“You can’t make this stuff up.”

Well, if people can make up stuff about virgin births and talking snakes and giant floods and coming back from the dead and raptures, I guess this isn’t that much more of a stretch.

The really tragic thing about this is the Holy See will further damage the credibility of those who were molested systematically by the priests, good hearted Catholics who are as infuriated at the church as the public at large, and christians in general.  The stigma of this ongoing mess is not only giving atheists everywhere a ton of amunition to vilify christians, and as a believer I wouldn’t blame them in the least, but is slapping the face of every victim of sexual assault and other abuses at the hands of Catholic representatives.  Every day that goes by without an official apology and reparations from the Vatican is another injustice perpetrated on thousands who have suffered untold terror at the hands of an institution who is charged with guiding its flock along a righteous path.  The C is no longer a credible institution nor a righteous one and realistically hasn’t been for centuries, if ever.  This is what happens when you institutionalize a belief.  A belief in God is not the problem, perverting the message in the name of expediency and imperialism is.

As far as i can tell, it has been one of his primary residences for over 1000 years, though he seems to have taken a liking to the evangelicals and fundamentalists in recent years.

Oh and I forgot Salt Lake City.

What’s the story on pimping out undocumented immigrants?  I’m doing some research on immigration and I’d like to know some more about that.  TIA.

The Devil lives in the Vatican.

Actually, it’s just Chantinelle.

PIATOR, I know the character from the Garth Ennis Hellblazer; are you alluding to an actual comicbook storyline? If so, you get many hipness points.

PIATOR with the Hellblazer reference FTW!

“Since the Pope is considered infallible,”

Technically, the Pope is only infallible in a fairly restricted set of circumstances and only if he invokes the infallibility in a certain way.  Nazi Joe is not above sin, nor does his every utterance become Holy Writ.  In fact, short of the Pope declaring ex cathedra that raping children and pimping male prostitutes are central tenets of the Catholic Church, Papal infallibility wouldn’t apply.  That being said, I’d still give you even odds that the Prada Pontiff would actually do this just to burnish his psycho-fascist credentials.

PIATOR, I know the character from the Garth Ennis Hellblazer; are you alluding to an actual comicbook storyline?

Mmm?

There was a story which introduced the idea of a room in the Vatican in which, by Papal decree, God could not see.  Nothing that was done in that room would ever be considered a sin.  I think you can guess how that room was put to use by the Vatican hierarchy.

However, the head of the Vatican Black Library had a minor problem.  He’d taken a hooker back to the room only to discover she was a succubus, a foul demon. Moreover, she wasn’t coming out of the room, and it’s a bit difficult to exorcise a demon somewhere where God can’t see.

Enter Constantine, who offered to help banish the fell beast.  All he needed was to borrow a powerful and forbidden book from the Black Library that contained the right ritual, which would be returned straight after the deed was done.

Since said succubus was actually Elle, this offer wasn’t quite as alturistic as it appeared…

I think it’s high time for a second Inquisition to rid the church of all this foul corruption.

I think it’s high time for a second Inquisition to rid the church of all this foul corruption.

More like another Reformation—or better yet (we don’t want religious wars spilling across Europe for centuries to come, after all), Vatican III. Though given the tendencies of the current Pope, that’s more likely to overturn Vatican II than do anything productive like point out celibacy is a stupid, pointless institution which the Church can do just fine without.

Technically, the Pope is only infallible in a fairly restricted set of circumstances and only if he invokes the infallibility in a certain way.

However, being fallible ourselves, we can’t be sure when the pope is being infallible.

In MSNBC.com this morning, the Vatican had this to say:

[...]the Vatican’s prosecutor for sex abuse cases, Monsignor Charles Scicluna, contended that the future pope dealt firmly with the abuse.

“To accuse the current pope of hiding (cases) is false and defamatory,” Scicluna said.

As Vatican cardinal in charge of the policy on sex abuse, the future pope, “showed wisdom and firmness in handling these cases,” said Scicluna, a Maltese prelate in an interview entitled “The Church is tough on pedophilia.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH <roll eyes>

They’re claiming this is all witch-hunt (pun intended) against the Pope.

Actually, Pam, one can make this shit up and until I see the evidence, I will assume nothing.  It’s easy to get circulation up by having a story that involves sex, crime and the Pope.  Show me the evidence or I believe not one fucking word of it.  Peace.

