Pope dismisses 'petty gossip' of sexual abuse allegations

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: Guardian UK

Pope Benedict, facing the worst crisis of his papacy as a sexual abuse scandal sweeps the Catholic church, declared today he would not be "intimidated" by "petty gossip", angering activists who say he has done too little to stamp out paedophilia.

Addressing crowds in St Peter's square during a Palm Sunday service, the pope did not directly mention the scandal spreading though Europe and engulfing the Vatican, but alluded to it during his sermon. Faith in God, he said, led "towards the courage of not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion".

As Benedict spoke, the president of Switzerland, Doris Leuthard, called for a central register of paedophile priests to keep them away from children. In Austria, the archbishop of Vienna announced the creation of a commission funded by the church, but without church representatives, to look into Austrian abuse claims.

Benedict came under attack after it was revealed that he had been involved in dealing with two cases of abuse. In the first a German priest in therapy for paedophilia returned to work with children while the pope was archbishop of Munich. In the second, in the late 1990s when Benedict was a senior Vatican figure, his deputy stopped a church trial against a Wisconsin priest accused of abusing deaf boys.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/28/pope-benedict-sexual-abuse-scandal

---

Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he arrives on Saint-Peter's Square at the Vatican to celebrate Palm Sunday mass Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

[goclark]

1. That's the Pope that GW "picked" -- right?

I seem to recall that GW made a special,"secret" trip to Rome during the selection of the Pope.

This link was after he was named Pope but I'm sure I heard that gW was over there BEFORE he was selected.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803154.htm

[defendandprotect]

4. And, just as the church needed money desperately for their pedophile lawsuits . . .Bush came

thru with assisting the RCC and it's "faith based" organizations with

good ole US tax payer dollars in subsidies for them!!!



Support Separation of Church & State and let the Church pay off its own pedophile lawsuits!!

[happygoluckytoyou]

26. stop picking on our church..... ==========>

JAKE: How much for the little girl. The women, how much for the
women?

MAN: What?

JAKE: Your women, I want to buy your women, the little girl,
your daughters. Sell them to me, sell me your children!

[defendandprotect]

2. Unfortunately, the church policy this pedophile-protector put in place still stands--!!!

And Catholics members, themselves, should be demanding that the policy be overturned --

Or don't they know about it?

"Save the church at all costs" -- ??

Silence the victims and the families -- ??

Protect the priests -- and raise money for the lawsuits from the members -- !!!!



However, his looks like some outside attempt to actually stop priest pedophiles and bring them

to accountability ....


As Benedict spoke, the president of Switzerland, Doris Leuthard, called for a central register of paedophile priests to keep them away from children. In Austria, the archbishop of Vienna announced the creation of a commission funded by the church, but without church representatives, to look into Austrian abuse claims.

[tekisui]

3. Child sexual abuse is 'petty gossip'? Fuck you, Pope Pedophile

[SpiralHawk]

5. "You can trust me the way you'd trust a republicon. Smirk." - Pope Ratzinger

[Lord Magus]

13. I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[SpiralHawk]

20. Well, the republicons, and the Pope, have brought it on themselves

I am a fact-based guy, seeing as how the Republicons have proven to be rank, wide-stance hypocrites on every DAMN thing they 'claim' about Family Values -- and the Pope has shaped up in the same deformed manner.

So while I may have no 'faith' in people who have consistently lied and covered up truth and 'forgiven' themselves, I do have sufficient facts to believe in reality.

[hypocrisyandlies]

6. Petty gossip???

If anyone deserves to burn in hell...

[get the red out]

7. Expensive gossip

They have had to shell out a lot of money for the "petty gossip".

[KittyWampus]

8. shame he'd use belittling language in any context when it's regarding such a topic.

[shanti]

9. nice...

:( the poop is scared shitless.

[tomm2thumbs]

10. does that make him a pettyphile then?

sounds like his hat is on much too tight or that ring is being used for something else on weekends. Being that this is all just gossip in his mind, and has nothing to back it up, I guess he has no reason to oppose any detailed investigation then.

Let the investigation begin 'Papa'.

[No Elephants]

34. LOL.

I think that makes him more of a pettyphobe than a pettyphile, but that was a good one.

[FourScore]

39. Excellent post!

:thumbsup:

[Zoeisright]

11. What a pig.

And profound apologies to pigs. He has no empathy at all, does he? Some 'Christian'.

[TlalocW]

12. I don't know what the different countries of Europe are like

When it comes to free speech and religion, but depending on their laws, they should all do whatever is in their power to make life hell for the Catholic Church.

TlalocW

[undeterred]

14. Keep digging.

[GreenTea]

15. The German Pope is really -Sargent Schultz - "I See Nothing"! (Hogans Hero's) - Thanks Bill Maher!

[boppers]

16. A "register of paedophile priests to keep them away from children"?

How about a "register of paedophile priests to convict and imprison these dangerous criminals"?

The hubris is breathtaking.

[tanyev]

17. Um, no. Petty gossip is people talking about your Prada wardrobe, Mr. Pope.

It's appalling that you can't refuse to see the difference.

[fasttense]

18. Child sexual abuse is just so much petty gossip ti the Pope. How far the

mighty have fallen.

[benld74]

19. Just remember the date and what was said - compare to other statements as it gets worse,,,

[SoxFan]

21. Speaking as a lifelong Catholic, Your Holiness...

[givemebackmycountry]

22. 'petty gossip'

Deaf children molested.
YOU EVIL MOTHERFUCKERS!

