Pope Benedict XVI Should Resign

[Madeline]

If the Catholic Church hopes to survive as a religion it must face up to and repent the abuse of children. Towards this end, for his part in covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests, the current Pope must resign. His past actions deprive him of any moral authority.

Specifically, it is credibly alleged by the NY Times that Pope Benedict (then Cardinal Ratzinger) argued against defrocking a priest who had molested as many as 200 deaf boys. Although the Pope has accepted the resignation of an Irish Bishop for his failure to report sexual abuse cases to the police, he has not addressed his own falure to report sexual abuse to the police while he was Archbishop of Munich, Germany.

If a religion is to have any use to men at all, it must at least serve as a moral and ethical guide...and unless the Catholic Church acts vigorously to rid itself of institutional pedophilia-sheltering, it cannot claim to do that. Only by sacrificing a position of power can Ratzinger hope to preserve the dignity of the Papacy.

 

[manu1959]

nice blue font and very readable size.....are you catholic....

 

[JenyEliza]

Are you Catholic?

If so, then you have a right to your opinion. However, I don't agree.....the molestation scandal goes back past Pope John, Pope Paul and Pope John Paul II. It goes back hundreds of years. WHY is Benedict being held solely responsible by you?

To quote our libby friends: "He inherited this mess".

If you are not Catholic, then you need to keep it to yourself. Whether or not Benedict resigns has no bearing on you or your life and is, in actuality, none of your business.

 

[Avatar4321]

I argue for criminals who commit horrendus crimes everyday. Does that mean I should no longer call myself a disciple of Christ?

What is Christianity if it's not a message of mercy to the sinner? Why should anyone be ashamed of defending a sinner when Christ gave His life protecting the sinner?

 

[eagleseven]

WHY is Benedict being held solely responsible by you?

Because:

1. We cannot hold dead men responsible for their sins.

2. He has absolute power over the Catholic Church. The buck stops with him.

 

[eagleseven]

The last Pope to resign, did so 600 years ago, in order to prevent the Catholic Church from ripping into three factions, and avoid continent-wide civil war.

 

[California Girl]

The Catholic Church will survive. It always has. It always will. I am not overly thrilled with Pope Ben but a man or a group of men are not the Church.

And as for the views of non-Catholics - while you are welcome to say whatever crap you feel inclined to - it is, in fact, none of your damned business. Respectfully, worry about your own religions and we'll deal with any issues within our Church. Thanks.

 

[Care4all]

I argue for criminals who commit horrendus crimes everyday. Does that mean I should no longer call myself a disciple of Christ?

What is Christianity if it's not a message of mercy to the sinner? Why should anyone be ashamed of defending a sinner when Christ gave His life protecting the sinner?

you call liberals sinners and scum more or less, do you defend them, as a Christian, as you claim? do you give mercy? or do you ridicule and bash them and throw stones, continually?

just wondering....

 

[Madeline]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

 

[California Girl]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

Unless you're a Catholic, frankly... it ain't your business.

 

[Madeline]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

Unless you're a Catholic, frankly... it ain't your business.

Okay, miss, I'll explain. I am a former catholic. I lost my folks and grew up in a catholic orphanage in the 1950's and 1960's and am about as angry at Benedict for his refusal to step down as I can possibly be. Maybe after you've attended the funerals of teens and young adults driven to suicide by this sort of abuse, you'll be more compassionate.

Meanwhile....stifling this debate won't help Benedict to survive in office. It's this routine of drawing a veil of secrecy across the matter "for the sake of the church" that has led to the suffering of what now appears to be hundreds of thousands, if not millions. There's allegiance....and then there's blind allegiance. You, miss, appear to me to be blind.

 

[JenyEliza]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

Obviously you aren't Catholic.

So....here is a great big cup of SHUT THE FUCK UP for you.

Oh, and welcome to the boards. Slandering Catholics and the Pope right off the bat is a *great* way make friends and influence people.

Ummmm...yeah.

 

[JenyEliza]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

Unless you're a Catholic, frankly... it ain't your business.

I am a former catholic. ....

Bitter former Catholics are the worst kind. I didn't read past that.....

SHUT THE FUCK UP, asswipe.

