Growing focus on Pope Benedict in sex abuse scandal

Instead of spending all this time on trying to change the wording of our liturgy, I think they should spend the time on discussing why we are uncovering such horrendous stories of child abuse among the clergy and how it was allowed to go on for such a long time. This is by far the most important story about the Catholic Church. Something as evil as the child abuse and rape of these innocent children is by far the worst sin hanging over our Church and may well be it's downfall.

After being involved as an advocate for the survivors of sexual abuse within the Church since 2005, I have no doubt that Holy Father was directly involved in covering up the sexual abuse of both minors and vulnerable adults (those in those in the latter category are often forgotten, by the way, because many get lost in the idea of consensual sex when in fact it's really a matter of power and intimidation being exercised - just like with the children).

I agree with Fr. Thomas Doyle's statement “Pope Benedict is a micromanager. He’s the old style. Anything like that would necessarily have been brought to his attention. Tell the vicar general to find a better line. What he’s trying to do, obviously, is protect the pope.”

And that is exactly what's happening. Even now the Vatican officials are closing in around the Holy Father like a herd of a musk ox defending their young from ravenous wolves. That's the wrong move and will only make it harder to do the right thing and bring God's judgment down swifter.

Better that Holy Father should be a real man by behaving like King David of old by shedding his papal garments; putting on sack cloth; admitting his active part in the cover-up; going to confession; apologizing from the heart for his failure and the failure of his predecessors to protect the children and the vulnerable and initiating a program that truly lets both Church and State work together to root out these monstrous predators into the open so that parents can know that their children are safe and vulnerable adults can know they need not fear a predator within the walls of Mother Church.

The church is collapsing under its own fat, corrupt weight. Good riddance to an organization that has done harm to so many lives.

No longer a catholic

In terms of the sexual abuse of children by priests Catholic bishops have ignored complaints, denied allegations, blamed victims, reassigned offenders, failed to report crimes to police, and concealed information. And wasn’t Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Faith, responsible for overseeing the Church’s tactical strategy toward sex abuse cases by priests? Wasn’t he an advocate of a “delay until the Statute of Limitations has expired” strategy? Joseph Ratzinger's strategy was to obstruct justice in the United States. This man is a criminal and should be brought to justice.

Tom: I am deeply disappointed in the NCR's timid reporting of the hierarchy's (including the present and immediately preceding pope) role in facilitating the sexual abuse of defenseless children. One wonders whether NCR reporters aren't more concerned in protecting their access to the hierarchy than calling a spade a spade. The abuse problems have been public for over a quarter century, and yet they get reported as if there is uncertainty about the Church hierarchy's awareness of them. Please! By now, the Catholic press and most Catholics, by continuing to contributing to the support of this very sinful Church, have to accept, if they are honest with themselves, that they are complicit in the sexual abuse of innocent children that most certainly is continuing right up to the present. And please don't tell me to leave the Church. It is as much my Church as it is that of the docile, and at times, even willfully blind, Catholics who refuse to acknowledge what is happening before their very own eyes.

The piece entitled "Ecclesiastical march madness" (Roco Palmo blog) is very interesting in that it quotes extensively from the Vatican's vigorous defense of Archbishop Ratzinger during his Regensberg tenure. Ratzinger was involved in the decision to admit "H" to therapy, it was however, the Vicar General who was solely responsible for allowing "H" to return to pastoral ministery (over almost a 5 year period)eventual charges and conviction followed by pastoral duties in other venues. The diocesan "caseload" was too big, with 1000 priests, for him to be aware of the decision. Yes?

Not much credibility here. I wonder how many of the "1000" were cases of sexual abuse of children? Would any competent Archbishop not expect, demand, to be briefed regularly, if not from time to time, on the status, condition, rehabilitation, supervision of known sexual abusing clergy in the diocese, within his ambit of responsibility? At what level of hierarchy does "ambit of responsibility" cease being "ambit of responsibility"?

"The Vatican warned Saturday against attempts to drag Pope Benedict XVI into a widening sexual abuse scandal involving priests in the pontiff's native Germany." Whoa! That really scared me! How about you?

I really pay attention when I hear a "Vatican Warning!" It brings up feelings of revulsion as I remember those saints in the past, who were persecuted over the centuries for not heeding other Vatican's "Warnings," Images of the Inquisitions come up, as I remember stories from Catholic grade school on how heretics and apostates were justly burned at the stake, or how Jews, who refused the glorious opportunity of finding "Salvation through the Catholic Church," in other words, "A Forced Conversion to Catholicism," were often burned at the stake or had their children taken away from them and raised in good Catholic homes where they would need to renounce their Judaism. Then there was the nightmare of the Reformation, when brave souls were willing to suffer and often give their lives if they professed God's Word and the Free Gift of Salvation over the efficacy of Indulgences. After the Reformation Popes issued Papal Bull instructing good Catholics on how to persecute Jews in the East by driving them off of their farms and homes and often killing them along the way. These episodes were known in history as "The Jewish Pogroms!" Necessary of course, because it was an abomination for Jews to live alongside good, Catholic families.

So, now when I hear a Vatican Warning, I often think, "What can the Vatican do to me?" She can't take away my faith in Jesus Christ, my Saviour. She can't take God's Word and the promises found therein. She can't deprive me of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. She can't send me to a nonexistent place called, Purgatory, where I will need to burn in flames for eons, simply for "Bringing SCANDAL to the Catholic Church," because I do not see my salvation "IN" Her, but rather in Christ my Saviour!

How surprisin- Oh wait, nope, this again. Corrupt to the delusional bones. When will people learn.