Former Pope Benedict XVI's Anti-Gay Lies Continue

Picture of then Pope Benedict XVI with his "personal secretary".

Former Pope Benedict XVI - thought by many to be a self-loathing closeted gay with a long time male lover - has again launched a major attack on gays and also the 1960's sexual revolution and Vatican II for the rampant and global sexual abuse of children and youths by Catholic clergy.  He conveniently ignores the reality that in the 1950's and likely long, long before then, sexual abuse was rampant within the priesthood, so blaming the 1960's sexual revolution for something that long proceeded it is specious at best.  He also side steps his own role in cover ups as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - historical also known as the Inquisition - while serving under John Paul II who protected some of the worse predator clergy.  Moreover, it was Benedict who enforced the Church's warped 12th century dogma on human sexuality that many experts credit with the psycho-sexual maladjustment of predator priests that along with unquestioned power set the stage for abuse.  The take away about Benedict's creed is to believe none of it.  Here are highlights from the Washington Post on Benedict's attempt to avoid his own responsibility in the abuse scandal and the corrupt nature of the Church hierarchy:

Breaking years of silence on major church affairs, Pope Benedict XVI has written a lengthy letter devoted to clerical sex abuse in which he attributes the crisis to a breakdown of church and societal moral teaching and says he felt compelled to assist “in this difficult hour.”

The 6,000-word letter, published in tandem Thursday by a Catholic outlet and an Italian newspaper, decries the 1960s sexual revolution, laments the secularization of the West and describes seminaries filled with “homosexual cliques.”

Benedict’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein [thought by many to be Benedict’s gay lover], confirmed the authenticity of the letter in an email.

Since abdicating the papacy six years ago, Benedict — living in a monastery inside the Vatican City walls — had remained nearly silent on issues facing the Roman Catholic Church, in part to yield full authority to his successor, Pope Francis. The new letter, then, marks an unprecedented moment in the modern church: a significant pronouncement from an ex-pope on the most central problem facing the church.
 Benedict wrote that he contacted both Francis and the Vatican’s secretary of state before proceeding. And the pope emeritus finished his essay by thanking Francis for his work to show “the light of God.” But Benedict’s remarks on the topic differ sharply from those of Francis, who has emphasized the corrupted power of clergy and has acknowledged systemic problems that result in coverup. Those themes also prevailed during a February sexual abuse summit at the Vatican that involved leading bishops from around the world.
 Benedict devoted the first third of his letter to changes in society and inside the church beginning in the 1960s that gave rise to an “all-out sexual freedom.” He wrote that Catholic moral theology “suffered a collapse” of its own during a period of major reforms.  One outcome of the sexual revolution, Benedict wrote, is that “pedophilia was then also diagnosed as allowed and appropriate.”

David Gibson, the director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture, said it was a “major problem” that Benedict was “blaming the abuse crisis on liberal mores and gays and secularization.”
 In the letter, Benedict did not describe his own role in dealing with the crisis, nor did he discuss particular cases. Benedict, before becoming pope, was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As pope, he sometimes defrocked hundreds of priests per year, and the Vatican was more forthcoming than it is now about releasing data on abuse.

But analysts say Benedict also had significant shortcomings and was slow to acknowledge the institutional problems that have enabled abuse to persist — including the role of bishops and cardinals in protecting accused priests.

Benedict remains a sick and twisted individual.

Newt Gingrich Continues Catholic hurch Myth of Persecution

Newt Gingrich- perhaps to keep himself in the news and to hear himself speak - was on Meet the Press today promoting the Catholic Church hierarchy's lie that the Church is being persecuted and its rights being trampled upon by the recognition of gay rights and gay equality.  As is typical for both Gingrich and the Church hierarchy, the claims do not match objective reality because no one is preventing the Catholic Church from being involved in adoption/foster care services.  Rather, it is the Church which is trampling on the rights of other citizens and pushing to impose its beliefs on all.  And, like a school yard bully, once the Church can't have its own way, it grabs up its toys and stalks off feigning that it, rather than those it has persecuted for centuries, is the victim of persecution and/or censoring.  Towleroad looks at Gingrich's diarrhea of the mouth.  Here is the money quote:

On a segment on gay rights on Meet the Press today, Newt Gingrich complained about Catholic adoption agencies being "outlawed" in some states where marriage equality laws take effect. MSNBC contributor Joy-Ann Reid pointed out that it was the Church's decision to withdraw its services.