[sulphurdunn]

23. Any institution will get pretty corrupt

after 20 centuries, especially when it operates for the sole benefit of its management. Image what Wall Street might look like in a couple of thousand years. :scared:

[valerief]

24. Go suck one of your gold bullion bars, Popey. nt

[PatSeg]

25. "Petty gossip"?

I'm sure all those children that are damaged for life are grateful for his concern.

I find it interesting that the offenders are sent for counseling and the kids are left to cope without the church's help. And how many of those abused children grow up and become abusers because no one stopped the cycle of abuse?

[rpannier]

27. I'm guessing he didn't major in public relations

Cause if he did, he should demand his money back

I've never seen a man more tone-deaf to public opinion

[PatSeg]

28. The church tends to shelter its clergy from the real world

After decades of indoctrination, church trumps everything, even God. I think the pope is a bit clueless and is probably getting some very bad advice.

[rpannier]

29. I don't disagree with that

But, the last Pope seemed to be more aware of the world around him and the opinion of the public.
To me, he seemed a lot more diplomatic in his approach to what other people were thinking even when he didn't agree with them -- except Berlusconi. When he handed Sylvio's ass to him that was okay with me

[PatSeg]

31. Didn't he also meet with the man

who tried to assassinate him and forgave him? You have to wonder how much good such a man could have achieved if he hadn't been restrained by the church. I really hate organized religion, it tends to destroy everything it professes to believe in.

[rpannier]

45. That's true

He did meet with the man who tried to assassinate him

[Festivito]

30. I thought the petty gossip was "he had been involved"

Article says both. Interesting.

[closeupready]

32. Does someone have a link to the original quote?

The Guardian claims:

Addressing crowds in St Peter's square during a Palm Sunday service, the pope did not directly mention the scandal spreading though Europe and engulfing the Vatican, but alluded to it during his sermon. Faith in God, he said, led "towards the courage of not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion".

The New York Times claims:

The pope did not directly mention the scandal, or his own role in it, but he made apparent references to the attention the crisis has garnered, saying that Jesus “leads us toward the courage not to be intimidated by the gossip of dominant opinion.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/world/europe/29catholics.html

[6000eliot]

33. Fuck you, protector of child rapists!

[No Elephants]

35. Probably every Cardinal who voted for him had followed his advice on dealing w. pedophile priests.

[Johnny Harpo]

36. This Pope More Then Any Other..Needs ToBbe Watched Like A Hawk...

n/t

[caseymoz]

37. Can't really draw a conclusion till I see the complete quote

and context. If he meant it the way it sounds, then he is both driving a stake through the heart of the RCC, and simultaneously, driving a nail into his own coffin. I've not seen such skills.

[donco6]

38. Links to actual quote

But he nevertheless fired a broadside against those who have called on him to do more to explain his previous role as the Vatican's head investigator of child abuse claims.

The Pontiff reminded worshippers that belief in Jesus Christ helped lead Christians “towards the courage of not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion”.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/pope-ignore-petty-gossip-14746217.html#ixzz0jZbRu24I


In a clear indication that the Vatican continues to insist the stream of abuse revelations are part of a conspiracy the Pope said: "From God comes the courage not to be intimidated by petty gossip."

Although he did not directly mention the crisis that has seen claims of abuse from Ireland, Germany, Austria, Holland and Brazil the 82 year old Pontiff's message was evidently clear.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/7532643/Pope-will-not-be-intimidated-by-petty-gossip-over-sex-abuse-scandals.html

[closeupready]

43. If that's the case, then why, I wonder, did the New York Times edit his words without noting that?

(without noting that they had eliminated the word "petty" in their quotation of his remarks.)

[Tailormyst]

40. If he doesn't want people talking about his priests putting their penises in young boys,

Then perhaps he should do something about his priests putting their penises in young boys. He should also apologize for allowing such things to continue. He should be ashamed and I am not sure how ANY catholic could look at the Vatican with ANY sense of pride these days.

[David__77]

41. His PR people need to coach him better.

The use of any word that can be translated as "petty" is a mistake, regardless of intention. The use of such a word will certainly be interpreted as trivializing these things.

[myrna minx]

42. What a nasty man.

:puke:

[fascisthunter]

44. this Pope is SIngle-Handedly Bringing the Catholic Church Down

unless followers of this church decide to oust this creep and those like him, this church will sink everywhere in the World except for the most poor, desperate countries, where people know no better.

[Old Troop]

46. As a Practicing Catholic it makes me want to puke

I believe that this is the beginning of the breakup of the bureaucratic, authoritarian Roman Catholic church. Many local parishes, mine included, try to live by the words of Christ rather than the words of old men. We tithe our parish rather than its members and provide 10% of all church income to charities (regardless of their denomination or lack of it). Many years ago we took on responsibility for a small hospital in Haiti and provide labor, goods and money to keep it afloat. We are mostly blue collar people which actually assists our work in Haiti as plumbers, carpenter and other trade members go to Haiti to provide help. Finally, our pastor believes that God reserves to himself judgement so our fellowship, assistance and sacraments are provided to anyone who asks for them. This is what Christianity is supposed to be and may be why we continue to grow in membership and diversity.

[Odin2005]

47. Monster.