Ratzinger v Belgium
The pope is pissed off because Belgian police are investigating Belgian citizens over allegations of crimes against other Belgian citizens (who were underage at the time) along with concealment and perpetuation of those crimes. What business, exactly, does the pope have being pissed off about this? He is the head of the organization the suspects work for, but so what?
The Vatican has expressed shock at raids, including the “violation” of a cathedral crypt, by Belgian police investigating alleged child sex abuse.
Well that’s typical, isn’t it – they’re “shocked” about the “violation” of a crypt – an inanimate object – when they were never all that shocked about the repeated violation of living breathing feeling human beings at their hands. They have a sick, disgusting sense of priorities, and they can’t seem to unlearn it, even with the help of relentless public scrutiny and opprobrium. They seem to be unteachable.
The Vatican has summoned the Belgian ambassador to the Holy See to voice anger over Thursday’s raids.
Summoned? Summoned? Who does he think he is? Okay he’s the notional head of the notional state to which the Belgian ambassador is the notional ambassador. But all the same – who does he think he is? What right does he think he has to “voice anger” over police investigation of crimes committed and concealed by his loathsome festering rot-riddled gang of theocrats?
The answer is probably sealed up in some crypt or other.
Child rapists and enablers of child rapists do not get my sympathy.
Why does the Pope like child rapists? Why does the Pope not announce he’s 100% in favor of criminal investigations of allegations of child rape? What in the world is there about child rape that the Pope finds defensible? Either among his employees, among the flock, or in the general community?
Is he really this tone deaf?
Child rape is wrong. Period. ANYONE accused of child rape should be investigated by the CIVIL authorities. Anyone found to have a reasonable suspicion of raping a child after such investigation should be prosecuted. Anyone convicted of raping a child based on that prosecution should be imprisoned.
Is that really all that difficult for the Pope to understand? Are we using words that are too big? What in those simple sentences can he POSSIBLY object to?
All I can figure is that he and his colleagues really do think that catholic priests are seriously Special. That they are kind of related to god, and that they are kind of above other humans, and that their catholicness is way more important than secular law and even mere human well being. Thinking this does seem to make them tone deaf.
Yes, they have, and yes, they are. Lest anyone be misled by some of the pabulum that is being spread liberally around by so many of the defenders of religion, about love and compassion, and all that sort of warm, fuzzy, yet sweet –would you not agree? — nothings, it is important to remember that this life is just the anteroom to Life. The sufferings here are nothing compared to the ‘weight of glory that will be revealed to us’. So, a few kids suffer? What is that to the holy work that is being done by priests and their leaders, the bishops, archbishops and cardinals — and popes too, of course (that goes without saying)? They are, as the pope has said, the church’s gift to humanity. A few may go off the rails, it’s true, but the work of the whole church, and especially that work that is done through the gift that priests make of themselves for the good of human kind — well, how can one compare this to a few miserable kids? Of course, the church had to hide the abuse of kids, because — well, you can see it now, can’t you? — it interferes with god’s work, for the church is working with god, to bring as many as possible to real Life (to salvation), not this feeble reflection of human possibilities that will be so fully fulfilled when they come, through the church’s work, and Mary’s intercession, to their heavenly reward. Of course, the pope is shocked. To have this important work compromised by the sufferings of a few kids! Shocking!
Say for instance if the Catholic Church, and many other religions (well, religious people) were nice, sweet, and loving. What difference would it make? How would this change the fact that religion is nothing but the sum of human fears transformed into beliefs to ‘exorcise’ (if you will) those fears.
“The church’s gift to humanity”
That sounds slightly perverse when viewed in the light of the present circumstances.
I still do not understand why more has not been done for the rights of these poor children. Why is nobody trying to break into the Vatican and protest this disgusting lack of justice. I understand that many people around the world are protesting this, but I think instances like this need action more than mere words.
Oh, man, that so hits the head…
This is the true face coming out. The media gets hold of documents that they say are definite hush instructions, the Vatican says it’s misinterpreted and they’re defiinitely in favour of civil authorities being informed and doing their duty and then – just once – it actually happens and they give the lie to everything by getting angry and summoning ambassadors. What are they going to say to the ambassador? “We didn’t actually mean something should be done about it.” One step closer to Ratzinger’s arrest becoming reality.
