Pope quits

[Boges]

Apparently it's because he isn't well. He doesn't want a public death like the last one. Probably a good choice.

I find the term Conclave cool.

[jacee]

More likely he's being pressured to retire.

This is the creep that wrote and enforced the policy to punish anyone who spoke to police about child rapist priests.

This 'pope' can rot in hell.

[Boges]

Evidence to support that? His statement said it was due to his ailing health.

[jacee]

Evidence to support that? His statement said it was due to his ailing health.

- No pope has stepped down in 600 years

- Horribly regressive pope, not well-liked

- "In his previous role, Benedict had first-hand knowledge of the extent of the abuse. As Pope, Benedict met with victims and prayed with them, but he never admitted any personal failings in handling the scandal. He also never took action against bishops who ignored or failed to deal with abusive priests."

He won't be missed.

[Boges]

He's also the oldest Pope ever to be elected.

People knee-jerk about Catholics.

Catholics = pedophiles. It's actually quite unfair.

If he was to be quitting because of the sex scandals he'd have done it years ago.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Boges

[Wayward Son]

The current pope has long had health issues. When he became pope he said that his term would not be a long one. I imagine that he did not see himself surviving as long as he has. Prior to becoming pope he had tried to retire several times, but always stayed on due to loyalty toward JPII. The decision, and the reasons for it, make sense to me.

[Moonlight Graham]

I give him credit for stepping down, but it must be so serious he can't even do perform his duties anymore. I hope they elect a more likeable person this time.

[Boges]

I give him credit for stepping down, but it must be so serious he can't even do perform his duties anymore. I hope they elect a more likeable person this time.

It's probably why he joined Twitter a few months ago.

[Moonlight Graham]

It's probably why he joined Twitter a few months ago.

We all know it was him on that account.

[sharkman]

- No pope has stepped down in 600 years

- Horribly regressive pope, not well-liked

- "In his previous role, Benedict had first-hand knowledge of the extent of the abuse. As Pope, Benedict met with victims and prayed with them, but he never admitted any personal failings in handling the scandal. He also never took action against bishops who ignored or failed to deal with abusive priests."

He won't be missed.

Are you Catholic? Is that why you care so much?

[jacee]

He's also the oldest Pope ever to be elected.

People knee-jerk about Catholics.

Catholics = pedophiles. It's actually quite unfair.

If he was to be quitting because of the sex scandals he'd have done it years ago.

I've been tracking Cardinal RATzinger for years.

His policy is to punish anyone who SPEAKS of child molesters in the church, shuffle offenders around, and threaten to excommunicate victims and their families.

He doesn't know the difference between homosexuals and pedophiles. Once it was pointed out to him, he came up with 'pedophilia seems accepted by secular society'.

http://www.livescience.com/9179-pope-blames-1970s-society-pedophile-priests.html

The man's a bad stain on the Catholic church.

Most Catholics who pay any attention know that.

[Boges]

I've been tracking Cardinal RATzinger for years.

His policy is to punish anyone who SPEAKS of child molesters in the church, shuffle offenders around, and threaten to excommunicate victims and their families.

He doesn't know the difference between homosexuals and pedophiles. Once it was pointed out to him, he came up with 'pedophilia seems accepted by secular society'.

http://www.livescien...le-priests.html

The man's a bad stain on the Catholic church.

Most Catholics who pay any attention know that.

Fine, he probably shouldn't have been elected in the first place. But that doesn't mean he's being forced out because of his handling of the sex scandals.

[jacee]

Fine, he probably shouldn't have been elected in the first place. But that doesn't mean he's being forced out because of his handling of the sex scandals.

It would be admirable if he is.

[sharkman]

I've been tracking Cardinal RATzinger for years.

His policy is to punish anyone who SPEAKS of child molesters in the church, shuffle offenders around, and threaten to excommunicate victims and their families.

He doesn't know the difference between homosexuals and pedophiles. Once it was pointed out to him, he came up with 'pedophilia seems accepted by secular society'.

http://www.livescien...le-priests.html

The man's a bad stain on the Catholic church.

Most Catholics who pay any attention know that.

It's not his fault that a bunch of priests started molesting kids, so you need to realize where to direct your anger. Cherry picking his quotes without doing any research won't do much but continue your errors. You aren't Catholic, and seem to have rather strong views regarding gays. I don't think you are the best source to trust in this story.

[The_Squid]

It's certainly his fault that the church covered this up and enabled their priests to carry on raping children.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/03/the_great_catholic_coverup.html

Very much more serious is the role of Joseph Ratzinger, before the church decided to make him supreme leader, in obstructing justice on a global scale. After his promotion to cardinal, he was put in charge of the so-called "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" (formerly known as the Inquisition). In 2001, Pope John Paul II placed this department in charge of the investigation of child rape and torture by Catholic priests. In May of that year, Ratzinger issued a confidential letter to every bishop. In it, he reminded them of the extreme gravity of a certain crime. But that crime was the reporting of the rape and torture. The accusations, intoned Ratzinger, were only treatable within the church's own exclusive jurisdiction. Any sharing of the evidence with legal authorities or the press was utterly forbidden. Charges were to be investigated "in the most secretive way ... restrained by a perpetual silence ... and everyone ... is to observe the strictest secret which is commonly regarded as a secret of the Holy Office … under the penalty of excommunication." (My italics). Nobody has yet been excommunicated for the rape and torture of children, but exposing the offense could get you into serious trouble. And this is the church that warns us against moral relativism!

[sharkman]

And you respond with a quote by C. Hitchens. Riiight.

[The_Squid]

And you respond with a quote by C. Hitchens. Riiight.

The cover up of pedophiles within the church is a well documented fact. Are you denying that these events actually occurred?

[sharkman]

I'm denying that Hitchens is an objective source where religion is concerned.

[The_Squid]

I'm denying that Hitchens is an objective source where religion is concerned.

So because Hitchens said it, then it isn't true? Odd...

Which reporters/authors will you believe? Are there any that I shouldn't quote for you? Are there particular publications that are automatically null and void becase they don't meet your approval?

[The_Squid]

High level Catholic church official guilty of pedophilia cover-up

Lynn was convicted of covering-up the villainous behavior of accused pedophile priests for decades. In 1994 Lynn had compiled a list of 37 priests in the local archdiocese who were either confirmed, or suspected pedophiles with evidence.

http://www.examiner.com/article/high-level-catholic-church-official-guilty-of-pedophilia-cover-up

[The_Squid]

Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.

The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/europe/25vatican.html#h[]

[sharkman]

I'm not saying that the church isn't at fault.

[kimmy]

I'm denying that Hitchens is an objective source where religion is concerned.

The Catholic Church's cover-up of abuse is an objective fact, as is Ratzinger's role in it.

Good riddance.

-k

[The_Squid]

I'm not saying that the church isn't at fault.

Then why did you bash Hitchens and not refute the actual content of the post?

[Michael Hardner]

To say he's responsible and to say he covered things up are different accusations. The former accusation can accurately be stated if Benedict was in charge of investigating claims and missed cases of abuse. You can make that accusation if he was negligent or incompetent in his duties, or otherwise not successful.

You need more of a smoking gun to make the second claim.

The reports I have read fall short of finding proof that he personally covered things up.