Frontline on PBS tonight

[fadedrose]

If it's repeated, please watch.

It was mostly about the RC Church, a long program, most of it about the Vatican and its issues and corruption and Pope Benedict's resigning because he did not have the strength to change it, or handle the Curia.

It told how bishops and even Cardinals were gay, but that wasn't a crime, it was the children molested by clergy. Many lawsuits are still pending.

The Pope didn't seem to be able to say that being gay was a sin, he changed a description of gay priests calling it a "disorder," as applied to grown men, and I guess he knew many of them to be good men and good priests.

The last half hour or so introduced Pope Francis...(he has the same problems with the hierarchy that Obama has with Republicans - too many rich and powerful in both groups)
and they are scheduled to meet 3/7 I think.

[annm4peace]

1. there was a lot of heavy stuff in one show

my head hurt after the end of it. The whole show was important investigative reporting. I had to rewind several times just to keep up. brave survivors speaking out and up. Brave clergy and ex clergy telling their stories.

It was really, really good. hard to listen to but good. Hope it inspires practicing Catholics to support their clergy who are speaking out and to hold the ones accountable who are trying to cover up or put their head in the sand.

[fadedrose]

2. I used to be Catholic

Didn't quit because of the terrible things that Church has been doing and hiding as shown in Frontline, but it was more a disenchantment over doctrine. Nobody suspected this stuff when I was growing up, and parents would knot allow bad things said about the priest just because he was yelling about missing church..

Popes invincible, eat meat on Friday, Don't eat meat on Friday, No divorces, unless you pay off the bishop (like celebrities), Call no man "Father," the mystical communion and a remembrance communion, no icons and pictures, Overturning tables in a house of thieves, bingo, Holy pictures, novena, and medals and indulgences to keep you out of purgatory; praying to saints, etc.; ignoring too many things in the bible because they said it was okay.

Could go on and on....loved a lot but couldn't accept a lot

But for a while after I watched Frontline, I wished I could go back to an innocent (to me) church I loved as a kid, and see Pope Francis having the mass and giving a sermon...

Although this is religion in GD, Since the President is scheduled to meet him March 7, I thought it timely to present some side of non-Catholics feelings about this meeting. I hope between the two of them they can alleviate some of the overwhelming disparity of wealth between the world's rich and poor..

[2banon]

3. The only thing that surprised me

was the the gay sex parties in Rome, openly admitting, making it quite clear they were priests, cardinals etc. but engaging in pretty slutty stuff, with male prostitutes etc. that pretty much stunned me.

[renate]

5. and celebrating Mass afterwards

... and in other cases doing worse than that (since Mass in itself is fine), making their victims do penance or offering *them* absolution. That was so utterly vile.

[2banon]

7. yeah, I know!!! What a MIND F**K

and the woman who was raped when she was a little girl, and then told to do penance by the very fucktard bastard priest that raped her. that just did me in. I mean this straight from the pre-medieval times.

[renate]

4. I am always gobsmacked by Frontline

I don't always watch it, but whenever I do I am just amazed by how damn good it is. It reminds me of "60 Minutes" in the 70s and 80s.

It was fascinating, and I'm not and never have been remotely Catholic. And it left me with a very bad taste in my mouth for the Vatican until Pope Francis came along, and with a real admiration for him. Even if his views on abortion differ from mine, because his are genuinely (not cynically/politically/conveniently) held, I respect them. I actually cried a little bit when I saw him washing prisoners' feet and lovingly meeting with "illegal" immigrants. And I cried for real at the earlier segments about the priests abusing children so coldly and callously. What a huge disconnect between appearing good and actually being good.

[Hekate]

6. KnR for an excellent program. Good luck to Pope Francis...

...long life and good health. He's made some mighty powerful enemies.