Pope: ''Will Not Be Intimidated By Dominant Opinions''

[DeSwiss]

Pope Sex Abuse Scandal: In Palm Sunday Sermon, Pope Says He Won't Be Intimidated

Huffington Post | NICOLE WINFIELD | 03/28/10 02:27 PM | AP



VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI opened Holy Week on Sunday amid one of the most serious crises facing the church in decades, with protesters in London demanding he resign and calls in Switzerland for a central registry for pedophile priests.

Benedict made no direct mention of the scandal in his Palm Sunday homily. But one of the prayers, recited in Portuguese during Mass, was "for the young and for those charged with educating them and protecting them."

Jesus Christ, Benedict said in his homily, guides the faithful "toward the courage that doesn't let us be intimidated by the chatting of dominant opinions, towards patience that supports others."

Palm Sunday commemorates Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and is the start of the church's Holy Week, which includes the Good Friday re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion and death and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/28/pope-sex-abuse-scandal-in_n_516257.html">MORE

- So doubling-down is the best they could come up with on short notice I suspect. It's what they're good at and in fact, all they know. I wonder what would happen if every Catholic stayed away on Easter. Go to another church, or just stay at home and ate ham and Easter eggs.

Just a thought.....
==============================================================================
DeSwiss


http://www.atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox




"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent,
persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." ~ John F. Kennedy

[MineralMan]

1. I guess he misread and thought Jesus said, "Suffer, little children."

I can't think of any reason someone in his position would enable child molesters. Not a single reason. Maybe it was a mistranslation in his copy of the Bible. Who knows?

[DeSwiss]

4. He thought he could avoid.....

...the bad publicity if he covered it up.

[harry_pothead]

52. The pope reads that phrase as "Find a final solution to the Little Boy Question."

[Ozymanithrax]

2. He hs the power to decide what God thinks...n/t

[DeSwiss]

6. Well since he's made-up.....

...everyone has that power.

[harry_pothead]

53. Well said sir!

[saltpoint]

3. There is a potential collision of events just around the corner for

the Catholic Church.

They have one of the most gigantic public relations challenges in history and show no gift whatsoever for addressing and solving it.

As well, they pig-headedly refuse to ordain women as priests, which seems to this non-Catholic as standing in defiance of their own Scripture, as in the New Testament Mary Magdalen is among the few people Jesus reveals himself to, thus obviating the apostolic succession argument.

From a functional perspective it does not seem to me that you increase the members of your flock by asserting that half the world's adults are not qualified to administer the sacraments. It's spectacularly discriminatory and makes no functional sense.

Benedict is a bit long of tooth these days. He was selected when he was quite old. The College of Cardinals, very possibly, will be meeting again soon to select his replacement. That convening, I bet, is going to be a lively one.

[get the red out]

5. Half the world's flock

They don't think half the world's flock have a right to own their own bodies and decide for themselves when to produce children. Of course they don't think "brood mares" are qualified to administer the sacraments. Women are nothing but cows to their hierarchy.

[saltpoint]

8. There is grave and serious work, and lot of it, still ahead of the Church,

but I really feel a new Pope needs to turn directly to women and ask for their help, extend a hand of inclusion, and ordain any of them who wish to serve.

[JerseygirlCT]

15. Saltpoint, you're simply being too reasonable

They will ordain farm animals (male ones) before they do women.

[saltpoint]

26. Pretty soon they may need to ordain both. The Church is losing

congregants by the dozen.

Farm animals! LOL!

:hi:

[JerseygirlCT]

14. You can see that played out

in the nuns doing housekeeping for the bishops on up. No one cleans up the convents except other women. But the boys couldn't possibly clean up their own mess.

Which is exactly part of the problem writ large here.

[charlie]

16. Or nuns being turned out of their convents

so the sales can go toward pedophilia settlements. Talk about injustice compounded...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x151035

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Yes, exactly

I didn't hear of any bishops having to sell their homes to fund it - but the nuns get tossed out.

Typical.

