It is simply dishonest of the Pope to pretend he didn't know about sexual abuse by Catholic clergy against children. Believe me, there is not a single Cardinal, not one Archbishop, nary a bishop and not a Monsignor who is not fully aware of the appalling evil these servants of God have inflicted upon the faithful.
Yes, I know because I attended an expensive Catholic boarding school run by brothers of the De La Salle order, and though personally subject only to feral violence from several and the vituperative hate of one of the bastards to whom I wouldn't heel (may you rot in Hell, Brother Alan), not all of my fellow pupils were so lucky. Sexual abuse of boys by the De La Salle brothers was widespread and well-known to a Catholic hierarchy that bought-off complainants, shifted abusers from school to school and used threats, violence and intimidation to keep us quiet. Men now in late middle age are only now facing the abuse of those times. One of my old school alumni has a quiet website where victims, some of whom believed for decades that they were alone, can find confirmation of the institutionalised abuse at the hands of the bastards.
Well, folk are resilient, and I guess most of us got over it. They didn't destroy my faith, or my Catholicism. I can say the words of the Nicene Creed in truth and belief. The abusers are now pathetic octogenarians or nonagenarians where they still live, no doubt dreading the fate of their souls. But please don't pretend the church wasn't fully aware of the abuse. Or that the fake sincerity of the Pope's 'regrets' can put an end to the matter.
Spiritual celibacy is a gift from God that comes naturally and rarely to a few. From shamans to gurus and other holy men, it occurs universally and when it does it is valued. It cannot be forced or induced. The Catholic church now faces a revolt from we, its owners. And we demand change. Clergy should be encouraged to marry. Women should be consecrated to the Priesthood. And more, we can no longer allow the church to be managed by the same people from whom the laity need protection. The management of the church organisation must be secularised.
In Austria and Germany, Catholics must by law pay a 1% income tax to the church. Failure to do so attracts criminal law penalties like any other tax evasion. It is the one Hitler law that both nations kept; Hitler confiscated the vast tracts of church land - agricultural, forestry and city centre real estate - for the State and in return granted the church the right to levy an income tax on the faithful. It's what enabled the Bishop of Limburg to spend £26m on building a new palace for himself. So here in particular church members have a greater right than most to take over the governance of the church.
The current Pope is I believe a gift in time; few love him, and Francis is a Pope whom few Catholics respect overmuch or with whom few would regret clashing. It's the perfect moment to push reform. Bring it on.
13 comments:
Just like the EU, the Catholic Church is incapable of the real reform Raedwald is calling for.
I cannot understand why anyone would choose to remain in either of them.
Not of the Roman fold myself - but a Church and Crown Tory, long deserted by the Church of England and Conservative party - may I recommend the traditionalist Roman Catholic monthly " Christian Order"? Its website carries a selection of editorials and articles.
Detested by the "liberal" RC hierarchy, the magazine is edited by an Australian layman whose views are very forthright. One of the high spots over the years was an assessment of Tony Blair as " the comic cuts cartoon convert from hell". Whilst not uncritical of the late Lord Bannside ( the Revd Ian Paisley), the article regarded him more highly than Tony Blair. Latterly CO has been running articles on how to depose a Pope . Occasionally it has printed articles of mine related to the evils of the EU and has always been generous in publicising rallies of the Campsign for an Independent Britain. Sometimes the same article word for word also appeared in the ultra Protestant British Church Newspaper.
I really would not recommend going down the same route as the Church of England which has become a politically correct parody of itself. Derby Cathedral is presently running a series of films in the Cathedral itself, including things like " The Wicker Man" and "The Life of Brian" . A while ago Leicester cathedral had an Imam to preach the Sunday sermon where ( inter alia) he misinformed the congregation that Islam translates as " Peace" . A friend of mine, who was a volunteer worker, complained to the Dean and was told
that " in a multi cultural city, the cathedral should be a neutral space". He worships elsewhere now. But just try asserting anything contrary to the official line on climate change/global warming and you are a heretic! .
Incidentally I have, so far, found this rule regarding C of E clerics, especially bishops, to hold good. The more informal and matey their public persona, the more authoritarian and politically correct they really are. If they like to be known by a diminutive of their Christian names, that is a pretty good indicator. So watch out for the likes of " Bishop Tom" , " Bishop Bill" and these days " Bishop Libby" or " Bishop Roz" !
It is really sad that you still believe in the Nicene Creed. The brainwashing of this organisation evidently goes very deep.
The Catholic Church was the first global media corporation, and it has been immensely successful financially. I find it hard to think of any good that it has done.
