(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Pope: "We deeply regret not covering up the rape of children faster or more effectively."

No, really. Read what he actually said: He said the Church's response (which was to cover up, conceal, and enable) was too slow and not effective enough at it's intended goals.

At NO POINT did he actually say anything like "we should not still be raping children and we should not still currently as of this moment be covering it up and obstructing investigations." He only says that what they did, which was rape children and lie about it, wasn't as fast or as effective as he wanted it to be.

Comments

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

And, for once, the journalist notes that this is what he said. Well. People he quotes do, anyway.

[anktastic.livejournal.com]

It physically upsets me seeing that guy's face. Feels like a stab in the loins. Anyone else get that?

[skington.livejournal.com]

"It is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible" said the Pope.

1) You tell priests "Don't fuck anybody ever!"
2) You surround them with children
3) When priests start fucking kids, you look elsewhere and hush things up.

That seems pretty simple to me.

(He did subsequently say that pedophilia was an illness, which is a first for him, but arguably that lessens the extent of the crime, so swings and roundabouts.)

[wyatt1048.livejournal.com]

This continues to amaze me. He's already covering up the abuse of kids, but somehow thinks that lying about his intent to stop it would be wrong. Seriously, the guy can't say 'We're going to do all we can to stop abuse!' to look good in public, even if it's a lie? I think the Catholic church genuinely can't comprehend why people aren't just lying down and letting them get on with whatever they like.

[harald387.livejournal.com]

You know, when South Park did the show parodying Catholicism's child-abuse history, driving the whole thing beyond hyperbole, it was supposed to be parody. Not a suggestion.

[sophia8.livejournal.com]

It's not just child abuse the Catholic hierarchy has covered up. Look at their reaction to the information that one of their priests planted a bomb that killed people. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11061296) Granted, in this case, they had the collusion of top politicians, who were terrified that putting him on trial would spark off total and bloody civil war.
But the Church treated him exactly the same as a child-raping priest - ie, move him somewhere else and tell him not to do it again. It's symptomatic of their whole attitude: "We're above any earthly law, we deal with our own mess our own way. F**k you."

[publius1.livejournal.com]

I think that each and every day that some new revelation occurs. Like how EVERY SINGLE FUCKING BELGIAN PARISH had a priest who seemingly molested kids. What the fuck.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Hah, it's probably the first honest thing he's ever said

WTF

[hepatizon.livejournal.com]

I find myself hoping this was just a slip of tongue and that he meant they weren't good enough at preventing this, but... frankly, I can't really believe it. It isn't like they have gone to any lenghts at combating this travesty. And they are still denying that celibacy has anything to do with this. I am Luterian, our priests can marry and the only pedophilia scandal I can remember of Finlandian church from the last decade or so (was too young to pay attention before) wasn't even a Luterian priest.

Celibacy and pedophilia. No celibacy and no pedophilia. Do the math.

So they care more about what they look like than what they do? Sad, sad thing. But even then: worry less about PR and more about doing the right thing and the PR will get a lot better on the side, idiots!

Re: WTF

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Honestly, even if they wanted to keep being assholes about it, *I* could run a better PR campaign. "When you are at the bottom of the hole, stop digging" and "figure out your message first before ANYONE says ANYTHING" aren't even PR 101, they're the grade-school requirements to get INTO PR 101.