GINGRICH: "What I'm struck with is the one-sidedness of the desire for rights. There are no rights for Catholics to have adoption services in Massachusetts. They're outlawed. There are no rights in DC for Catholics to have adoption service. They're outlawed. This passing reference to religion, we sort of respect religion, sure, as long as you don't practice it. I mean I think it would be good to have a debate over, you know, beyond this question of, 'Are you able to be gay in America?' what does it mean? Does it mean that you have to actually affirmatively eliminate any institution which does not automatically accept that, and therefore, you're now going to have a secular state say to a wide range of religious groups, Catholics, Protestants, orthodox Jews, Mormons, frankly, Muslims, 'You cannot practice your religion the way you believe it, and we will outlaw your institutions.' ... Let's just start with adoption services. It's impossible for the Catholic Church to have an adoption service in Massachusetts that follows Catholic doctrine.

JOY-ANN REID: But didn't the Catholic Church, particularly Catholic Charities in Boston, they affirmatively decided to withdraw adoption services. No one said they are not allowed to provide adoption services.

GINGRICH: No, they withdrew them because they were told, "You could not follow Catholic doctrine," which is for marriage between a man and a woman.

REID: I think the point is, is that you don't have the state attempting to tell religions what to believe. People, if they oppose the idea of gay marriage within their religion, have the absolute right to do so. The question is whether or not religious institutions can make public policy, whether they can enter the public policy--

That's right, NO ONE OUTLAWED Catholic adoption services.  The Church shut the programs down.  The other fact that Gingrich conveniently ignores is the fact that in many states - Virginia is certainly one such state - foster care agencies such as Catholic Charities function as an arm of the state and receive significant amounts of state funding.  As a result, these agencies are standing in the position of the state first and for the Church secondarily.  Therefore, it is only appropriate that as recipients of state funds the agencies not be given a free hand to discriminate against taxpayers.  

Roman Catholic Church Doubles Down on Anti-Gay Jihad

While protecting sexual predators and child rapists remains perfectly fine amongst senior members of the Catholic Church hierarchy, anti-bullying laws that might protect gays not to mention gay marriage are deemed would be threats to western civilization.  It is simple more evidence that few groups are more morally bankrupt than the bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and yes, Popes of the Catholic Church.  A piece in the Minneapolis Post looks at Church efforts to defeat proposed anti-bullying laws:.  Here are excerpts:

Calling it an extension of the push to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota, the Catholic Church is urging parishoners to call on lawmakers to reject an anti-bullying law.

According to a column in the Catholic Spirit, the official publication of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the proposed Safe Schools legislation is an “Orwellian nightmare” that would “usurp parental rights” and create “re-education camps.”

The column was written by Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which represents all Catholics dioceses in the state.

In addition to imposing burdensome legal mandates on parochial schools, the Roman Catholic Church also has argued in communications to parishioners that the law would unfairly discriminate against students who oppose same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights.

At 37 words long, Minnesota’s current anti-bullying statute is frequently described as one of the weakest in the nation. It doesn’t define bullying and harassment or require districts to track or report complaints or mandate efforts toward creating healthy school climates.

The proposed measure is based on the work of a task force appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton in the fall of 2011, after the GOP-dominated Legislature rejected efforts to strengthen the law. A wave of student suicides in the Anoka-Hennepin School District had drawn wide attention to the bullying issue.

The arguments raised by opponents of the Anoka-Hennepin settlement, most of them religious conservatives and proponents of conversion, or “pray away the gay” therapy, mirror those now being advanced by the archdiocese.  The Catholic Church has gone a step further, however, in linking the issue to same-sex marriage.

