Vatican to clamp down on liberal secular opinion
And how about those fun-loving guys at the Vatican?
Vatican investigators to Ireland appointed by Pope Benedict XVI are to clamp down on liberal secular opinion in an intensive drive to re-impose traditional respect for clergy, according to informed sources in the Catholic Church.
Uh…what? The investigators have been appointed to go to Ireland by the pope to investigate the church’s long history of tormenting children and shielding child-raping priests from the law. Why then do they think the job is to re-impose traditional respect for clergy? And why the fuck do they think the way to do that is to “clamp down” on secular liberal opinion (which frowns on practices like sticking children in prisons and then starving and beating and terrorizing them, also on raping them) and replace it with traditional respect for the very shits who have been doing the tormenting and raping? And why do they think they get to “clamp down” on anything in Ireland anyway? Who do they think they are? What do they think Ireland is? What century do they think this is?
The nine-member team led by two cardinals will be instructed by the Vatican to restore a traditional sense of reverence among ordinary Catholics for their priests…
Which will presumably require explaining away the fact that some of “their priests” used their confessionals as pleasantly secluded spots to rape children in. That could be uphill work.
A major thrust of the Vatican investigation will be to counteract materialistic and secularist attitudes, which Pope Benedict believes have led many Irish Catholics to ignore church disciplines and become lax in following devotional practices such as going on pilgrimages and doing penance.
But that’s got nothing to do with anything! Even if you care, even if you think that’s a bad thing, it’s still got nothing to do with anything. It’s not the Irish Catholics who are at fault here, it is the church, the priests, the hierarchy that protected them and did not protect their victims. What the fuck is the pope worrying about the “laxity” of Irish Catholics for when he’s supposed to be, and pretending to be, doing something about the crimes of his employees in Ireland? What is he doing pretending it is the people of Ireland who are at fault? What kind of vile sanctimonious stony-hearted bastard is he?
Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has a line where Stephen’s father refers to the Irish as “…an unfortunate priestridden race. A priestridden Godforsaken race!” Perhaps the boys at the Vatican are just nostalgic for the good old days?
Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man has a line where Stephan’s father laments that the Irish are “an unfortunate priestridden race. A priestridden Godforsaken race!” Maybe the boys at the Vatican are just being nostalgic?
Speaking of priests, Barney, there is going to be a big ‘do’ in the Vatican this week, where priests will be gathering to renew their ‘sacred vows’, clericalwhispers tells it as it is and is popular with many survivors of institutional abuse.
There is also an interesting piece on Eric’s ‘foxes’ impending visit to my neck of the woods.
http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-faces-of-irelands-apostolic.html
I see too from the same source that Peter Thatchell is getting all prepared to make a documentary about the pope, to coincide with Papal forthcoming British visit.
Despite the religious layout of the site; it is very informative.
Speaking of priests, Barney, there is going to be a big ‘do’ in the Vatican this week, where priests will be gathering to renew their ‘sacred vows’, clericalwhispers tells it as it is and is popular with many survivors of institutional abuse.
There is also an interesting piece on Eric’s ‘foxes’ impending visit to my neck of the woods.
http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-faces-of-irelands-apostolic.html
I see too from the same source that Peter Thatchell is getting all prepared to make a documentary about the pope, to coincide with Papal forthcoming British visit.
Despite religious layout of site; it is very informative.
Oops, pardon me OB, for making a hames of last comment.
The Irish government has already had two investigations into child clerical sex abuse, namely ‘Ferns’ and Dublin ‘Murphy’ Reports, notwithstanding, institutional abuse, ‘Ryan-Laffoy’ Report (commission to inquire into institutional abuse). So I am left wondering if it has invited the foxes over to sort out the rest of the dirty dens; as there is a recession in Ireland and the government has it up to its oxyters with the whole abuse debacle, as it is coming at it from every conceivable angle.
The government stalled with releasing 188 names of children who died whilst in state care – it literally drip-fed the real amounts, citing, as few as approximately 20. Finally at the close of Dail for summer season the truth came out; when the politicians had all dispersed to their own constituencies. It is so typical.
We are now suddenly hearing in the media that there is elder abuse at the hands of family members. Is this a ploy to take the heat off said governmennt? This news appeared in the broadsheets soon after the deaths of children in care and when pregnant women, who were told by hospital staff that scans they had confirmed foetuses they were carrying were dead, when in actuality on going by their biological instincts they had second opinions and discovered that they were alive. The scanning machine was faulty. The traumatic incidents occurred at the very hospital in Drogheda where a surgeon was taking out womens’ wombs by the new time, immediately after they gave birth.
>What kind of vile sanctimonious stony-hearted bastard is he?
how many rhetorical questions can you ask :) ?
Sometimes tone can be abandoned, I guess.
“Now, as to those unfortunate allegations regarding Father Murphy, it seems that — hey! You there! Yes, I mean you in the third row. What have you got? Don’t try to hide it, I saw you. Bring it up to the front of the room. Now, I said. Come on, come on. Oh, I see. So you have a condom, do you? Con-tra-cep-tion. Passing it around in class. Think you’re quite smart, do you? Well, that’s enough of that! Give it here. I won’t have any of that. That’ll be two demerits — let it be a lesson to all of you. Now, sit down, and we will turn to our hymnal and begin on page 43…”
Ah, the canny “Hey — Look Out The Window!” Defense.
