The Pope removed the 1500 year old doctrine of Limbo. He could have easily done the same for the 900 year old doctrine on Celibacy. It is a man-made rule and can be changed. The Pope easily excommunicates those that go against a man-made rule. However, a pedophile, who is transferred by various Bishops for the protection of the Roman Catholic Church and permitted to harm children again and again, can seek forgiveness and retire within the confines of Vatican protection. Where is the logic? Where is the love of God's children? Where is the excommunication? Instead of doing what is right, the Vatican would rather save face rather than admit guilt. The millions of dollars that is being spent to sweep this under the rug will not hide it from God's eyes. This is just another version of the "Rat Line" but now they are protecting their own priests instead of Nazis. What has happened to Christ's Church?
Pope Benedict understands the shame of corruption in the priesthood too. He wrote about it March 25, 2005, a few weeks before his election:
"How much filth there is in the church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him," he wrote. He said the church often seems like "a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side."
"The soiled garments and face of your church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again," he wrote.
But really this discussion does not belong on this page (about Vox Clara and Mass translations). Let's take it up another time.
Fr. Bruce you ask a lot of questions. Perhaps you should start with: "Does Fr. Bruce actually have a priestly vocation?" . . . Surely you know from your training in the seminary things like the differences among tradition, dogma and doctrine. I'm sure you should also have learned about the typically rigorous and prayerful process popes usually undergo in considering matters of this gravity. I am appalled that you accuse all bishops of seeking their own protection and indulgence at the expense of the church in one breath after asking for the very same thing for yourself. You apparently want to be relieved from the difficult part of your vows of obedience and celibacy at the expense of something that the Church learned 900 years ago. Or did you also skip Church History classes at seminary? You claim that there are millions being spent by the Church to save face as if that was an active program by the Church - that's just plain disingenuous. You know quite well that those monies are being demanded by many real and many fraudulent victims. None of that money will make any difference to those victims most of whom were assaulted many years ago. But to pay the claims the church is selling off property and canceling programs that do make a real difference right now. And the reason is justice? I think not. It is a punishment of the Church as an institution and it is not just. I think we can agree that criminals should be in jail - both the direct offenders and their co-consiprators. But perhaps the statute of limitations has expired along with any hope of the priests and Church composing a defense against the claims. The legal costs would be even worse. At that is exactly what these profiteering lawyers want. It is blackmail and it is allowed because we are Christian.
The Pope removed the 1500 year old doctrine of Limbo. He could have easily done the same for the 900 year old doctrine on Celibacy. It is a man-made rule and can be changed. The Pope easily excommunicates those that go against a man-made rule. However, a pedophile, who is transferred by various Bishops for the protection of the Roman Catholic Church and permitted to harm children again and again, can seek forgiveness and retire within the confines of Vatican protection. Where is the logic? Where is the love of God's children? Where is the excommunication? Instead of doing what is right, the Vatican would rather save face rather than admit guilt. The millions of dollars that is being spent to sweep this under the rug will not hide it from God's eyes. This is just another version of the "Rat Line" but now they are protecting their own priests instead of Nazis. What has happened to Christ's Church?
Pope Benedict understands the shame of corruption in the priesthood too. He wrote about it March 25, 2005, a few weeks before his election:
"How much filth there is in the church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him," he wrote. He said the church often seems like "a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side."
"The soiled garments and face of your church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again," he wrote.
But really this discussion does not belong on this page (about Vox Clara and Mass translations). Let's take it up another time.
Fr. Bruce you ask a lot of questions. Perhaps you should start with: "Does Fr. Bruce actually have a priestly vocation?" . . . Surely you know from your training in the seminary things like the differences among tradition, dogma and doctrine. I'm sure you should also have learned about the typically rigorous and prayerful process popes usually undergo in considering matters of this gravity. I am appalled that you accuse all bishops of seeking their own protection and indulgence at the expense of the church in one breath after asking for the very same thing for yourself. You apparently want to be relieved from the difficult part of your vows of obedience and celibacy at the expense of something that the Church learned 900 years ago. Or did you also skip Church History classes at seminary? You claim that there are millions being spent by the Church to save face as if that was an active program by the Church - that's just plain disingenuous. You know quite well that those monies are being demanded by many real and many fraudulent victims. None of that money will make any difference to those victims most of whom were assaulted many years ago. But to pay the claims the church is selling off property and canceling programs that do make a real difference right now. And the reason is justice? I think not. It is a punishment of the Church as an institution and it is not just. I think we can agree that criminals should be in jail - both the direct offenders and their co-consiprators. But perhaps the statute of limitations has expired along with any hope of the priests and Church composing a defense against the claims. The legal costs would be even worse. At that is exactly what these profiteering lawyers want. It is blackmail and it is allowed because we are Christian.