Thousands pour into St. Peter’s Square in show of solidarity with pope over abuse scandal

[demoleft]

Source: ap

VATICAN CITY — Tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square on Sunday in a massive show of solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI over the clerical sex abuse scandal.

Benedict said he was comforted by such a “beautiful and spontaneous show of faith and solidarity” and again denounced what he called the “sin” that has infected the church and needs to be purified.

An association of 68 Italian lay groups organized the demonstration, which despite a drizzling rain overflowed out of the piazza with balloon- and banner-toting faithful from around Italy. Banners hung up on Bernini’s colonnade encircling the piazza read “Together with the pope,” and “Don’t be afraid, Jesus won out over evil.”
...

Benedict didn’t refer explicitly to the scandal, but repeated his recently stated position that the scandal was born of sins within the church, which must be purified.

Read more: http://religion.gaeatimes.com/2010/05/16/thousands-pour-into-st-peters-square-in-show-of-solidarity-with-pope-over-abuse-scandal-2869/

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typically - it's sin and devil the responsible, not criminal priests who deserve jail instead of cover.
as to me - i spare my solidarity for the victims.

and keep myself quite at distance from the crowds in st peter's.

[HereSince1628]

1. And everyone has access to hang signs on Bernini’s colonnade?

How's that?

[rpannier]

6. Next time I'm Italy I'll bring along a banner that reads

"Resign!" in big letters

I'll let you know if they let me hang it there -- some how I doubt they will

[ima_sinnic]

2. there's a fool born every millisecond

the crime is that those fools send their children to this pack of perverts and "representatives of God" (sic) from the time they're born.

[saigon68]

22. pack of perverts

Well put

[defendandprotect]

31. +1000% --

[DRoseDARs]

3. Alternate Title: "2010 NAMbLA Convention Held In Rome"

Goddamn enablers :thumbsdown:

[ejpoeta]

4. sad that people would stand with an organization that has been more interested in

covering things up, enabling pedophiles to keep abusing kids, and protecting their own church instead of the children it supposedly cares about. I'd bet that if a family of a sex offender protected this person and enabled them these folks would run them out of town! but it's the church, so..... keep on keepin on.

[Scuba]

5. Nazi child molesters popular in Italy

[rpannier]

7. Jesus Won Out Over Evil

I'm trying to think of a reply and I just don't have one

That is so bizarre

Unless they mean the Pope and the enablers are the evil and Jesus will win out over them -- I'm just stunned

[Frank Cannon]

10. I don't think Jesus was a protector of pedophiles and molesters

In fact, I don't think he cared for them much:

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."--Matthew 18:6.

[Vinca]

8. Did the Vatican hire teabaggers for a rally?

[CatWoman]

30. hahahahahaha

good one!!

[bulloney]

9. Some big-ass sheep farm is missing its herd.

In the U.S., the Catholics in my area are the ones who pre-judge Obama and Democrats and hitch their wagons to the Teabaggin Express, carrying placards that depict racism and violence.

But, their church's leader, who's been complicit in the church's sex scandal, and is a past member of the Hitler Youth, deserves our compassion and support according to these same people.

[bemildred]

11. "Pope holds big rally in St. Peters to support himself." nt

[dipsydoodle]

12. It takes all types to make a world

which obviously includes the tens of thousands of complete arseholes mentioned here.

[Joe Bacon]

13. These are the same idiots who would defend Rekers.

Amazing to see how many idiots are brainwashed by these liars.

All religion does is promise you pie in the sky when you die as long as you eat all the shit your Corporate Masters feed you while you're alive.

[elfin]

14. Claims of "persecution" are the lifeblood of any religion

While the pope's claim of persecution are nonsensical, it is a savvy move to reinforce his power and convince followers that the rest of the world is wrong.

The more muslims are derogated, the more they cohere and the more some go to extremes to "defend" their faith.

Early christianity benefited in the long run by by having the romans attack them.

Persecution of jews eventually led to a place of their own.