“… And why do they think they get to “clamp down” on anything in Ireland anyway? Who do they think they are? What do they think Ireland is? What century do they think this is?”
Well said. But I would add: “And what planet?”
Clearly the Pope’s own brain is addled through lack of penance on his own part. Go away my son Benedict, or Ratzinger, or whatever your name is, and say 1,000 Hail Marys. On your knees. In Rome. In the middle of St Peter’s Square. Every hour. Every day. Until every victim young or old agrees that you can stop.
Then we’ll consider penances for your underling clergy.
“Vatican to clamp down on liberal secular opinion,” but religion is not incompatible with science…
As PZ said “Sure, science arose out of Catholicism…in the same sense that plumbing, sanitation systems, and public health policies arose out of sewage.”
What’s your point, Bob? That because I am rude about the Catholic church therefore you ought to be allowed to be rude to commenters for no earthly reason? Gee, I don’t find that terribly convincing.
I was clear about my reasons. If you dismiss them, fine, but don’t pretend they are not there.
What do you mean clear about your reasons? They amounted to “because I want to.” I don’t care how clear you are about reasons of that kind – they are worthless. Someone you have no history with (at least here, that I know of) simply made an observation and you called him all sorts of rude names. I don’t understand why you think that’s acceptable, much less why you think this thread has anything to do with it.
And don’t accuse me of pretending, either. Fucking hell – I feel like coming over all Lee J Cobb and shouting “Pretty soon I’m just another fella around here!” I’m not pretending! I think you acted like a complete asshole and I want you not to do that any more! No pretending there. Have some manners.
Right, Bob, just to be pedantic about completeness – you brusquely order me not to pretend your reasons are not there. Well here is the sum total of what you said to Dan L:
That’s it – that’s your “reasons.” I say your reasons are not there. I’m not pretending they’re not there, I’m saying they’re not there. Those are not reasons. Those don’t even resemble reasons.
I don’t know what gives you the idea that I want that kind of thing here, but whatever it is, disabuse yourself of it. I don’t.
Why is there no large up-rising (at-least intellectually) against organisations like the Catholic Church. Surely anybody with a little sense would not want this frankly disgusting church anywhere near a place of power.
This approach doesn’t surprise me in the least. I live in a region of the US that is overwhelmingly Catholic, and I’ve watched the growing conservative pressure accompanying Benedict’s ascent. The business plan seems to be that, since we haven’t been able to expand the number of priests to where they can serve the available Catholics, perhaps we should contract the number of Catholics to where they can be served by the available priests. It shouldn’t hurt the bottom line; most cultural Catholics are freeloaders anyway. Cut ’em loose, and thrive on the devoted core.
Ireland seems the perfect test platform.
That’s an interesting point.
I was about to point out that the Vatican can’t actually “clamp down” on anybody other than in the sense that sheep like catholics allow themselves to be chivvied about. The rcc has minimal secular power in the west and can’t impose any real sanctions other than exclusion from the club.
But I couldn’t think of a good reason why they would go out of their way to force people to leave the church until you pointed out the obvious.
Reminds me of a definition of a fanatic: “someone who upon losing sight of the cause redouble their effort”, except the rcc hasn’t really lost sight of the cause have they, canny bastards that they are.
Time to break out the popcorn and watch the schisms.
I figured there was enough here to blog it myself. Maybe I am not a nice person, but I think the whole thing demonstrates just how low the Popehole goes.
I have to agree with Ken here. I grew up in Ireland and know very well that there is a constituency for the sort of confession, penance and prayer policy that is being advocated. These statue chasers are not a majority of the population any more but they do exist. It sounds like the catholic church has given up hope of convincing the rest and is making a conscious decision to cater exclusively to the pious.
“What kind of vile sanctimonious stony-hearted bastard is he?”
Well, duh! He’s the pope! :)
“Why is there no large up-rising (at-least intellectually) against organisations like the Catholic Church”
Hear, hear Shane, I’m with you all the way on this one. The intellectual brains of the world should come out in their droves to give support to abuse victims who are worn out pointing out the wrongs of the organised Church.
The Catholic church, namely, God’s army is fighting back vociferously, as it has so much more power. It is seriously closing ranks now with all this renewed energy. There is already an-uprising taking place on its part. Before we know it, it will be severely clamping down on those whom it knows has been sticking pins into it for a very long time. It is in fighting mode. It is pay-back time. Big elephants like it never forget and it will be stamping its big feet on all those who stood out of line. Starting with Ireland. Let what happens in Ireland be a lesson to the rest of the world. Woe betide those liberals who are sticking their heads in unwanted business, the Vatican is alive and kicking and only rearing to have a go at them, the cheeky sods, think that they can tamper with the dogma’s of the blessed Church.
Ah, that explanation makes sense. Thanks, Ken. Fewer but better Catholics! The pope has been watching Ninotchka.
I wonder if Tony Blair will submit to being clamped down upon. I realize he’s not in Ireland, but the Catholic church is universal – I trust he can grasp the implications.
@Ken
<blockquote>Cut ‘em loose, and thrive on the devoted core.</blockquote>
I doubt this is true. It seems to be similar to the Tea Party / Republican situation. It looks like these groups actually believe that being more conservative will lead them to success / glory / more power or whatever.
It seems fair enough. Undue respect for priests is precisely what allowed them to get away with raping children for so long in the first place. More undue respect will reduce the number of rapes reported. That’s basically the same as not doing the rapes in the first place, right?
Right?