Pope Condemns Materialism, Still Nothing About Pedo Priests

Presents = Bad! Pedophilic rape = Meh

Published on December 20, 2004 By greywar In Current Events

I love to read the Pope hold forth on moral issues for the most part because I feel he is a pretty well-meaning sort. The last few years have changed this perception somewhat as more and more pedophile priests are uncovered along with Diocese-spanning conspiracies to cover up said scandals. Had the Pope thundered away regarding this worst sort of abomination (I put murder behind child rape) he might have a bit more relevancy when he condemns the growth of materialism in the modern world.

The Vatican is waging an increasingly high-profile campaign to remind Roman Catholic Italy not to compromise the spirit of Christmas through excess or dumb it down out of fear of offending a growing Muslim population.

The child abuse issue should have been the centerpiece of the Catholic Church's reform efforts this year. Not fixing this problem robs them of moral authority and relevancy which are things the Church can scarcely afford to lose any more of. Stop worrying about the mall and fix your seminaries and Diocese

Full article here.

Comments

Solitair

on Dec 20, 2004

While I don't expect the pope to condemn such abuse in every address, I must agree that the Vatican itself has been very poor on its condemnation and openness on this issue. For many years the issue itself was not even acknowledged, despite open condemnation in indivcidual countries. It has rested on the individual countries bishops' to proceed forward with public apologies and regret. While most country's bishops have been vocal in condemnation a number of bishops have themselves been guilty of such crimes which does nto help. The vatican and the pope do need to be more acknowledging of the problems here and far stronger in their reactions and corrections.

Paul.

greywar

on Dec 20, 2004

Hey we agree on something!

on Dec 20, 2004

Pope Condemns Materialism, Still Nothing About Pedo Priests

Still? I'm beginning to wonder. Was they a club to protect the sicko? Or *for* the sickos?

cactoblasta

on Dec 21, 2004

Chances are the pope doesn't even know about it. He's almost totally deaf, he's nearly blind and from the looks of his public speaking it's all a little too "Weekend at Bernies" for my liking. It's a surprise he can hold forth on anything. But it's about time his 'advisors' started drafting the right speeches, or otherwise Catholicism is going to suffer even more.

kingbee

on Dec 21, 2004

Chances are the pope doesn't even know about it.

he doesnt get it one way or the other. nothing of real substance resulted from his meeting with the american delegation in 2002. cardinal mahoney continues to be less than cooperative (after 2 years of legal haggling, mahoney finally released this month; during a recent court-ordered deposition, he spent 6 hours stonewalling and disremembering much of anything useful). from that alone, it would appear that its still business as usual.

oleteach

on Dec 21, 2004

I agree with most of these comments. Our bishop has done a great job of cleaning out the rubbish and aiding the victims of abuse. He was not one of those who was guilty of hiding and protecting abusive priests. He acted immediately and still continues to respond positively to any and all questions.

The Pope is sick but he is not dead. He should resign but that will never happen. May he rest in peace soon.

greywar

on Dec 21, 2004

He should resign but that will never happen.

Harsher than I might have expected but perhaps the Church would be best served if there was a younger clearer head under the miter?

kingbee

on Dec 21, 2004

May he rest in peace soon

that has to be the kindest and most civil way one can say 'drop dead'

Solitair

on Dec 22, 2004

The pope suffers from Parkinson disease which sadly also affects the short term memory. This makes it extremely tough for the pope to actually run the church. That does not however excuse the Vatican and the pope's advisers from taking a tough, public and open line on this issue.

Paul.

greywar

on Dec 22, 2004

That does not however excuse the Vatican and the pope's advisers from taking a tough, public and open line on this issue.

precisely. It also should be an easy cue to step down.

Solitair

on Dec 22, 2004

Pope has already stated that it's up to God to decide when he should step down. That's therefore not going to happen till he dies.

Paul.

greywar

on Dec 22, 2004

Pope has already stated that it's up to God to decide when he should step down.

I would say that the Parkison's would count as an official "letter of intent".

Rightwinger

on Dec 22, 2004

You know, I had to laugh when I heard that the Pope had made this declaration. Materialism? Ever noticed the opulence of the Cathedrals of Rome? Even the Catholic churches in your towns and cities? The Catholic church is one of the wealthiest organizations in the world.
I agree that the Pope is pretty much out of it. The days when the pope died at a relatively young and clear-thinking age are long since passed. Life spans are getting longer. This means that the Church could someday have an ancient Pope at its head who suffers from dementia or something worse, like Alzheimers. Indeed, they could be on their way now.

greywar

on Dec 22, 2004

The days when the pope died at a relatively young and clear-thinking age are long since passed.

ah the wonders of terminal syphilis.... who knew it could be a force for good?

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!