So far in his celebrated visit to America, His Holiness has expressed shame and regret for the massive sex abuse scandal and the way it was handled. But he also said it was sort of America's own fault.According to Breitbart: ...He urged efforts "to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores" as well as a reassessment of "the values underpinning society."
"What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?" the pontiff said on the first full day of his US visit.
"Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today."
They should also be spared a religious hierarchy that protects the priests that abuse them.The Pope has yet to explain what the Church is doing to expel pedophile priests, and he continues to stand by bishops who covered up the abuse for years.
The truth is, the abuse that went on in the Catholic Church is not "society's" fault. It's the Church's fault. That's why the Church has had to pay out $2 billion in claims. And that makes it ultimately the Pope's fault. The church scandal is not something he can pass off on internet pornography.
For us, the Pope's visit has raised some major questions:
1. How rude is it to attack our morality on his first full day here? President Bush picked him up from the airport.
2. Does anyone know why Benedict's teenage affiliation with the Hitler Youth is excused by his being, in the BBC 's parlance, "not an enthusiastic member"?
3. Any clue why the Pope's autobiography is written through the eyes of his cat Chico?
4. Finally, how seriously should we take what the papers are calling the Pope's "chiding" of American society and its role in the church scandal? Do we as a nation really share some of the blame for the Church's crisis?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 14)
1. didn't you know when you get baptised you're signing up to be molested? RIGHT, we ASKED for this?
anoymous at 2:57PM on Apr 17th 2008
2. I think the Pope should be arrested for harbouring criminal priests especially the boston Cardinal Law that sent pedifiles to different parishes!!
carol debenedetto at 3:06PM on Apr 17th 2008
3. The church should be doing alot more to rid itself of pedophile priests and religious...we don't need these criminals in our church, nor do we want them. Defrock these priests and send them to jail where they belong. I also feel that the 3% of priests that are involved in this scandal have tarnished the good works that the other 97% have done. Shame on the Vatican for not doing more.
LisaS at 3:16PM on Apr 17th 2008
4. Viewing pornography and violence can have an effect on developing minds, but the pedophile priests we are talking about did their thing back in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Back then, all that porn and violence wasn't so readily available. That isn't the explanation.
AndrewV at 3:18PM on Apr 17th 2008
5. BLAMING AMERICA FOR THE CRISIS MISSED THE POINT:
1. THE CRISIS IS WORLDWIDE--THERE ARE CASES IN SE ASIA, FRANCE, ITALY, ETC.
2. A MAJOR PART OF THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR CRISIS IS DUE TO INADEQUATE SEMINARY FORMATION AND ASSESSMENT IN THE PRE-VATICAN II CHURCH AND CONTINUED INADEQUACIES THROUGH THE 1980s AT LEAST. THE BOSTON CASES CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THIS AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE LIVES OF ABUSERS.
3. BOTTOM LINE---THE CRISIS, THAT IS, THE FACTS THAT ABUSE BECAME PUBLIC AND THE ABUSERS WENT UNDETECTED FOR SO LONG IS DUE TO FAULTY CHURCH ADMINISTRATION AT THE LEVEL OF BISHOPS, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, ETC. IT'S A CRISIS BECAUSE THE TRUST RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THE HIERARCHY WAS BREECHED.IT IS SERIOUS WHEN MORAL AUTHORITIES DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG--BECAUSE THEY ARE FAR TOO WORRIED ABOUT HIDING PUBLIC SCANDAL, PROTECTING THE FURTURE MONETARY DONATIONS, AND SAVING FACE. SOME BISHOPS NEVER LEARNED THE "NIXON LESSON": HIDING THE TRUTH IS WORSE THAT ADMITTING THE TRUTH.
