grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 He's having to put up with a lot of (increasing) stick at the moment, the poor bloke. He's the Pope! He's the top of the Catholic Church. He must be a good dude! Quote: Pope Benedict XVI has apologised to victims of child sex abuse by Catholic priests in Ireland. In a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, he acknowledged the sense of betrayal in the Church felt by victims and their families. The Pope said there had been "serious mistakes" among bishops in responding to allegations of paedophilia. The pastoral letter is the first statement of its kind by the Vatican on the sexual abuse of children. It follows revelations of paedophilia within the Irish Catholic Church, which have rocked the institution. Quote: The Pope is facing allegations he was responsible for delaying Church action against a paedophile priest - the first time he has been accused so directly. The allegations stem from a letter signed by Benedict XVI in 1985, when he was a senior Vatican official. Associated Press said it had obtained the letter, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, resisting the defrocking of offending US priest Stephen Kiesle. The Vatican says he was exercising due caution before sacking the priest. Cardinal Ratzinger - who was at the time the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - said the "good of the universal Church" needed to be considered in any defrocking, AP reported. Post your messages of support here, and I'll pass them on. Link to post Share on other sites
TheOrange 0 Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 This all makes me so angry. How can anyone continue to 'follow' or whatever you say,these people. The fact that the Catholic hierarchy didn't report the crimes, and actually reassigned offenders to other places where they would have contact with minors and basically giving them the opportunity to continue their sexual abuse... Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 oh ... poor Pope "Hitler Youth" Ratzinger. [tongue lodged firmly in cheek] Who can blame him! Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Potentially interesting: RICHARD DAWKINS, the atheist campaigner, is planning a legal ambush to have the Pope arrested during his state visit to Britain “for crimes against humanityâ€. Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, the atheist author, have asked human rights lawyers to produce a case for charging Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. The pair believe they can exploit the same legal principle used to arrest Augusto Pinochet, the late Chilean dictator, when he visited Britain in 1998. The Pope was embroiled in new controversy this weekend over a letter he signed arguing that the “good of the universal church†should be considered against the defrocking of an American priest who committed sex offences against two boys. It was dated 1985, when he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deals with sex abuse cases. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 The Catholic church is the biggest con organisation going. Religion should be consigned to the history pages Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Gambatte, Dawkins! Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Any religious folk wanting to admit it on here? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 I've been a devout athiest for as long as I can remember Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Ahhh... but I've seen atheists pursue their belief with fervor and illusions of superiority to equal to any 'born again'. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 What are the group of people who basically just don't give a shit one way or the other called, I forget the word. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Agnostic? Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Thats the one, I think. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 normal would be a better word. Link to post Share on other sites
loaf of bread 0 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 That would seem to be a good word. I was brought up in a 'somewhat religious' household - went to church, etc. Even my parents have given up that now, quite a while back, though a few habits and residual beliefs remain, but I'm back in the world of 'normal people'. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Same as me, Loaf. Although my parents would go erratically when I was a child and now they rarely go, but I still get pressured to go on Xmas and easter. I prefer not to say agnostic, because to me thats a psuedo-religous word for non-believers. I just prefer to say I'm normal. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Originally Posted By: ger Ahhh... but I've seen atheists pursue their belief with fervor and illusions of superiority to equal to any 'born again'. Very true It a belief using science for personal persuasion. Catholic church? Jesus cult of the Jewish religion that became political with excessive powers with people who abuse them. Ah, since all religions being equal, it must be human nature. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 All of the world's religions are a human construct, meant to explain stuff that was not (at the time) explainable by any scientific or logical means. Things have moved on a tiny bit since then, but the world's religions still hold to the ancient "values" and deride those who do not. More strength to Dawkins - hope he succeeds. Might get the RC church to have a think about what they have been doing! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 .....though I doubt they will! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 One good thing though - churches and cathedrals are often beautiful buildings. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 Good medievel architecture. Well worth seeing. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 I like stained glasses Great place to chill out, too. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 and those pope robes that they wear. Must be stark naked underneath. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 I often check out the huge Cathedral in Liverpool when I'm back. It's a very impressive building. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 those cathedral things are great. In a small town, like Exeter, you'd be walking along those narrow streets and turn the corner, therre's this huge cathedral sticking out from the road. It looks like it's actually sinking into the road as layers of tarmac almost engulf it. Don't like Guildford cathedral though, it rubbish. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted April 14, 2010 Author Share Posted April 14, 2010 Not surprising really, being Guilford. Link to post Share on other sites
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