However, being fallible ourselves, we can’t be sure when the pope is being infallible.

HELLO?!?!?  INFALLIBLE !!!  We can simply take his word on it, you fool!

Then again, if I wanted to listen to a guy in a dress, Eddie Izzard would probably be my first choice.

Actually, Pam, one can make this shit up and until I see the evidence, I will assume nothing.  It’s easy to get circulation up by having a story that involves sex, crime and the Pope.  Show me the evidence or I believe not one fucking word of it.  Peace.
Bruce Godfrey.

Awww. Did someone pee in your holy water?  Have you even read some of the reports of sexual abuse/rape/torture that the Catholic church has condoned? Start with the Murphy Report. After reading that, I don’t understand how anyone would want to be or call themselves a Catholic.

“To accuse the current pope of hiding (cases) is false and defamatory,” Scicluna said.

Ummmm…has Ratzi sent Bernard Law back to Boston?  Or is he still receiving his $12K+/month and living in his princely suites? 

Because as long as Law has that sinecure with no way to extradict, it’s perfectly true to say he is hiding men from facing up to their crimes.

And just to be wonky, you can tell when the Pope is infallible b/c he has to invoke in in a particular manner.  However, that still doesn’t mean that you get to ignore your conscience, and if your conscience tells you the Pope is a lying pedophile-enabler, I think you’re allowed to take his “infallibility” with a grain of salt.

said the Holy See was infested with “cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the demon.”

Is there a cross over between the two groups?  You’d have to assume that the ones in league with the demons also believe in Jesus, since one goes along with the other (unless we’re in Buffyverse territory here).  There can’t be many bishops left if there’s an infestation of athiests and an infestation of demon-fanciers.  Which one is the Pope?

I’m more and more convinced that Malachy O’Morgain was correct (http://www.propheties.it/mystics/malachia.htm) and Ratzy is the penultimate pope. This means the next pope will be the last one and then either they will abolish the office or there’ll be no more Catholic Church (or the world ends).
The church is in deep trouble as fewer men join the priesthood so they’ll either have to admit married men (and not just ex-Anglican priests) or, gasp, women to the priesthood. Scandals and denials like this are not helping the Church one bit.

(DonnaDiva: the story is—as far as I’ve read—that three groups of young men were being trafficked: singers in the choir, seminary students, and local undocumented immigrants who were looking for help getting papers.)

I think that this is the beginning of a brilliant, even more evil counterstroke by Ratzinger and his crew. Who better to accuse of not believing in christ than the remaining liberal cardinals? Perfect chance for a purge.

Bruce -

I see that De Nile is still not just a river in Egypt.  Here is more proof from a source not noted for sensationalism:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7060406.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=2015164

As an archbishop, the current pope signed off on letting a known pedophile resume his ministry.  the scandal is not merely close, it is squarely in his overstuffed lap.

So what’s the answer? I think the public relations staff have such a nightmare on their hands—who knows when a coerced rent boy’s going to emerge to tell tales of priests in all sorts of compromising positions, or more papers implicating Cardinal Ratzinger emerge that show he repeatedly allowed children to be raped and pedophile priests to remain free to victimize more?

The answer is it’s the devil, so we do exorcisms, and then everything’s just fine.  No one has to lose his job or anything.

So these are the theatrics the Catholics are pulling? Perhaps this will lead to an ousting of the pedophile priests, if we let it go on long enough. This is a hopelessly silly, cruel institution that has limited power. Sure, it can make lives hell for people, and it definitely is a drain on society, but I can’t help feeling like if we ignore them, they will go away.

Comment #18: Caren-Sun-blocking Creator of Animorphic Pancakes  on  03/13  at  12:15 PM
And just to be wonky, you can tell when the Pope is infallible b/c he has to invoke in in a particular manner.  However, that still doesn’t mean that you get to ignore your conscience. . .

That is actually exactly what you get to do—hence the existence of Protestants.

Comment #20: Shakatany  on  03/13  at  01:08 PM
I’m more and more convinced that Malachy O’Morgain was correct . . . and Ratzy is the penultimate pope.

I thint it’s more likely than not that he’s going to be the last white pope. Which is pretty much the same thing as the last pope for most people.