Counter-intuitive, but seen over and over. The "persecuted" catholics will survive and thrive after this spasm of trying to hold their practices accountable for the crimes committed by priests.

[proReality]

15. Apparently those protesting think that all the abuse was done in the name of God,

so it must be okay if priests physically and mentally damage children.

How is it that some can be born without brains and survive?

[zonkers]

16. Home town crowd. BFD.

[cosmicone]

17. god business has always enjoyed brand loyalty despite defective products n/t

[Lena inRI]

18. While MILLIONS of abuse victims hate the POPE. . .

THERE WILL BE DIVINE RETRIBUTION

:smoke: :smoke: :smoke: :smoke: :smoke:

[Tempest]

19. How can it be spontaneous when it was organized?

Safety in numbers won't help the church.

[mitchum]

20. I'm sure the SHOW of support was every bit as spontaneous as the mass

what a sham

[tomm2thumbs]

21. they heard the Pope was handing out free 'End of the World' T-shirts - go get you one!

each shirt came with 2 free 'Go to Heaven, Get out of Hell Free' passes. Watch Ebay in the next couple of days, they area all going to be listed with some hefty 'buy it now' pricing.

[enki23]

23. and a big fuck you to every single one of the assholes

.

[IndianaGreen]

24. A morally bankrupt church coupled with personality cult

This Pope is the next to the last Pope predicted by St. Malachy:

Prophecy of St Malachy

Apparently, in 1958, before the Conclave that would elect Pope John XXIII, Cardinal Spellman of New York hired a boat, filled it with sheep and sailed up and down the Tiber River, to show that he was "pastor et nautor", the motto attibuted to the next Pope in the prophecies!

I think they are a bit of fun, and the semantic exercise of trying to fit the motto to the Pope that goes on in letters to the editor around the world is great reading!

According to the prophecy, the current Pope may be the second last Pope Gloria Olivæ ("Glory of the Olives").

However, it should be noted that some commentators over the centuries have pointed out that there is nothing that says there will be no popes between Gloria Olivæ and Petrus Romanus. It may be that there will be a long line of popes between them!

http://www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp

Let's hope the prophecy holds true!

[lunatica]

25. I think a lot of Catholics believe the Pope is chosen by God

That the Pope can do no wrong because he's a holy person. In the inner clash of their faith and what they're told to believe with the manifestation of the pedophilia scandal they probably feel Evil is trying to destroy Good and the Pope is the living embodiment of Good.

It's really quite primitive and simple. They aren't defending pedophilia because in reality they believe it to be a sin. They're defending the Pope himself because he's anointed by God and this is his cross and his work. To fight the sin that threatens the Church itself.

[AngryOldDem]

26. That's why, at the end of the day, nothing will ever change in the Church.

The sheeple are terminally brainwashed, and I'm afraid their number is much greater than those who really do see the wolf in the sheep's clothing.

And if the PR against the Church wasn't so bad these days, I doubt you'd be hearing or seeing Benny beating his breast in "penance." The Church isn't stupid, but the days of damage control have long since passed. As I said: They don't get it. Never. Have. Never. Will.

[saigon68]

27. A coterie of Thuggish Child Rapists

[Odin2005]

28. This is proof that religion makes you stupid.

The Banality of Evil.

[StarlightGold]

29. Beyond sick

What kind of a person supports the system that caused so many children so much pain? It really makes you give up on humanity...

My family is like these people; they are in this religion's strangle-hold. Am i being unreasonable in not even wanting to be around them for still remaining in this filthy institution? Or do I suck it up for family's sake? I'm honestly not sure anymore....

[Joe Bacon]

33. Religion needs stupidity to survive

I see what Christianity has done to my family. One by one they got infected with Jesus and turned into hard core Republicans who slobber at the feet of Sarah Palin. Every last one of them are brainwashed every Sunday when they walk into an indoctrination center to have their pulpit pimps hand out the latest GOP talking points.

BTW, they are praying away the oil slick. Don't seem to be working very well. Guess The Big G is too busy watching over the Vatican stock portfolio...

[truthisfreedom]

32. They can have him.