Shirt-lifters and Pope Benedict XVI…

Old news this, but I thought I’d vomit up some commentary – as I do, periodically. First, to those of you easily offended, best eff off now. You know what old Peedeel can be like when he gets the bit between his teeth.

So, you’ve been warned.

Remain at your peril.

To begin I’d like to state the obvious: there’s nothing stranger than people! The media, the Blogosphere, even the local pub is a hotbed of gossip, of accusation, of condemnation of poor old Pope Ben…but why?

Yes, yes, yes, we’ve all heard the tales of shirt-lifting priests and cover-ups. A situation that has led to no less a figure than the Archbishop of Canterbury recently suggesting the Irish Catholic Church has ‘lost all credibility’ due to their paedophile priests. And the allegation that in 2007 while still a lowly Cardinal, Thomas Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI, issued a “secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church’s interests ahead of child safety…”

Why should anyone be surprised that Ratzinger – an ex-member of the Hitler Jugend (yes, membership was compulsory in Germany), an ultra-conservative Catholic, ‘enforcer’ of Pope John Paul II in everything but name, and head of the powerful “Congregation of the Doctrine of The Faith”, the department of the Roman Catholic Church charged with promoting Catholic teachings on morals and matters of faith – would act in any way differently from the way he has acted?

Ratzinger may well have followed the teachings of Christ – you know? Being a Christian and all that. “Let him who is without guilt cast the first stone”, “turn the other cheek”, and various other pronouncements of forgiveness. Perhaps, naively, he thought these monsters in their bible-black guise of priests were simply misguided, had slipped temporarily from grace, and would now return to the straight and narrow?

Today, of course, as Pope he is Christ’s Vicar on earth. His words are spoken on behalf of Christ. The Catholic Church maintains that he is “preserved from even the possibility of error” in his many decisions and pronouncements. Consequently he is not answerable to any civil authority. He is a head of state, as well as leader of the Catholic faith. Catholic dogma gives him Christ-like characteristics – in part we must come to see him as semi-divine: Christ made flesh. And if you think my concept of God incarnate a tad strong, see HERE I’m not alone in this view.

Yes, the “word turned flesh”. So how could Pope Ben do anything other than forgive? The devil offered temptations and weak souls faltered, strayed from the path. They confessed and repented, forgiveness must follow…

Mustn’t it?

On the other hand, he could have adopted the stance of the leader of the Church in Germany who ‘denounced past failures and mistakes in the Church’s handling of complaints of child rape and other abuse. The Church in the country of the Pope’s birth is in crisis after dozens of people came forward alleging that they were abused as minors by priests.

“Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said that news of sexual and physical abuse by priests left the Church with sadness, horror and shame. He said that clerics failed to help victims by a “wrongly intended desire to protect the Church’s reputation” and called on the Church to face this painful reality. He added: “Wounds were inflicted that are hardly curable.”’

So Pope Ben might have cared a little less about an institution and a lot more about the souls of his “flock”. Might have, but didn’t. For here we see an example of “corporate religion” in action: the importance is “the singer not the song”; the imposing edifice of the Roman Catholic Church seen as an entity in its own right – somehow independent of the hoards of Catholic faithful, who assume secondary importance in these affairs of their Church – and of the Church’s leader.

In-effin-credible, in’it?

Pope implicated in killing and castration of Cardinal…

The following is taken from the Patrologia Latina and highlights just some of the charges levelled against Pope John XII:

“…he had fornicated with the widow of Rainier, with Stephana his father’s concubine, with the widow Anna, and with his own niece, and he made the sacred palace into a whorehouse. They said that he had gone hunting publicly; that he had blinded his confessor Benedict, and thereafter Benedict had died; that he had killed John, cardinal subdeacon, after castrating him; and that he had set fires, girded on a sword, and put on a helmet and cuirass. All, clerics as well as laymen, declared that he had toasted to the devil with wine.”

Times have changed. The current papal incumbent, Pope Benedict XVI is quoted as saying “The whole experience was uplifting” (becoming Pope, with its long and varied history). He also confirmed that God “has a great sense of humour” a fact the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah may not have been aware of.

He quickly put us all straight with another of his little homilies:

“Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is more or less a strong tendency ordered to an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.”

So it was with equal frankness he told the African people that condoms weren’t the answer in combating the AIDs epidemic there. A simple enough statement, but one that might kill more people than good old Pope John XII ever dreamed possible…it’s good that Benedict keeps these murderous papal traditions alive in the 21st Century.

Which is why I find it so hard to understand the Lancet’s (One of the world’s most prestigious medical journals) virulent condemnation of Benedict’s comments? In urging the Vatican to issue a retraction, the Lancet stated:

“When any influential person, be it a religious or political figure, makes a false scientific statement that could be devastating to the health of millions of people, they should retract or correct the public record.”

But what about tradition…? what about the demands following from the actions and policies of Benedict’s predecessors? Indeed, no mention of these. Instead this:

“Anything less from Pope Benedict would be an immense disservice to the public and health advocates, including many thousands of Catholics, who work tirelessly to try and prevent the spread of HIV/Aids worldwide.”

I can’t wait for Benedict’s next pronouncement…

The Pope and the Condom

And so it came to pass that Christ’s representative on earth, the holy father, Vicarius Filii Dei, Bishop of Rome, leader of the Roman Catholic world and head of state of Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI (aka Joseph Alois Ratzinger) opened his mouth and placed both feet firmly inside it.

- Ah, sure, this is the risk you run when you allow the old boy “out in the world” without the close care of a responsible adult! The poor man has to live for the rest of his life with that terrible title:

“His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God.”

Think about that, will you?

It’d drive any of us loopy having to listen to that title all day long.

You’ll remember no doubt the holy father listed ways to combat the spread of HIV back in 2005? These included chastity (i.e. going without) and fidelity in marriage (i.e. not fucking about). He also condemned the use of condoms to fight AIDS (or as a means of birth control). Recently, of course, while on a visit to Africa, the old guy did it again, reinforcing his message to the faithful – condoms will not prevent AIDS and in fact increase the problem (in some ill defined and unclear way).

You’ll also remember in December last year the old boy went off on one and had a go at homosexuals. His aides stepped in shortly after to suggest he wasn’t really having a go at gays specifically…but his remarks were interpreted as a call to save mankind from homosexuals, lesbians and transsexuals. Which pissed off a few people around the world but probably not so many as the Supreme Pontiff’s Regensburg lecture.

“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

The old boy quoted the above as part of his lecture and a raised a storm of protests from the Muslim world.

So what did he mean I wonder when he said, AIDS is “drama that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which on the contrary increase the problem.”?

UNAIDS the UN organization dealing with the problem responded: “the male latex condom is the single, most efficient, available technology to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV.”

So is the old boy from a different planet? Or just mad as a shit house rat? I’m unsure. But he’s not alone in what he says – Pope John Paul 11 claimed that condoms have holes in them that allowed HIV through! See HERE.

I think it must be something to do with that bloody title. It must weigh the incumbent down and bring on early idiocy syndrome or some such disorder; certainly there’s no denying that those who find themselves in possession of the title become totally cut off from reality…whatever the causes the effects are plain and devastating to the lives of those living in the “third world”.

So perhaps in the future some serum will be developed to treat this condition of “Pontius insulsitas” ? I don’t know. But something must be done about the problem right now!

My understanding is the old guy’s into music. He’s something of a classical pianist. He loves Mozart. So tape up his gob and give him a piano; let him play for the world, while the world distributes those condoms!

But don’t let him know what you’re doing. And don’t let him near a copy of Mozart’s letters or he’ll be off on a book burning spree….