So these are the theatrics the Catholics are pulling? Perhaps this will lead to an ousting of the pedophile priests, if we let it go on long enough. This is a hopelessly silly, cruel institution that has limited power. Sure, it can make lives hell for people, and it definitely is a drain on society, but I can’t help feeling like if we ignore them, they will go away.
Comment #24: Ursula on 03/13 at 04:02 PM

This is a hopelessly silly, cruel institution that has pretty widespread power.  I don’t think ignoring them will work.

They can (literally) demonize a bunch of lower-level priests, and make an example of a few monsignors and bishops, but changing the hierarchy is impossible and hierarchy is what allows this kind of shit to continue.

I thint it’s more likely than not that he’s going to be the last white pope. Which is pretty much the same thing as the last pope for most people.
Comment #25: No One of Consequence on 03/13 at 04:18 PM

You must be thinking only of the US, because worldwide, most people aren’t White.  There are huge numbers of Catholic Latin Americans and Africans.

If only that were true, Ursula @ #24, but instead, it seems the RCC has chosen to go on the offensive (and it really is offensive) to go on a lapsed catholic ad campaign:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/religion/ct-met-catholicscomehome-20100211,0,1151044.story

Phylosopher, I saw that ad ad nauseum last week.  I didn’t listen too closely, assuming it was a lapsed-Mormon-come-home pitch, and was startled to see that it was aimed at Catholics.  I wonder just how many have left the fold the last few years; they must be getting desperate.

We all knowRatzinger’s one of the ones with the “devil” in him (by his history).  I would expect The Exorcist to hold an exorcism of him.  Andsurely nobody will believe he’s been exorcised if they don’t see it themselves.

I wonder if the exorcism of the pope will be videotaped for public viewing.  That might help the Catholic Church.

No, neroden, the old fart really deserves a burning at the stake.  I’ve long ago given up any vestige of theistic belief, but I can’t help but feel very sorry for a kind and good man named Jesus Christ, who, if he knew what evil has been committed by institutions supposedly created to honor him, would probably have chosen to die an unknown carpenter.

BTW, will soembody kindly photoshop the fangs and talons back that have so obviously been airbrushed from that picture?

I love how one of the “Catholics Come Home” commercials includes the line “We developed the scientific method.”  Interesting, considering Roger Bacon sometimes tangled with church authority (but to be fair, one of the Popes during his lifetime was a fan).

Re: “Last white pope being the last meaningful one”: IIRC, there was a degree of speculation that they were considering a number of African cardinals. I’m a non-Catholic, and that kind of frightened me because everything I hear about African Christians indicates the lot are plain fucking scary. Witch-hunting, dismememberment-encouraging sons of bitches.

Mainly the fault of white missionaries, I understand.

Re: “Last white pope being the last meaningful one”: IIRC, there was a degree of speculation that they were considering a number of African cardinals. I’m a non-Catholic, and that kind of frightened me because everything I hear about African Christians indicates the lot are plain fucking scary. Witch-hunting, dismememberment-encouraging sons of bitches.

Mainly the fault of white missionaries, I understand.
Comment #33: Mark Temporis on 03/15 at 02:01 AM

Good point.  This article in The Atlantic suggests that the RCC in Africa and Latin America is experiencing something much like the Counter-Reformation.  The many nations in Africa with rich natural resources and political and financial instability present an unrivalled opportunity to reconstitute the Church-as-state Holy Roman Empire.

“Well, this story is like a novel, The Exorcist. The Vatican’s exorcist-in-chief, who was the basis for the priest in the film….”

Wait, what?  No he wasn’t.

Comment #26: oldfeminist  on  03/13  at  04:47 PM
You must be thinking only of the US, because worldwide, most people aren’t White.  There are huge numbers of Catholic Latin Americans and Africans.

No, I was thinking of Catholic authorities. I obviously am aware of the non-whiteness of most of humanity, else my earlier statement would be nonsensical. The point of my statement was—I thought this was obvious—that Africa has the fastest-growing portion of new Catholics. In fact, to be completely accurate, it’s the only place where Catholicism is not in decline. Ratzinger was arguably a slap in Africa’s face.

I think it’s swell that when far right assholes get together, they still have time to shun those of their number with too much melanin.