[ilovetv]

The fact that Cardinal Law, who presided over so many known, hidden, and re-assigned pedophilia/rape cases in Boston, was placed in the highest echelons in Rome and was in the College of Cardinals that elected the current pope......tells pretty much all one needs to know about whether this or any pope is a truly God-inspired decision by the group of men.

New York Times - 2005 - "ROME, April 7 - Cardinal Bernard Law, who was forced to resign in disgrace as archbishop of Boston two years ago for protecting sexually abusive priests, was named by the Vatican today as one of nine prelates who will have the honor of presiding over funeral Masses for Pope John Paul II.

To many American Catholics, Cardinal Law is best known as the archbishop who presided over the Boston archdiocese as it became the focus for the sexual abuse scandal involving priests.

But to Vatican officials, Cardinal Law is a powerful kingmaker who traveled internationally for the church and whose favorite priests were regularly appointed bishops by John Paul. After he stepped down in Boston in 2003, he was given a spacious apartment and a prestigious although honorary post in Rome as archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

It is by virtue of this position that he was given the high-profile role of celebrating Monday's funeral ritual, the third in the nine-day mourning period that follows a pope's death. It is expected that most of the cardinals will attend the Mass, which will be open to the public. Cardinal Law will deliver a homily that many Vatican watchers will parse for clues about the cardinals' thinking on who should be the next pope.

By permitting Cardinal Law to take the limelight in Rome just when the church is mourning the death of John Paul, the cardinals have reminded American Catholics that their most painful recent chapter barely registered in the Vatican......."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/in...nals.html?_r=0

[Bavarian]

When the then Josef Kardinal Ratziner was put in charge of the Homosexual/pedophile priest problem as Head of The Congregration For The Doctrine of the Faith, he started cleaning house. The Homosexual/peodophile priest problem took time to root out, but he basicaly fired the Archbishops by pushing them to non-managerial positions, weeding out the filth as he called it when coronated Pope. Pope John Paul II did nothing due to the fact that the Communists in Poland when they wanted to smear someone called them a homosexual, and he did not believe the charges were true, Many Archbishops and Bishops cracked done right away, there are seven priest total charged now. The filth has been removed, the problem is past.

Now the real problem was Homosexuals being ordained in direct defiance of long standing rules of The Church. The problem was priests after boys.

Other organizations have similar problems, read the papers.

This post seems to have turned into an orgy of Catholic bashing, can't we all just live with our own Religions in peace. This reminds me of the Religion forum on Southern Maryland Online.

[tpop1]

As a practicing Catholic (…and I’ll keep “practicing” in the unattainable hopes of getting it right some day), I am both sympathetic to victims of abuse by priests and taken aback by the direction this thread has taken.

The discussion of whether or not a Pope can or can’t or should or shouldn’t retire has morphed into a discussion of sexual predator priests who have ruined many young person’s lives.

I know and lament that a massive cover-up was perpetuated by higher-ups in the church and that the protection of those higher-ups like Cardinal Law by the Vatican, was widespread.

I have no way of knowing if the current Pope was involved and if this was the reason for his resignation. I may think so, but really do not know.

I do feel if the Pope feels he cannot continue to serve his flock that he has the obligation to retire and allow someone with the energy and wherewithal to take over.

As the church is a collection of human beings, it, as we all, will be fallible and not always do the right thing. Although my faith in people, including clergy, is shaken at times, my faith in God and his risen son Jesus is never!

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by tpop1

As a practicing Catholic (…and I’ll keep “practicing” in the unattainable hopes of getting it right some day), I am both sympathetic to victims of abuse by priests and taken aback by the direction this thread has taken.

The discussion of whether or not a Pope can or can’t or should or shouldn’t retire has morphed into a discussion of sexual predator priests who have ruined many young person’s lives.

I know and lament that a massive cover-up was perpetuated by higher-ups in the church and that the protection of those higher-ups like Cardinal Law by the Vatican, was widespread.

I have no way of knowing if the current Pope was involved and if this was the reason for his resignation. I may think so, but really do not know.

I do feel if the Pope feels he cannot continue to serve his flock that he has the obligation to retire and allow someone with the energy and wherewithal to take over.

As the church is a collection of human beings, it, as we all, will be fallible and not always do the right thing. Although my faith in people, including clergy, is shaken at times, my faith in God and his risen son Jesus is never!

I never got the impression that the current Pope was involved with the cover-up of the pedophile priests actions. Most of these scandals occurred in the US, Ireland, and England as far as I know. Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) looks like he was primarily a theology academic in Germany and Italy. Then he was involved with cleaning up the mess caused by the sexual abuse scandal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI

[DaleMN]

I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.

[Tellmeyourstory....]

Originally Posted by Bavarian

When the then Josef Kardinal Ratziner was put in charge of the Homosexual/pedophile priest problem as Head of The Congregration For The Doctrine of the Faith, he started cleaning house. The Homosexual/peodophile priest problem took time to root out, but he basicaly fired the Archbishops by pushing them to non-managerial positions, weeding out the filth as he called it when coronated Pope. Pope John Paul II did nothing due to the fact that the Communists in Poland when they wanted to smear someone called them a homosexual, and he did not believe the charges were true, Many Archbishops and Bishops cracked done right away, there are seven priest total charged now. The filth has been removed, the problem is past.

Now the real problem was Homosexuals being ordained in direct defiance of long standing rules of The Church. The problem was priests after boys.

Other organizations have similar problems, read the papers.

This post seems to have turned into an orgy of Catholic bashing, can't we all just live with our own Religions in peace. This reminds me of the Religion forum on Southern Maryland Online.

Just to make sure I understand what you are saying: the priests that abused the children were all homosexuals....therefore homosexual men are not attracted to other men but young children???

Seriously?????!!!!!!

[Tellmeyourstory....]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I never got the impression that the current Pope was involved with the cover-up of the pedophile priests actions. Most of these scandals occurred in the US, Ireland, and England as far as I know. Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) looks like he was primarily a theology academic in Germany and Italy. Then he was involved with cleaning up the mess caused by the sexual abuse scandal. Catholic sex abuse cases - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pope Benedict XVI - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He did not clean it up, nor make any of them pay for their sins....he just moved the offenders, the abusers....and hid the files.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Tellmeyourstory....

He did not clean it up, nor make any of them pay for their sins....he just moved the offenders, the abusers....and hid the files.

Thanks for the comment. The facts seem to back you up a bit. Of course, I would probably want something with more credibility than Wikipedia for something this serious.

Catholic sex abuse cases - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anyone have some hard news stories on whatever role the current Pope might have had with the sex abuse cases and clergy?

[Bavarian]

Originally Posted by Tellmeyourstory....

Just to make sure I understand what you are saying: the priests that abused the children were all homosexuals....therefore homosexual men are not attracted to other men but young children???

Seriously?????!!!!!!

Homosexual priests were attracted to young boys. They are also attracted to homosexual men, but I don't want to open that can of worms. But, grown men have means to reject sexual advavces, young boys did not.

I have read much on this topic over the years. My point was that this post deviated from original post and its discussion as to weather or not a Pope should resign. I don't think so, it was only recently that Popes were expected to travel. Papst Benedikt could have done what he is going to do and remained Pope, the Curial Cardinals would do the heavy lifting under his overall guidance.

Why make a big deal of his being wheeled on elevated platform up main aisle of St. Peter's? Formerly the Popes were carried in on a chair by four men. And don't forget, twice a women tried to approach him in St. Peters.