Pope's bishop pick criticized over Katrina comment

[Matilda]

I picked this up from LBN - I don't want to comment in that thread, for reasons that would be
obvious to all on this forum, but I think it's worthy of discussion

"The Vatican announced Saturday that the Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner, 54, would be auxiliary bishop in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria province.

A 2005 report by Kath.Net, a Catholic Austrian news agency, said Wagner had characterized Katrina as divine retribution in a short essay in a parish newsletter.

Wagner wrote that people should ask themselves whether the "noticeable" increase of natural disasters such as Katrina was a result of pollution caused by humans or the result of "spiritual pollution," according to a copy of the essay published Sunday on Kath.Net's Web site.

"This was not the sinking of just any city but that of a people's dream city with the 'best brothels and prettiest prostitutes,'" he wrote."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_re_eu/eu_austria_new_orleans_bishop

Katrina was a natural disaster that was exacerbated by lack of foresight and planning on the part
of local authorities, and by ignorance and negligence on the part of FEMA and the White House. To
put the blame squarely on God is not only presumptuous, because we can't know what is in the mind of
God, but it's an example of medieval thinking that is causing the Church to be seen as an
anachronism. The Church cannot hope to remain relevant in the 21st century if it persists in
encouraging this kind of medieval thinking.

There are many fine intellects within the Catholic Church, but it appears they are not being
called upon to offer their opinions on the future direction of the Church. Instead, Pope Benedict
seems determined to encourage the kind of mindset that abounded in the 12th century.

I despair.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. I thought we agreed that's not how God operated anymore.

He tends to save that sort of judgment for the next life, not this one. Also, I'm pretty sure we store our "best" brothels in Nevada.

[47of74]

2. Just great

That's just great. Instead of promoting a worthy soul to the post of Bishop, the Vatican and the Pope seem determined to scrape the bottom of the barrel here.

[47of74]

3. Last night

Last night at Mass the priest pretty much shot Wagner's theories down.