“The redefinition of marriage should not be seen as a stand-alone act,” the Catholic Spirit’s March column explained. “It is the harbinger of broader social change aimed at creating gender and sexual ‘freedom’ and breaking down the supposedly repressive social norm of heterosexual monogamy. And it is accompanied by other significant pieces of legislation working their way through Minnesota’s Legislature that should be resisted just as vigorously as same-sex ‘marriage.’”

Michael Bayly, director of Catholics for Marriage Equality,  is also the author of “Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Students: A Catholic Schools Perspective.” He disagrees with the archdiocese’s position, but said he understands it.  “I think they are frightened that their teaching on homosexuality is going to be seen as putting people in danger,” Bayly said. “And I think a good case can be made for that. They are in a bind.”

“The archdiocese has done nothing to sit down and problem-solve what would be best for kids,” Dibble concluded. “The truth is bullying is a problem we have to solve. It happens every day and it is a real problem.”

On the issue of gay marriage, the main source of hysteria among the bitter old queens in dresses, even more foul batshitery was on view in Rhode Island where Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of the Diocese of Providence issued a screed aimed at intimidating the Rhode Island Senate which is poised to vote on a gay marriage bill.  Here are highlights from the Providence Journal:

 "As the Rhode Island Senate prepares to take action on legislation that would seek to legitimize 'same-sex marriage,' I once again urge members of the Senate to stand strong in resisting this immoral and unnecessary proposition and to defend marriage and family as traditionally defined. We should be very clear about this: it is only with grave risk to our spiritual well-being and the common good of our society that we dare to redefine what God himself has created. My prayer is that the senators will have all the wisdom and courage they need to do the right thing in this moment of decision."

 Tellingly, while the Catholic Church was bashing gays and gay marriage, the Providence Chamber of Commerce's board chairman and two other business leaders said Monday legalizing same-sex marriage would remove one hurdle that makes it hard for R.I. businesses to compete.  And let's be candid about something.  God did not create marriage as we know it.  Its a much evolved institution - e.g., women are no longer deemed chattel property -  but still has much of its focus on property rights and controlling women and offspring.  It is a man made institution first and foremost and the Church got involved merely to increase its power and control over believers and non-believers alike.

 

British Catholic Priests: Gay Marriage Biggest Threat Since the Reformation

The lengths that the Roman Catholic Church will go to demonize gays and attempt to block LGBT equality under the civil laws is startling.  Now, faced with the likelihood that the United Kingdom will soon enact marriage equality legislation, some 1,054 Catholic priests, 13 Catholic bishops and assorted Catholic abbots have signed a letter claiming that legalizing marriage equality in the UK is the greatest threat to religious freedom and Catholicism since the Reformation.  Would that these bigots would put as much effort into demanding a thorough housecleaning of the Church of child rapist priests and their protectors.  Or that they would recall that the Reformation was fueled by the Church's corruption and desire to deprive individuals of religious freedom and freedom of conscience.   The hypocrisy is stunning.  The Daily Mail looks at this disingenuous batshitery.  Here are highlights:

More than 1000 priests have signed a letter voicing concerns about how same-sex marriage will threaten religious freedoms and may even lead to Catholics being excluded from jobs.

In the letter, which is one of the biggest open letters of its type ever written, the priests claim that same-sex marriage could threaten freedoms in a way that was last seen during centuries of persecution of Catholics in England.

The letter, signed by 1054 priests as well as 13 bishops, abbots and other senior Catholic figures, expresses fears that the simple acts of practising or speaking about their faith will be severely limited.

Published in The Daily Telegraph, the letter goes as far as to compare David Cameron's proposed changes to the meaning of marriage to those of Henry VIII, whose efforts to divorce Catherine of Aragon sparked centuries of upheaval between Church and State.