I think the idea of Ratzinger being arrested is pure optimism. Even as the debate goes on about arrests and so on, there is still the gang of fools calling for ‘understanding’, ‘forgiveness’ and ’empathy’. Of course regardless as to whether children were sexually molested/anally raped or not…
Well of course an arrest is not going to happen but an arrest warrant? We can only hope there’s some brave prosecutor out there.
It seems to me that the goal is to maintain one sliver of power. Reprenhensible, but authoritarians are often like that. There’s also a bit of holism, too – the “big picture” is all that matters. (There is of course a strong connection between holism and authoritarianism.)
Didn’t they just last week argue that Catholic bishops are not actually employees of the Vatican?
Long, boring day for news but you know how religious people like to say that communist countries repressed them and all of that?
As it turns out even they gave the church special treatment. That’s right dudes, the Catholic No. 2 (Funny how that works) just pointed out that the communists weren’t all that anti-religion. After all, if they were they would have done a lot more than Belgium did.
(Note on the use of dudes – as in it is 3pm out here, and I have been subbing copy since 8am. Brain is shutting down.)
Ooh don’t I know what that’s like! Hours of subbing and the brain goes to jello.
I think it was Mussolini who gave sovereign status to the Vatican some 80 years ago. As an Italian I’m deeply sorry that my country enabled these criminals, and still showers them with money and privileges.
Sorry world!
@sili
Didn’t they just last week argue that Catholic bishops are not actually employees of the Vatican?
Just read this on the matter.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7128562.ece
There is a wealth of information here regarding whether bishops are OR are not employees of the Vatican.
http://smartg.newsvine.com/_news/2010/05/22/4330059-are-united-states-bishops-employees-of-the-vatican-yes-or-no
“.. it is important to remember that this life is just the anteroom to Life. The sufferings here are nothing compared to the ‘weight of glory that will be revealed to us’. So, a few kids suffer? What is that to the holy work that is being done by
priestssuicide martyrs and their leaders, thebishopsImams,archbishopsMullahs andcardinalsCaliphs — andpopesAyatollahs too, of course (that goes without saying)? They are, as thepopeAyatollah has said, thechurch’sIslam’s gift to humanity. ….”Of course, I am being unfair. To Islam, since suicide bombers and those clerics who support them are radical outliers, not the universally acclaimed mainstream leaders of their religion.
Oops – what happened to my strike-throughs?
This snippet by Therese Wilson of above link sums it up for me too.
The US Bishops run a Diocese of parish churches which help fund the Bishop. The Bishops and their Dioceses help fund the Vatican, it is the other way around the US Bishops and their Diocese helps FUND the Vatican with individual donations and on cite donations. The Vatican does not pay the US Bishops, nor is the Vatican their employer.
You can visualise how wealthy the Catholic Church is if you see it on a global front.
XPT: What about The Papal States prior to Vatican City?
The Catholic church has been accruing property since time immemorial from kind rich and poor benefactors.
Did I put them in the right place burllamb?
They are perfect, Ophelia. Thank you. :)
The Papal States were annexed by Italy in 1870 and the sovereignty of the Popes ended then, although the Popes refused to accept that fact. (Italy tried to grant the Popes some privileges short of sovereignty and an income, but the Popes rejected that and stayed holed up in the Vatican building for almost 60 years, regarding themselves as prisoners.)
@Marie-Thérèse
In 1870 the Italian army conquered the papal states in Rome and that was the end of them. Then the popes didn’t recognized the now united kingdom of Italy, until Mussolini, who aimed at the catholics’ sympathies, made a pact (Lateran Treaty) with the pope of the time and gave him a small but fully sovereign territory. So between 1870 and this pact the Vatican wasn’t even a territorial state… what a missed opportunity!
Speaking of prisoners per se. Here is an update of the Belgium Raid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10417102.stm
I still do not understand the “immunity” laws . Why do they even exist?
Apparently because Mussolini said the Vatican was a state, and nobody has been willing to say no it isn’t. I don’t get it either. But the god damn pope is untouchable, because he is the head of a “sovereign state.” It’s ridiculous, and disgusting.
It’s truly absurd. Its regardless as to whether he is the head of a state, he diverted the course of justice (or attempted to at-least). He should be arrested and sentenced.