Screwed Up Priorities and Hubris

The degree to which the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy are out of touch with reality and the hubris that seems to be the hallmark of the morally bankrupt Church leadership are truly mind numbing. First, we have all Hell breaking lose in Ireland in reaction to the proposal by the delusional Church leaders that the laity - i.e., the rank and file church parishioners - contribute money to pay off the damage awards owed to the numerous victims of sexual abuse by priests, Even though the laity had nothing to do with enabling and covering up of sexual abuse for decades on end. Not surprisingly, the Irish parishioners are outraged at the proposal. Meanwhile, in Germany a Catholic monastery which was the location of alleged sexual abuse crimes against minors is raided by German police looking for evidence against the Church. Despite all of these crimes against children and youths, the Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is in apoplexy over the newly effective law allowing same sex marriage and - rather than pay any benefits to same sex spouses - is dropping all partner benefits for married staff regardless of the gender and sexual orientation. Better to give no benefits to any married couples rather than give some benefits - gasps - to gay couples. Here are highlights from the Independent on the Church's stone deafness in Ireland:
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AFTER all that has been said and done, it is utterly incomprehensible that a Catholic bishop in charge of an Irish diocese, which has been plagued by sex abuse scandals and cover-ups, should be so blissfully unaware of the resonances his request to parishioners to help fund compensation would have.
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Considering all the dreadful revelations and all the expressions of concern for victims, it is quite extraordinary that a bishop could fail to recognise that his request for donations to effectively help pay the church's legal costs would be regarded with contempt by those who suffered abuse and that the clumsy language he used would sound condescending.
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The Vatican had been aware of complaints but chose to do nothing, the report found. In view of this, the suggestion made more than once yesterday, that the Vatican should be asked to pay, rather than the ordinary parishioners of Wexford, is logical.
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As for the raid on the monastery in Germany, CNN has a story that for once shows Church officials and institutions belatedly being treated like the criminals that they are in fact. Here are some highlights:
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Authorities have raided a monastery in southern Germany as part of a probe into allegations that priests sexually abused children there, prosecutors said. Investigators with the Munich State Prosecutors Office visited the Benedictine Abbey of Ettal on Tuesday afternoon as part of their ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of underage children by priests there. Authorities are now assessing evidence collected at the abbey, the prosecutors said.
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Nearly every day since the end of January, people have come forward to report cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Germany.
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Given these humiliating and serious issues and clear moral failings by the Church hierarchy which flow all the way up to the highest levels of the Vatican, one would thing the Church would have more pressing issues than continuing its jihad against gay Americans. But not so. As the Washington Post reports, the Archdiocese of Washington is going to punish all coupled employees by cutting benefits for ALL married staff not previously employed by the Archdiocese's affiliates. Better to harm families rather than recognize same sex relationships. Here are some highlights:
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Employees at Catholic Charities were told Monday that the social services organization is changing its health coverage to avoid offering benefits to same-sex partners of its workers -- the latest fallout from a bitter debate between District officials trying to legalize same-sex marriage and the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
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Starting Tuesday, Catholic Charities will not offer benefits to spouses of new employees or to spouses of current employees who are not already enrolled in the plan. A letter describing the change in health benefits was e-mailed to employees Monday, two days before same-sex marriage will become legal in the District.
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Looking back with the benefit of seeing now how utterly criminal and morally bankrupt the Church is in reality, I am saddened that I allowed this corrupt institution to ruin so many years of my life. Fortunately, those days are now behind me.