If it were not for the fact that many tens of thousand innocent young lives were damaged - and in some cases utterly destroyed, it would almost be gratifying to see the hubris of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy leading it headlong into an almost endless stream of scandals and revelations concerning the cover up of sexual abuse crimes. Cover ups that trace all the way up to the Vatican and the hands of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Amazingly, the untethered loons at the highest levels of the Church still do not grasp that people are increasingly over their disingenuous bullshit. One such example comes from Ireland where the Catholic Church has sought to undermine domestic partnership legislation to benefit same sex couples. The Digital Journal looks at the hammering that the Irish hierarchy has brought upon itself. Here are some highlights:*
The Catholic Church in Ireland has come under fire from civil-rights groups and members of the Irish parliament after bishops demanded a free vote on civil partnerships. A free vote would mean legislators could vote according to their conscience, rather than obey a party whip. Clergy want the new measure to give rights to civil registrars to refuse to perform same-sex ceremonies, according to the Irish Times.
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But Mark Kelly, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), criticised the Catholic bishops for their stance. He’s quoted as saying: “The ICCL seriously doubts that the Irish Catholic bishops retain sufficient moral authority to pontificate on the Civil Partnership Bill,” he said, referring to the scandal over sex abuse by Catholic priests.
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The bishops have also come under fire from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), which has expressed disappointment that the bishops are resisting equality for gay couples. The USI’s president, Peter Mannion, is quoted as saying: “While USI respects the viewpoint of the Catholic Church we do not agree with it. Objecting to the implementation of equal rights for Irish citizens may be seen as an absence of moral conscience.”
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Even more damning for the Church is an upcoming program on ABC that will feature an interview with the son of Father Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion for Christ and personal favorite of the less than saintly Pope John Paul II. That's right, the SON of a supposedly celibate priest. But it gets worse. Maciel did not only engage in sex acts with women, but also young seminarians and his own son. And John Paul II protected Maciel for many years. Here are some highlights from ABC News:
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A prominent Catholic priest, praised by Pope John Paul II as "an efficacious guide to youth," Father Marcial Maciel, sexually abused not only young seminarians under his control but also abused his own children, according to a lawsuit filed today in Connecticut by a man who claims to be Maciel's son.
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In an interview to be broadcast Monday evening on ABC News Nightline, the priest's son, Raul Gonzalez, 30, says he thought his father worked for the CIA or an international oil company, until he saw the priest's picture in a 1997 magazine article detailing allegations of sexual abuse.
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Under Father Maciel, the Legion of Christ became one of the Roman Catholic Church's most prominent, conservative and financially successful orders. Among its many supporters is Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. The lawsuit claims Vatican ignored reports of sexual abuse by Maciel since the 1950s, until he was forced out of the Legion by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
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The lawsuit filed by Maciel's alleged son claims the Vatican and the presiding Pope from the 1950's until 2002 "engaged in a conspiracy to conceal their knowledge of Maciel's serial delicts, including the repeated sexual abuse of children."
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Gonzalez said his father began to abuse him and his half-brother, Omar, on a trip to Madrid when he was ten years old. . . . Gonzalez's lawyer, Jeffrey Anderson, who has represented hundreds of people who have alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests, says this case represents a new chapter of depravity in the church.
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"We are here to tell the truth," Anderson told ABC News. At a press conference Monday, Anderson asked how the Vatican could explain its failure to act. "How could Vatican officials allow such a dangerous predator to roam the landscape and the globe with the power given to him as the founder of the Legion of Christ?"
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Utterly depraved conduct known to and covered up by a reigning Pope. And far right Catholics want John Paul II canonized? It is beyond sick and yet again demonstrates why I am no longer a Catholic. I want nothing to do with such moral bankruptcy.
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