F.PANCHOK at 3:40PM on Apr 17th 2008
6. bush: a good christian man
(LOL)
America's Most Gangsta at 3:54PM on Apr 17th 2008
7. The pope's statements about the abuse inflicted on children by priests have been wholly unimpressive. If he were really sorry and really wanted to do something, he could declare such child abuse an unforgivable sin, like suicide, in the Catholic dogma. He could also launch an internal prosecution of the guilty priests and the bishops who protected them (looking at you, Bishop Mahoney). So far, just about all he's had to say is how much the abuse scandal has hurt him and the church. Somebody needs to tell him that he and the church are not the victims here. What a jerk.
Margaret at 3:54PM on Apr 17th 2008
8. Sex is nature,and having priests that do not marry,and have normal sex lives is not normal, and is the cause of all the catholic's pedophiles it is this stupid church doctrine that is the cause of all the churches criminal priests.
Bryce Thompson at 4:04PM on Apr 17th 2008
9. How is it that the Roman Catholic Church, which says it is a Christian church not follow the requirement set in Titus 1:6 which requires church leaders to be married men while that church has unmarried church leaders from the pope on down the church ladder to the local priest? Some say it has to do with leaving assets to the church after the death of a church leader. The same requirement in Titus can be similar to the requirement for Old Testament Jewish priests to be married men. That is something to think about. I think the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders should be rebuked publicly by true Christians for its failure to follow Scripture. Let such Christians do so in word and mouth including the use of sign language for the deaf as well braille for the blind.
Michael Trippiedi at 4:06PM on Apr 17th 2008
10. SEND THIS GUY BACK TO ITALY. SEND PASTOR WRIGHT WITH HIM, AND PAT ROBERTSON TOO. I AM SICK OF THESE IMMORAL PEOPLE ACTING LIKE THEY ARE GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, AND THEREFORE IT IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEM, NEVER THEIR'S. THEY ARE SICKO'S AND TO GIVE THEM ANY ATTENTION IS STUPID. PEOPLE WILL STILL SUBJECT THEIR CHILDREN TO THESE SICK PEDO'S AND THEN WONDER WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THEIR KIDS. THEY REALLY DO NOT CARE....
bette22han at 4:07PM on Apr 17th 2008
11. When he was a cardinal, RATZING (now Pope Benedict) LED the cover-up of the child abusing priests.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23369148-details/Pope+'led+cover-up+of+child+abuse+by+priests'/article.do
brandon at 4:24PM on Apr 17th 2008
12. We absolutely deserve some of the blame for the countless children that have been abused. We put our children in a position where people who should be trusted violate them. They manipulate their power to maintain power and avoid accountability. This unhealthy relationship exists at all levels of society. It begins at an early age and is shared in schools with pedophile teachers, in Church with pedophile Priests, in Corporations with unhealthy professional relations, and it even happens in Congress and the White House. We do not hold these people accountable and now if you are "Beautiful" it's a blessing. That's what I think the Pope is trying to say. He's wagging his finger at Clinton, Debra LaFavre and us. I'm not a pedophile and I'm not Catholic.
Cecil Jones at 5:34PM on Apr 17th 2008
13. THE POPE DID NOT SAY THAT AT ALL. Dear ADA, I never heard of you before and I see why. Ya know, I'm not about to get down on the Religions or the People that were Hurt. I WILLpoint out that I saw on four T.V./Cable Channels, Just what the pope said. And YOU my dear Ada, Are A LIAR. Your sensationalized Headline is why I am starting a campaign against you and your publication. America Doesn't need another Liar that is inflaming the people Just so your agency can make money while society is strugleing with reasl issues. ( Babble and Nerve.com would be smart to check your referneces and decide if you are in their best interest in the long run.
Ed at 5:50PM on Apr 17th 2008
14. Cecil Jones: superb post.
KLB at 5:53PM on Apr 17th 2008
15. We need to rid the world of the pedophiles, rapist, homosexuals, and all other perverts. This is a sick society, but instead of doing the right thing, all you can do is make excuses to justify your sick minds.
Man_in_Wilderness at 6:39PM on Apr 17th 2008