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 2 of 14)
16. Perhaps this will wake up some catholics and force them to see the error in their dogma
mac at 6:53PM on Apr 17th 2008
17. "The truth is, the abuse that went on in the Catholic Church is not 'society's' fault. It's the Church's fault." --Ada Calhoun
______________________
Sorry to disagree with you, Ada, but it's NOT the RCC's fault either. Rather, it is solely the fault of the PRIESTS involved!
Every god dammed one of those priests was/is an educated man who KNEW they had a problem and KNEW that they needed counseling, therapy, and treatment. And yet NOT ONE of them could manage to grow a set of stones large enough to look in the mirror and say to their self, "Holy fuck, I seriously need help!"
Pope Benedict is an asshole. Clearly, there is no god at all.
Paul at 7:28PM on Apr 17th 2008
18. So now it is America's fault that his dynasty of priests molested and discredited Christian churches..The pope is being judgemental and like every politician is now justifying the sins of the church. What has the church done for the American economy in their non profit assistance to the poor or the elderly. They have collapsed their structure and discredited themselves...Its all America's fault Well where did we go wrong in believing in the Christian structure. They are worse then the politicians that aleast pay for their sexual encounters thru prostitution rings for their social needs and their major priorities. Don't blame the people for the evil in your structures...It is time to clean house in America and the political and religious structures are the top priorities to the people who believed in your lies and deception. Where is the assistance to the poor and the needy. Who are the leaders. perverts and greedy self justification that needs to be dismantled.
nsprdwmn at 7:33PM on Apr 17th 2008
19. Ada,
Maybe I missed something, but as I heard it, the Pope jumped on the Bishops for mishandling the sex abuse situation.
Willet at 7:45PM on Apr 17th 2008
20. Ada -
Many thanks for typifying so well the standard knee-jerk liberal reaction to anyone from a Western religious tradition who dares to speak of morality. If Benedict were a Buddhist, you would be gushing over his words since the Beatles gave their imprimature to Eastern religious beliefs and liberalism is wedded to the 1960s.
The reason your column is to be dismissed as blather is because you do nothing but pour vitriol on Pope Benedict. You have never read his many books, you have never listened to any of his earlier interviews. It is your dogmatic belief that any Christian, but ESPECIALLY Catholics, are bad, wrong, a blight on the face of the earth without a scintilla of saving grace.
I read the first page and saw the most despicable ideas posted because, along with you, they have been immersed in a society that refuses to grow up and take responsibility for its excesses.
One other thing - you hate the morality demanded of you by Jesus Christ. You will never admit it, but in your heart of hearts, you will fight Jesus and his Gospel in any kind of venue from which you can spew the poison of "the cultuer of death" to use the late Pope John Paul II's trenchant phrase.
The bitterness professed by you wd be the same without the ephebophilia - an illness affecting homosexuals - that was allowed to infect the priesthood. When 100,000 priests left the active ministry during 1965-1975, bishops and seminary rectors began to admit anyone who wore trousers into the priesthood.
There are still several seminaries that are still outposts of the Lavendar Mafia, in which homosexuals rule the roost. I don't expect you to believe this or bother to research what I say for the simple reason being that you know if I am just one part right, your whole house of cards falls.
It is to be expected that the CBS-NBC-ABC-CNN watching ignorami will post their hate here where you give them your blessing for it. The Catholic Church, despite your hate, and dispite is own shortcomings and stumbling and falling, will not modify the words of Christ like every Christian denomination has done to accomodate the culture of death.
Whereas libertines simply ignore Jesus,homosexuals hate the words of Christ in Matthew 19 and they detest Paul altogether. Hate will never last. Hate is self-destructive. The homosexual bishops are resigning, the recent generation of homosexual priests seldom last more than 10 years in the priesthood before they find a boyfriend and leave to live together in a house by the sea.
The Holy Spirit is swabbing the decks of the Barque of Peter and, especially when Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles will be forced to leave in 3 years - if not before, the Church will experience the new springtime John Paul II envisioned. The ageing "do your own thing" hippy-generation clergy and nuns will be gone because they are sterile and their attempts to make the Catholic Church a branch of Episcopalianism, with a female clergy, homosexual bishops, blessings of perverted marriages etc will come for naught, relegated to a footnote in continuing pilgrimage of the Catholic Church.
The Church is built on Rock. You people cannot touch it. You can only roar with rage that the Church will not let you sin and bless you for it.
Enjoy vilifying me, folks. I am fully prepared to watch your hate, contempt and distain. You cannot touch me. I am a Catholic. I know who my Lord is. I honestly hope and pray you will too, one day, after you get over your immaturity.
Sean at 7:59PM on Apr 17th 2008
21. If it were any other institution, any other organization, any other club, any other school, any other anything, the leader of the institution would be held responsible.
This guy not only gets a free pass, but lectures US?????
He needs to be thrown in jail with the rest of the priests and bishops.