[DeSwiss]

7. Yes.

I'm hoping that he continues his intransigence.

- Because it can only make things worse for them....

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Well, all true. Except that convening will be of men

who were largely picked by the previous pope- and on the basis of their conservative views. So more of the same for the foreseeable future, I think.

Ratzinger is so unqualified to deal with this. He's stubborn and smugly sure of himself. A bad combination.

Someone with true humility is needed. Who can truly offer the pastoral care to the people harmed and justice to those who harmed them. He seems unable to ever ask for forgiveness, a bad trait in a religious leader, IMO.

[saltpoint]

41. When I hear him or watch the footage I can't 'sense' his presence among

the people.

I don't get a global sensibility.

Your phrase, "someone with true humility is needed" rings true to me, Jerseygirl CT. Let's hope the Cardinals get a clue when the time does come.

[JerseygirlCT]

43. I hope so, too.

Though no longer Roman Catholic, a better Church would be better for the world, I think.

[saltpoint]

45. Agree. There are a lot of totally unheard-of Catholics who work in

hospitals and medical centers and assisted living facilities and so on -- and their good works are from their hearts and minds, and they get no press, no headlines, no credit.

They deserve a Church that acknowledges them and welcomes and honors their efforts.

[JerseygirlCT]

46. My mom is one of those

spends most waking hours these days at the church's food pantry. It's become her calling.

I admire her - there's faith in action.

[saltpoint]

47. I'm kinda chilly to this Pope but I think you're mom's terrific.

You smile at her for me next time you see her.

She is the true church.

[JerseygirlCT]

48. I agree

(About this pope AND about my mom!)

[Angry Dragon]

36. Without a woman

Jesus Christ could not exist. It would seem that women are the foundation of the catholic church.

[saltpoint]

42. Hi, Angry Dragon. Yes -- and it wouldn't kill the old fools to just

admit it and open the doors for anyone who wishes to enter.

There's not strategic or ethical reason to prohibit women who wish to so serve from serving.

[Angry Dragon]

50. It goes deeper than that

they would have to share their power and control. The main reason goes much deeper because they do not feel that women are their equals. This attitude trickles down to the everyday family and makes some men control their families in the same way.

[JerseygirlCT]

44. JPII

had some very flowery claptrap about that - and the exalted position women hold.

Seems many religious figures who do not believe women to be their equals are good at that sort of verbal twist.

I guess it comes down to action, not pretty words.

And that's why I'm now Episcopalian.

[MineralMan]

9. Il Papa è stupido.

È un idiota anziano.

[DeSwiss]

19. E un vecchio pazzo stupido e arrogante che! n/t

[zbdent]

10. I heard that some Catholics are screaming at a DC church for giving Pelosi communion ...

saying that the church sullies itself for giving communion to a "pro-choice" politician ...

I say that Pelosi is sullying herself for receiving communion from an institution which is not seriously apologetic for covering up all the sexual abuse ... some even covered up by the current Pope himself ...

[DeSwiss]

20. No one ever considers....

...that were the church to do so, they would in effect be carrying out a political act by withdrawing one of their "services." Services for which they have been allowed to remain tax-exempt.

- And what the hell ever happened to the story about throwing the first stone and all that!?!? Arrogant bastards.

[charlie]

11. Yes, let's make injustice a virtue

You can't persecute US out of our cruel ways, so back off.

Apparently, the Pope was a lucky one who was never buggered. He should be thanking God every day for that.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

17. Maybe he was molested and is covering his own shame

by covering the actions of others? Someone in this much denial has some demons in the closet.

[charlie]

23. That might be worse

Either way, he's a mean-ass bastard. And yeah, I'll say it, since it's his own measure, an unGodly man.

[Angry Dragon]

40. yes

[DeSwiss]

21. Well they've already made injustice into a religion.....

...so why not?

- And I wouldn't be so certain about the Pope's past. In fact, it could explain a lot, when you think about it......

[truedelphi]

12. From your headline, my initial response was this unsavory one:

"Who would have thought of this Pope as a "Bottom?"

