable.
The Vatican dean of the college of cardinals believes that the pope and the church hierarchy have pretty much done all that they can about the "shortcomings and errors" of a few priests. The time has come to move on and protect the world against homosexuals and women who take umbrage against a coterie of old men telling them what they can do with their bodies. The idea of accepting responsibility for what happens in the institution these men administer seems about as foreign as a camel to an Eskimo. There's no conception -- immaculate or otherwise -- that evasions like this make matters worse, that they only convince those who are already convinced while repelling everyone else.
The message is clear: Nothing is their fault. The coverups didn't happen, the deceit didn't happen, and any suggestion that the pope might have personal culpability is dark gossip from the two groups the church hierarchy fears most and understands least: Gays and women. Well, what about me, Papa? I'm neither, nor are millions of others whose revulsion has reached unplumbed depths. How do you explain us?
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Walker Percy believed there'd be another schism and we'd evolve into American and Vatican Catholic churches. Percy converted after sitting out med school in a TB sanitarium and running out of Kirkegaard to read. If a heavyweight like WP could find this church to be the one he'd throw in with i would hope in my ideal world that they can someday make a place for people like the rest of us again. But the German Shepherd or God's Rottweiller as they love to call him is not giving me much hope. They started their "healing" process in Ireland by announcing that nobody would be sacked. These old men remind me of Mao's old cronies, they exist in a world where underlings kow-tow and seek instruction. That people are fed up with their bullshit would never occur to them in a million years.
The horrible incidents of abuse stem from years of a culture where secrecy is valued over human values. There should be no excuse today in regards to further incidents of abuse. Monitors should be enmasse as well as the policy of "never leave a child alone without montioring i.e. live webcam security. If the culture cannot be trusted than efforts to protect the innocent must be in place. This goes for all religions as their is abuse throughout all stratas of society.
In this day and age, the celibate all male priesthood is going to draw more people with big problems than with big callings. To deal correctly and justly with this problem would mean confronting that fact and they just don't want to.
They can't explain, only froth at the mouth! And revulsion has indeed reached unplumbed depths!
revolting behavior from any large organized group, and especially heinous because these people are spiritual figure heads for millions of people. Not walkin' the talk, fo sho.
Actually, it's the fault of the children - they wanted to be abused. I did not make this up.
http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2007/12/bishop-of-tenerife-blames-child-abuse.html
Even Church officials in conservative Idaho (admittedly, Boise, which folks from these parts consider a communist state) are calling for Benedict to step down. Admittedly, this guy soft pedals a good bit, but in contrast to the Vatican's abominable response, this is telling. What's more telling is that the Bishop of Boise--while not supporting Faucher--didn't reprimand him publicly either. The bishop had no comment. A problem is that a lot of the conservative rank-&-file eat up the anti-gay/anti-feminist stuff. But you're right--it's patently offensive.
Oh & thanks to tnlib for posting that link. My experience is that this is always the response of abusers--it is always somehow the victim's fault. We're talking about some pretty disturbed people here, as well as of course the institutional "cover-up" mindset, which is criminal in itself.
John: You are so very right. When a woman gets raped it's her fault because of what she wore. When a wife is abused, it's her fault because she was 10 minutes late getting dressed to go out. When a child gets abused it's because he cried all night (hungry, sick?). And now we have these poor liitle boys who will wear scars for the rest of their lives - because they wanted it?
Everytime these beasts open their mouths they incriminate themselves further. I wouldn't want to see the Sistene Chapel destroyed but I wouldn't mind seeing something reign down on the these twisted heads, hearts and minds.
Rasta: I applaud you for hanging in there; I've given up. I know that we're all liberal-socialist-communists here, but the comparison to Mao's inner circle is right on the money.
Anon: It's secrecy and it's authority. For more on the latter, I recommend Garry Wills' Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit.
ZY: Unfortunately, they'll give up celibacy at about the same time that they become pro-choice.
TD: You've hit on what I think is the big issue and what they stubbornly refuse to see. Arguably the most important church doctrine is that Catholics recognize their transgressions, admit to them, feel genuine remorse, and atone. How can the hierarchy ask people to do what they manifestly will not do themselves?
John: Now the Bishop of Portland has said his (worthless) two cents worth. Turns out it's all the media's fault.
tnlib: One does kind of wonder that if there is a god, some sort of dramatic, flood-like revenge ought to be exacted.
SK: They don't even froth at the mouth especially well!
Well, of course, because the wrongness of homosexuality, abortion, and birth control are moral absolutes that allow for no exceptions, whereas child molestation is apparently full of grey areas. Priorities, priorities.
Oh, and since you mention Eskimos.....
This 'circling the wagons' behavior is not restricted to the Catholic hierarchy. It happens at almost every Christian organization. Maybe the Salvation Army might be free of this particular sin? It just seems to me that when an organized religious group is accused of wrongdoing, the right thing, the Christian thing to do, would be to recognize that perhaps a crime had occurred and then do their very best to uncover the truth. It seems so simple...I really think it is what Jesus would do.
Last night I heard the representives of Massey Energy blame the miners themselves for the accident: they're too macho and they belong to unions, so they don't obey safety rules.
Love, C.
How low can you sink? Massey must employ the same PR firm as the Catholic Church.
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