Vatican preacher: Criticisms of Pope over child rape is "like the most shameful anti-Semitism"

[Bluebear]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Attacks on Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church over a sexual abuse scandal are comparable to the most shameful anti-Semitism, a preacher told a Vatican Good Friday service attended by the pontiff.

Father Raniero Cantalamessa drew the parallel during a "Passion of the Lord" service in St Peter's Basilica on the day Christians commemorate Jesus' death by crucifixion...

Shaken by the crisis, the Vatican has accused the media of an "ignoble" attempt to smear the pope at all costs. Some news reports have accused him of negligence in handling sexual abuse cases in previous roles as a cardinal in his native Germany and in Rome.

He read the congregation a part of a letter he received from a Jewish friend, who said he was "following with disgust the violent and concentric attacks against the Church, the pope..."

"The use of stereotypes, the shifting of personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt remind me of the most shameful aspects of anti-Semitism," he quoted from the letter.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/02/world/international-uk-pope-abuse.html?_r=1

[ananda]

1. Bullshit!

Utter bullshit!

[Stuart G]

2. One of the dumbest stupidest pronouncements made by the Church...ever...

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. :^o The man heads up an organization responsible for the placement of the

priests who hurt those children. If he was in any way complicit with the covering-up and perpetuation by lack of action of this horrible activity by said priests, then people have every right to call him out on it.

[piratefish08]

4. Fuck You Raniero Cantalamessa. FUCK YOU twice pope nazi.

filthy, hypocritical shitbags.

oh, and happy easter.

http://img.visualizeus.com/thumbs/08/11/02/bird,finger,hate,jesus,middle,finger-05ab79dc6b058216e2e969d471e4d34c_h.jpg

[KamaAina]

5. Way to insult the Jews on Good Friday, Pope!

:grr: :banghead: :nuke:

[Bluebear]

9. They chose today to start the Oppression Olympics by insulting Jews in the process!

[Forkboy]

6. To quote the song my friends did years ago, "Fuck the Pope!"

[Raksha]

11. Fuck the Pope? No thanks, I'm not THAT desperate.

Besides, I'm pretty sure he swings the other way. I'm Jewish, female and heterosexual. Doubt if he'd be interested.

[joeybee12]

16. Yech!

Just the thought!!! Not of the song, but the idea....

[Cirque du So-What]

7. They're really pushing the envelope, aren't they?

It's almost as though they're trying to rub our noses in it by coming up with these over-the-top histrionics used to defend the indefensible - especially coming from an organization with such a long history of anti-Semitism. The backlash is going to be quite a spectacle.

[Stuart G]

15. Yes, quite a spectacle..but I gotta leave this one for a while...It is ..

making me sick...:puke: :puke: :puke:
sorry

[Raksha]

8. WHAAAAT???

I think the Pope needs to fire his public relations department. That kind of idiocy is really going to salvage his image...NOT!!!

[piratefish08]

10. and yet people will still dump BUCKETS of $$ on the RCC this Sunday.

[Raksha]

14. I wonder about that. If donations are significantly down this year

as compared to last year, do you think the Church would admit it? Or would they try to put the blame on some outside factor like the recession?

[piratefish08]

20. they sure as hell aren't going to blame 'child rapists'. Hippies and gays, yes.

pedophiles - no fucking way.

[Stuart G]

12. Number 1 story at BBC News..here is link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8601084.stm

[Bluebear]

13. Holy moly!

[DURHAM D]

17. What crap.

Father Cantalamessa would have been more accurate if he had drawn the parallel to condemnation of the Nazis.

and we all know how that turned out - bad Nazis. Bad Pope and church.

[Newest Reality]

18. That face! Shades of Star Wars!

I guess they don't have to follow Jesus' words? You know, suffer the little children unto me? That which you do unto them, you do unto me, etc?

Mark:
42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

I was raised as a Catholic, but escaped as soon as I was old enough. I don't think the Pope, or any representative the Church is above the Christ they profess to serve. If they are going to do that, then the end of the Catholic Church would be an appropriate result.

[rcrush]

19. Well if you like attacks on the pope.

From South Park the other night

Cartman "Is that something I want to do? Does the Pope protect child molesters?"

Cartman "Is that something I want to do? Does a bear shit in the woods? And does the pope shit on the hopes and dreams of 200 deaf boys?"

Cartman "Is the Pope making the world safe for child abusers?"


I'm totally going to steal that line from Cartman and use it now.

[tabasco]

21. I see they have a bunch of ass-kissers in the Vatican.

Not that I ever doubted it.

Priests are some cut throat motherfuckers when it comes to getting promoted.

[KamaAina]

22. Send a picture of Pope Rat to Sinead O'Connor

and "let 'er rip!"