[DeSwiss]

22. !!!!!

[JDPriestly]

18. The Catholic Church is at its prime in terms of wealth and power.

Six of our nine Supreme Court justices were raised in the Catholic church. Five are still nominally Catholic.

They dominate the Court. I don't mind having a mix of different religions on the Court, but six members who were raised Catholic? That does not have any relationship to the demographic make-up of our country. And at least three of the members of our Court are reputed to be very zealous in their advocacy of Catholic ideas.

Since we have one Jewish member, that leaves only two who may have been raised in Protestant religions.

To my knowledge, historically, the Catholic Church has on the one hand been socially active and had a positive effect on social welfare issues but on the other been a bulwark of an authoritarian style of government. The Catholic Church encouraged the doctrine of the divine right of kings and all the abuse that doctrine inflicted on suppressed populations. Remember that? It was a long time ago, but I have not heard that the Catholic Church has ever apologized for its support for authoritarianism or the divine right of kings.

Historically, the Catholic Church has not encouraged separation of church and state or even religious tolerance unless the Catholic Church was to be the primary beneficiary of the tolerance. The Catholic Church has accepted religious tolerance when imposed on it, but, to my knowledge, historically, the Catholic Church has not been a strong advocate for religious tolerance.

If there is any evidence that the Catholic Church has strongly denounced its support for its authoritarian organization or in general the idea that authoritarian government, that dictatorships can be acceptable, I would like a link to it.

If there is any evidence that the Catholic Church has strongly announced its general support, not specifically for tolerance of a certain religion, but in general for separation of church and state or tolerance of all religions, I would like a link to it.

[DeSwiss]

24. Well, SCOTUS and the Vatican have much in common.....

...including the ability to ignore laws they don't like. And with the church having been born and raised as a co-joined state/theocracy, they would hardly ever seek a separation of the church and the state. Quite the contrary, I think they believe that they ARE the state. And that it is we who haven't got the message right.

- There's no accounting for arrogant bastards.....

[K8-EEE]

27. Catholics of good conscience, please stop enabling this criminal organization.

Come on folks -- I was heavily HEAVILY indoctrinated in it including 12 years of parochial school (for which I am actually grateful) but if they are allowed to get away with this shit time and time again they WILL. The whole church needs a restructuring away from this power-hungry hierarchy. Demand it or JUST GET OUT. I did in 2004 and have not missed it a bit!

[DeSwiss]

28. Amun......

#1. What if the grown men accused of these perverted acts were not priests, but rather employees such as janitors, security guards, maintenance workers.....?

#2. What does it take to make someone walk away from the Catholic Church? (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-catholic-church-why-h_b_516344.html">link)

[CoffeeCat]

30. I grew up Catholic too...

...I went to parochial schools and was very into it. I appreciated and benefited from going to private schools and I look
back on my education and the things I learned--as positive.

But enough is enough. The behavior of the Catholic Church is so over the top. It's bizarre.

I do not belong to the Catholic Church anymore and I can't imagine sitting in those pews. It would be like sanctioning
pedophilia and a slap in the fact to all of the innocent victims. I just can't do it.

There is a big priest shortage in the Church. I wonder if that is because the good priests recognize the stench of evil
that has engulfed the Church--so they just leave. Or older priests dies and there are no young priests to replace them
because so many view the Church as intolerable.

I am sickened by Ratzinger's brazen attitude and his statements that clearly state that he doesn't care what anyone thinks--even
if it's a majority.

This really is disgusting.

[K8-EEE]

31. I feel bad for all the truly good hearted Catholics out there but

Really time has come to stop the enabling.

[rug]

37. Just one question. Did you stop because you stopped believing or

did you stop because you didn't like what the leadership was doing?

[K8-EEE]

39. I stopped believing because of what the leadership was doing

They were doing the "Communion as Republican campaign fodder" (Arnie can have communion no prob, Kerry has all these bishops calling for him to be denied communion supposedly because of abortion although they both have the SAME VIEWS.)
It made me start reading about all the dictators (including Hitler) that the Catholic church's leaders have propped up throughout the years.