It said: 'After centuries of persecution, Catholics have, in recent times, been able to be members of the professions and participate fully in the life of this country.'Legislation for same-sex marriage, should it be enacted, will have many legal consequences, severely restricting the ability of Catholics to teach the truth about marriage in their schools, charitable institutions or places of worship.

'It is meaningless to argue that Catholics and others may still teach their beliefs about marriage in schools and other arenas if they are also expected to uphold the opposite view at the same time.'

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: 'We have been very clear that our plans for equal marriage will fully protect the freedom of religions bodies to preach, teach and put into practice their beliefs about marriage.'

The real root of the uproar by these bigots and homophobes and their allies within the Church of  England is that they will no longer be able to force their religious beliefs on all other citizens.   With the Roman Catholic Church - as is always the case - it's about power and control over others and a mindset that it is above the laws be they laws against the sexual abuse of minors or civil law marriage.

More Catholic Church Lies in Rhode Island

As this blog regularly points out, the Roman Catholic Church remains embroiled in a world wide sex abuse scandal which more and more with every passing day points to a criminal conspiracy involving the hierarchy from the current Pope (and his predecessors) on down, Catholic schools are closing across America due to lack of funding and often declining enrollments, parishes are being shuttered due to lack of funds and/or a lack of priests, and historic church buildings are facing the wrecking ball because of inadequate funding to maintain them.  Yet what is the Church hierarchy's biggest focus?  Depriving same sex couples of CIVIL marriage rights.  My blogger friend Bob Felton - who is becoming more and more of a straight ally and who I've come to know through this blog and his blog, Civil Commotion - has an excellent post that underscores the lengths to which and the lies the Church will disseminate in order to harm LGBT individuals and deprive them of CIVIL legal rights.   Here are highlights from Bob's Post:

The Diocese of Rhode Island released yesterday a public letter to that state’s legislature, which is considering legislation that authorizes same-sex marriage. It was written by Bishop Thomas Tobin, and is celebrated by the Catholics League’s Bill Donohue as “the most comprehensive defense of marriage made by any bishop in the nation. Indeed, he leaves no matter attendant to this subject untouched.”

The letter is ridiculous; it seems hardly possible that the man might seriously believe he is fooling anybody — besides Bill Donohue, I mean. Consider just the first paragraph:

The proposal to legalize same-sex marriage is an attempt to redefine the institution of marriage as it has existed in every culture from the very beginning of human history. Marriage between a man and a woman was designed by God for two specific purposes: to affirm the complementary roles of males and females in a loving relationship, and to provide a stable foundation for the procreation and raising of children. Homosexual relationships can achieve neither of those goals.

An “attempt to redefine the institution of marriage as it has existed in every culture from the very beginning of human history?” Not even close. He is doubtless aware that Muslims throughout the world, and Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, practice polygamy today. He doubtless knows that Solomon, a man celebrated for his wisdom, is reported by the Inerrant Bible to have had 700-wives, and an additional 300-concubines. He doubtless knows that the Old Testament boys were forever “going in unto” the maids, the slaves, the neighbor ladies, and that at least the Holy Men thought it was a pretty good system.

He doubtless knows that monogamy didn’t become the norm even in Christianity until Paul, recognizing that his pitch for celibacy wasn’t going over too well, conceded that it would be all right for those not given that curious gift to have one wife. One wife — a policy adopted about 20-years after the crucifixion of Jesus.

Does the Bishop actually expect to be taken seriously?

Yes, he does — but not by the legislature. He expects to be taken seriously by the laity, who will then write evil-tempered letters to the legislature. He know he is lying about the facts of marriage, he knows the Creation tale is laughable nonsense — and he knows the poor simpletons of his flock know very little and think even less. This letter is an exemplar for the truth about the relationship clergy have with their congregants: predatory contempt.

Yes, Bob is harsh in his assessment, but sadly it is the truth.  What is frightening is that more of the laity cannot see that they are being played for simpletons and suckers.  And the bishop himselt?  He's little better than one of Emperor Palpatine's storm troopers from the Star Wars saga.