Don Cox
‘Clergy should be encouraged to marry’.
Not sure this would make any difference.
IME there is no shortage of hot blooded ladies (single and marrried) who would be only too happy to service the forbidden fruit of their local priest. I know of several monks from a prestigious establishment who have willingly submitted to desire.
No, this is not about sex or loving relationships; it is about power and dominance. What better machinery to facilitate that than a boarding school with a fresh haul of youth washed ashore on each Autumn Term tide.
How absurd that these schools still have monks as housemasters - with unfettered access to children both before, and after, lights out.
My own son boards - the difference being that all housemasters are married and living with their families in an annnex to the boarding house. Not fail-safe but a strong practical statement of safeguarding.
The Catholic establlishent clearlly considers this beneath them.
Teachings of the Christian churches are as abhorrent as those of Islam - all religion being created as a form of control and a means to hierarchy and wealth for those at the top. It's nothing but a business and a corruptly run one at that.
Faith should be a personal issue, one of self-belief and one that YOU control without recourse to supplication to others except, perhaps, your chosen God.
If you rail at the excesses of .gov and interference of non-elected EU establishments but accept your churches outpourings then you are naught but a hypocrite.
I think there would be an improvement if the church was less materialistic and worldly and the politicians stopped moralizing.
It is the one Hitler law that both nations kept;
No. Kirchensteuer was introduced in Germany, bit by bit, almost a hundred years before Hitler and was cemented into the Weimarish republic just after WW1. Hitler kept it and so did the 1949 Verfassung (constitution).
No idea about Austria.
Also Germany (and I assume Austria) kept a whole raft of Nazi laws, for example those protecting Einzelhandel (retail).
Jack - yes. Apols. Comment applies to Austria only. German rates are 8%/9% I think whilst Austria is 1% - and you can claim an allowance of €400 for it against secular income tax.
The Austrian church is very sensitive and avoids the term Kirchensteuer at all costs - it's Kirchenbeitrag here. I love writing to the 'Ober Steuereintreiber, Kirchensteuer Amt' just to annoy them. I won't go into detail, but after I pointed to an ECHR judgement and invited them to join me in seeking a legal ruling, they agreed to a special resident Englishman's rate of just €100 a year.
It is the 1939 Hitler law here by which it is collected - unlike Germany the Church had no right to impose a tax prior to this https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirchenbeitrag
Not a boarding school but I went to De La Salle St.Helens way back when and have only great memories of the brothers and their positive influence on me ( thanks bros Lundy and Damian)….some good ones out there, maybe I was lucky.
The present Marxist masquerading as a Pope needs to be defrocked, worked over and thrown down the steps of the Church with all the steps--St Peter's is it ( not a Catholic).
The rest of your ideas are daft Radders and a recipe to turn the Catholic Church into as big a pile as leftist shite as the CoE.
Priests marrying just means you will get lots of paedos with attached "beards" in tow. Women priests are largely weak, fuck-awful leftists who will push you into a worse mess of red than "liberation" theology.
The issue is that you no longer have any goals or drive.
Re-found the great military/religious orders--this time include science as well. Say an Order of Engineers determined to do colossal engineering works--settling the Solar System perhaps --for the Glory of God. And an Order to fight against leftists and their allies.
Something to give true purpose and drive--real goals in the service of the Divine. Low perverts will find themselves burnt and driven away by the light of true zeal.
Just a thought.
The Roman Catholic Church is never going to 'give' control to the laity, the laity will have to take it from their cold clammy hands. Or, more likely, just walk away, cease giving tithes and taxes, and campaign to remove the RC Church control of hospitals and schools.
The Catholic Church is dying, it is always the old who form its bedrock so letting in woman priests would annoy them and speed up its demise. It does very little good. This raises the interesting question of who owns all the assets and wealth that has been squirrelled away over the years.
Quite frankly the only religion which appears to keep itself to itself and does benefit is adherents is Judaism. One of its joys is that everyone has an opinion, there are so many shades of grey in some areas and splendid certainty in others. It has managed to have female rabbis on the reformist wing and some very conservative types on the other, inspite of what could be called non stop vigorous debate they still all belong to the same faith.
No I am not Jewish but I worked in the diamond business for 30 years and many of my friends are and they come from all wings of the faith. An interesting, intelligent and amusing bunch.
Anon, 28 August 2018 at 08:59 said: "... it is about power and dominance ...". Yes, it is. The Christian churches have done much good over the last two millennia. And much bad as well. The problem is, any power structure attracts those who would exploit it. That's why good governance requires checks and balances. The Catholic church does not seem to have any since God died.
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