I came to believe it was a corrupt organization, that along with the homophobia made the light go on for me -- I went, what am I doing here, why am I giving money to these people every week?

[Odin2005]

29. Papa Ratzi the Sociopath.

[DeSwiss]

33. Indeed.

http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html">Profile of the Sociopath

* Glibness and Superficial Charm
* Manipulative and Conning
* Grandiose Sense of Self
* Pathological Lying
* Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
* Shallow Emotions
* Incapacity for Love
* Need for Stimulation
* Callousness/Lack of Empathy
* Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
* Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
* Irresponsibility/Unreliability
* Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
* Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
* Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility

Other Related Qualities:

1. Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
2. Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
3. Authoritarian
4. Secretive
5. Paranoid
6. Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
7. Conventional appearance
8. Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
9. Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
10. Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
11. Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
12. Incapable of real human attachment to another
13. Unable to feel remorse or guilt
14. Extreme narcissism and grandiose
15. May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

- Yep, that about covers it.....

[Dorian Gray]

32. I think what saddens me the most about the whole thing

is that I've always equated humility as one of the strongest teachings of the church. What the Vatican and the Diocesan leaders are doing, however, is so far removed from humility, it's almost soul crushing.

I still believe in the central message of Catholicism (that during the Mass a miracle happens and the blood and body of Christ is transubstantiated). I know a lot of you will shake your heads at that, and that's fine. But that is the reason I will not leave the Catholic Church. (I don't want to enter into a debate about that belief right now. I'm explaining why I will always be a Catholic, as that is not a tenant of any other Christian church.)

But I am so sickened by the leadership right now. They all seem concerned with protecting themselves that they have chopped off their noses to spite their faces. The humility that we, as congregants, were taught to embody is so sorely lacking in the higher up leadership. It's shameful. And when the church officials don't take responsibility for the evil that they have perpetrated, it very understandably pushes people away. Who can blame all the ex-Catholics who have been so turned by the actions of the priests and the leadership who protected their bottom line over their congregations?

Some shepherds they turned out to be.

[DeSwiss]

34. Except.....

...the teaching of humility as a core value of The Church, works perfectly if one is developing a system of dependency. And with such a major tenet of belief within an authoritative and hierarchical organization as The Church, one can then see how such atrocities not only happened, but why its been prevalent for so long. Not to mention why we see such a weak-as-water response from members of The Church, who seem not to care a wit about their children, nor the children of their fellow parishioners. The Catholic membership, in my view, doesn't seem to be able to realize that they've been manipulated the whole time (and still are), nor can they see through these liar's machinations even now. But as religion's true core belief is one of FEAR of hellfire and damnation, such an end was inevitable.

- It is my fervent hope that these cracks in the foundation of the so-called sanctity of The Church, are just the beginning of the end for this superstitious blight on humanity....

[JerseygirlCT]

35. Yes, absolutely

That sort of thing has bothered me since childhood.

The riches, the autocracy, the pride... that's not at all modeling what Jesus taught.

Wouldn't it be something to see a new pope start his reign by selling off the artwork and riches to public museums, moving to a modest home and telling his cardinals and bishops to do the same?

There's no humility whatsoever in Ratzinger. And the pride is poisonous, and poisonous to the RCC.

[Angry Dragon]

51. Money, power, fame

is more important than saving souls and living their beliefs.

[BurtWorm]

38. He's such an inspiration to Catholics everywhere, isn't he?

:evilfrown:

Especially to Catholic clergy.

[DeSwiss]

54. And even non-clergical pedophiles everywhere.....

...are encouraged by his defense of their "predilection for having sex with children" as a sin that should be prayed for and not punished.

- Why the guy's a real saint, he is.....

[hvn_nbr_2]

49. The pope was with Michael Steele at that S&M strip club?

Guess he's only intimidated by the submissives' opinions.

[DeSwiss]

55. Ahh, no.....

...as I recall that was a "lesbian" S&M strip performance art gallery.

[Beringia]

56. thanks for posting n/t