 

[Madeline]

Folks, I don't happen to think my religious affiliation has any bearing on the resignation of Pope Benedict. It may (or may not) be "my" church but the children who were abused (and who likely are still being abused) are certainly my concern. I don't see the upside to Benedict remaining in office, but his resignation would go a long way towards ending practices and beliefs about the needs of the church vs. those of its victims., etc.

Am I -- or any thinking person -- to accept Benedict's moral authority on issues like birth control, etc. if he cannot face up to his own complicity in such heinous acts? It is selfish and wrong for him to remain in office....and if he does, it may help end the primacy of the church in the lives of many faithful.

Obviously you aren't Catholic.

So....here is a great big cup of SHUT THE FUCK UP for you.

Oh, and welcome to the boards. Slandering Catholics and the Pope right off the bat is a *great* way make friends and influence people.

Ummmm...yeah.

I don't happen to need any friends who shield pedophiles and their co-conspirators. If you cannot see the stupidity of worshippng in a church that has institutionalized the predation of children, and refuses to change course, o well.

BTW, "slander" is speech, not writing. Written words are libel...and it is a complete defense to libel that the facts alleged are true.

 

[G.T.]

Cultural Dictionary

pope definition


The head of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is believed by his church to be the successor to the Apostle Peter. He is bishop of Rome and lives in a tiny nation within Rome called the Vatican. Catholics believe that when the pope speaks officially on matters of faith and morals, he speaks infallibly (see papal infallibility). (See also John XXIII and John Paul II.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.


It doesn't bode well for the infallibility concept.

 

[martybegan]

Not to quiblle on a point (well actually I am) But don't most of these cases involve pederasty and not pedophilla? I may be to technical on this.

 

[Madeline]

Not to quiblle on a point (well actually I am) But don't most of these cases involve pederasty and not pedophilla? I may be to technical on this.

There's not exactly a general consensus on when a child reaches adolescence and less still on the ages of victims of clergy sex abuse. Some apologists for clergy sex abuse do point to the belief that most victims were adolescent boys (though certainly not all) insinuating that they consented to sex with the abuser. Personally I find this a variation on "blame the victim" defenses and especially evil in these circumstances. Nonetheless, chances are, you are correct...most abuse victims were probably over 10 when it began, though no one knows for certain.

 

[martybegan]

Not to quiblle on a point (well actually I am) But don't most of these cases involve pederasty and not pedophilla? I may be to technical on this.

There's not exactly a general consensus on when a child reaches adolescence and less still on the ages of victims of clergy sex abuse. Some apologists for clergy sex abuse do point to the belief that most victims were adolescent boys (though certainly not all) insinuating that they consented to sex with the abuser. Personally I find this a variation on "blame the victim" defenses and especially evil in these circumstances. Nonetheless, chances are, you are correct...most abuse victims were probably over 10 when it began, though no one knows for certain.

its not a blame the vicitm approach, its more of trying to find a reason why the perpatrators do it. Pederasty is far more common in the general population than true clinical pedophillia.

 

[G.T.]

And more-over to Madeline's OP:

This is everyone's business. You don't have to be a Christian to have a vested interest in the protection of minors, across the entire human race Religion aside.

If pedophilia is institutionalized, anywhere (and I'm not saying that it is, because I don't feel that way here)then it's everyone's business to investigate and take action.

 

[Madeline]

Not to quiblle on a point (well actually I am) But don't most of these cases involve pederasty and not pedophilla? I may be to technical on this.

There's not exactly a general consensus on when a child reaches adolescence and less still on the ages of victims of clergy sex abuse. Some apologists for clergy sex abuse do point to the belief that most victims were adolescent boys (though certainly not all) insinuating that they consented to sex with the abuser. Personally I find this a variation on "blame the victim" defenses and especially evil in these circumstances. Nonetheless, chances are, you are correct...most abuse victims were probably over 10 when it began, though no one knows for certain.

its not a blame the vicitm approach, its more of trying to find a reason why the perpatrators do it. Pederasty is far more common in the general population than true clinical pedophillia.

Perhaps that is true, though as to victims of catholic clergy sex abuse, I don't think anyone knows. I didn't mean to include you among the apologists....sorry my comment read that way to you.