Pope hailed as 'unfailing leader', vatican paper refers to 'vile defamation operation'

[Liberal_in_LA]

Pope hailed as 'unfailing' leader at Easter Mass

A senior cardinal staunchly defended Pope Benedict XVI from "petty gossip" on Sunday as the pontiff maintained his silence on mounting sex abuse cover-up accusations during his Easter message.

The ringing tribute by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, at the start of Mass attended by tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square, marked an unusual departure from the Vatican's Easter rituals.

Sodano's defense of the pope's "unfailing" leadership and courage, as well as of the work of priests worldwide with children entrusted to their care, built on a vigorous Vatican campaign to defend Benedict's moral authority.

The pontiff and other church leaders have been assailed by accusations from victims of clergy sexual abuse that he helped shape and perpetuate a climate of cover-up toward the crimes against children in parishes, schools, orphanages and other church-run institutions.

Dressed in gold robes and shielded from a cool drizzle by a canopy, Benedict looked weary as he listened to Sodano's speech at the start of Mass in the cobblestone square bedecked with daffodils, tulips and azaleas.


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Sunday's edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano denounced the accusations against the pope as a "vile defamation operation."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fgw-pope-easter4-2010apr04,0,4663462.story

[pleah]

1. ......

"Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion - several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth ...his b...rother's path to happiness and heaven." - Mark Twain (American novelist, 1835 - 1910)

[HughMoran]

2. Shameless!

:puke:

[nc4bo]

3. Such godly bastards.

Their arrogance is simply mind blowing.

So glad I ditched the Catholic faith many decades ago. Then I find out that there were pedos running rampant in my own diocese.

Where's the justice? Not enough money in the world can hide these sins.

[Lost4words]

4. El Popo might want to get another food tester or two,

a look-a-like would be prudent also.

[rcrush]

5. They'll just get another 90+ year old Crypt Keeper to replace him

That way they can blame all this on dead nazi pope and a new old fart will be kind. Then when it all comes up again they can blame the new old fart and he'll die of old age.