Davidg at 8:03PM on Apr 17th 2008
22. I was born and raised a RC but no more.
Any church that makes excuses for a pedophile and covers up for a child molester cannot be much of a God fearing church. For someone in his posistion he certainly is not very bright. Pedophiles are not doing this because of porn and because of Americas morals, they joined that church to be near kids, and got away with this for hundreds of years until someone actually went public with the abuse. Americas morals have nothing to do with child molesters. It is those sick individuals that hide behind the robe that are at fault.
JUDY at 8:12PM on Apr 17th 2008
23. Here's how basically skewed Bene-dick's logic is (and how insulted EVERY American should be by his proclamations.)
Somebody mentioned earlier how the Catholic parish molestations happened quite some time ago, long before the advent of the Internet and such easy access to pornography. But let's give Bene-dick the benefit of the doubt. Let's say we STILL have Catholic priests molesting young children...and let's even agree that the Internet porn those priests encounter is what tempts them into their despicable sin.
Here's what the the Holy See's retarded logic boils down to: a Catholic comes across an Internet site where two consenting adults of mixed races are pleasuring one another in ways the priest could only imagine! And in the blue glow from his computer screen he decides, "Hmmmm...those two consenting adults one another silly on those satin sheets has really got me horny! I think I'll go molest some children!"
The pope thinks that since consenting adults in America can freely view other consenting adults as they engage in sexual conduct, such viewing simply must have led his priests into molesting children. After all, isn't that what ALL Americans who view pornography think? 'Man! I am so horny! Where's the nearest child care center?'
The pope is just stupid, through and through.
Paul at 8:13PM on Apr 17th 2008
24. Normal men don't become priests.
Whatever the reason, very devout, running from life, an explanation as to why you never married,
you name it.
Don't blame society. It's an abnormal way of life
to choose. That some priests act as marriage counselors is beyond belief.
Charles Almon at 8:19PM on Apr 17th 2008
25. I recall training volunteers who worked with abused children. It was then I learned that in around the 12th or 13th century (not sure exactly, it may have been earlier) one of the Pope's actually ENGAGED in what today we would term sexual misconduct at best. It seems he liked having recently weaned little ones "play" with him in his bath. Yes, your imagination can fill in the rest! Needless to say I was shocked! However, the term "child abuse" is a rather recent term. Even a little over 100 years ago, children were worked until they dropped dead; they were considered property and had no rights! We are dealing with a relatively recent concept, historically, whereas the papacy has been around for almost 2000 years!
Jane Barsumian at 9:02PM on Apr 17th 2008
26. Hey Charles -
Normal men don't become priests? Who set you over the Church established by Jesus? In its 1975 year existence, it has suffered a lot from its members. But it always shakes them off after a while. The Holy Spirit is guiding the Church, you see. You only have Dr Phil or Oprah to guide you.
Pathetic people castigate what they don't understand - take that as a description of your character, Charles, formed by hatemongers, molded by the cheerleading media pushing you into the culture of death instead of into life with Jesus Christ.
Sean at 9:35PM on Apr 17th 2008
27. 16. Perhaps this will wake up some catholics and force them to see the error in their dogma.
Hey mac -
I'm awake. And I know the dogma. You just know the lies about the dogma. From your use of the word, you make it quite clear you have no idea what dogma is and what sinful humans do despite the dogma.
mac, I realise you're among friends here, few of whom know anything about the Catholic Church beyond the bias of the media, the bigotry of your friends, and the blindness of your heart.
Sean at 9:40PM on Apr 17th 2008
28. 25. I recall training volunteers who worked with abused children. It was then I learned that in around the 12th or 13th century (not sure exactly, it may have been earlier) one of the Pope's actually ENGAGED in what today we would term sexual misconduct at best. It seems he liked having recently weaned little ones "play" with him in his bath.
Your recollection serves you ill, Jane. You describe what Suetonius said about the Emperor Tiberius who died in AD 37.
Jane - read about the papacy during the 1000s when two women, Marotzia and Theodora, the wife and daughter of the Mayor of Rome took over the papacy and had men elected who were the bedmates, and even had John XII elected, her son, at the age of 18 and died, it is reported, by being attacked by a member of the Roman nobility who found him in bed with his wife.
Jane - the history of the Catholic Church is an open book. If you had any integrity you'd read before you post. Lies are the fruit of Satan. Thanks for showing your branches.
Sean at 9:47PM on Apr 17th 2008
29. google "Rabbi Jewish molest boy" and you will find thousands of Rabbi sex abuse victims. One was caught on tape on the catch a predator! The Mainstream Media fails to cover Jewish sex abuse because of illegal Anti_catholic Hatred on the part of those who run the media. The Constitution was based on religious tolerance - not covering up Jewish misdeads and exposing Catholic ones in this biased fashion.
taylor at 9:55PM on Apr 17th 2008
30. Great argument: Take something the Pope never said, and attack it. Do you ever wonder why the term "journalistic etichs" is considered oxymoronic by so many? Divorce anyone's remarks from their context, delete key words and explanations, and simply fabricate stories, and you can appear to be astute for about thirty seconds. Your thirty seconds are over.
Bob at 10:00PM on Apr 17th 2008