Vatican says media in "ignoble attempt" to smear pope

[brooklynite]

Source: Reuters

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican on Thursday angrily attacked the media over its reporting of sexual abuse of children by priests, saying there was an "ignoble attempt" to smear Pope Benedict "at any cost."

The editorial in a Vatican newspaper came on a day abuse victims protested near St Peter's Square to demand the pope open files on pedophile clerics and defrock "predator priests," and a cardinal spoke of a "conspiracy" against the church.

"The prevalent tendency in the media is to ignore the facts and stretch interpretations with the aim of spreading the picture of the Catholic Church as the only one responsible for sexual abuse, something which does not correspond to reality," the Vatican newspaper said.

There was "clearly an ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict and his closest aides at any cost," it said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100325/ts_nm/us_pope_abuse

---

Okay, I'll accept that the Catholic Church isn't the only source of Child Abusers. However, it's the only religious organization I know of whose leaders cover up the crimes by their representatives. Are those also "facts" we should ignore?

[aquart]

1. "Smear"? Or merely "report"?

[roguevalley]

24. they again mistake this nazi for God. SIGH

[ShockediSay]

32. How many public figures blame the media before their compuppence?

Well there was Nixon, Berlusconi, Chavez, Limbaugh &c &c &c

[roguevalley]

33. all of them. :) But then, they call themselves adults ...

[Warpy]

2. Same old, same old, the pope is infallible and above reproach

by any mere earthly institution, blah blah blah.

When are Catholics going to wise up and dump Rome?

[Scairp]

27. Seriously

They are nothing but a criminal organization hiding behind their so-called religion. I wish that our state department would come up with the guts to indict them under RICO. They are engaging in an ongoing criminal enterprise for profit. Isn't that organized crime?

[Hekate]

41. I think they called them Protestants, some centuries ago. A new exodus of the faithful is overdue...

... right now. A mass exodus, so to speak.

Hekate

[brooklynite]

3. Perhaps the most intolerant part of the story...

(Cardinal) Saraiva Martins said he was for zero tolerance of abuse, but could understand why some bishops covered up cases in the past.

"We should not be too scandalized if some bishops knew about it but kept it secret. This is what happens in every family, you don't wash your dirty laundry in public," he said.

[saigon68]

4. Hope he likes this shot of his predecessor

[RainDog]

29. throw their fucking asses in jail. THOSE WHO COVERED UP THE CRIMES

what makes the pope or his secretary of state (who covered up the 200 deaf children who were abused.)

what makes any of them above the law except for their declaration this is so.

if they are above the law, they should not be allowed to do business in the U.S.

what makes me so fucking sick of these assholes, beyond the abuse to children, is they still think they can claim they have any moral authority to tell women what choices to make in their lives.

to me, anyone who uses religion as a way to deny women equal rights is a piece of shit.

ergo, the catholic hierarchy is made out of shit.

[myrna minx]

47. Oh my god - that statement is stunning.

:wow:

[fascisthunter]

5. world to Vatican... STFU!

[valerief]

9. and may I add, "Vatican, begone!"

[guitar man]

6. Is there coverage for that now?

Can the media now get a big break on the cost of pope smears?

:hide:

[jwirr]

7. As a social worker and member of another church body that was

facing accusations of abuse in one of their congregations I was asked how I would handle the investigation. I told them that we needed to think of the victim first and be honest with the investigation. NO cover-ups. They did the minister was removed from the church bodies rosters and can no longer act in any official capacity in that church. They followed my advice and that is what the catholic church should be doing.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Joey Ratz did that all by himself...

:-(

[valerief]

10. I still think the South Park episode about the endemic Catholic clergy child abuse is still spot on!

[AtheistCrusader]

11. Hit a nerve, eh?

That article is so foul. 'wash dirty laundry in public'. Ok, I get it, victimization rates by preists aren't much different than other orgs that have adults interfacing with children, like teachers, daycare workers, etc. But SCHOOLS are not in the HABIT of covering up investigations into teacher sexual misconduct. Quite the opposite.

Protect the victim. Usher the offender along to criminal justice.

You NEVER, EVER cover it up. Ever.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Christa]

18. + 1 nt

[Doc Martin]

13. Fact: Ratz issued the order for bishops to maintain secrecy

[IndianaGreen]

35. under penalty of ex-communication if the information became public

Ratzo was an enabler of child molesters!

[rhett o rick]

14. Why are those that cover this stuff up arrested? If they know of a crime and help arent they

accessories after the fact?

[RandySF]

15. This pope believes his own dogma

I don't know about John Paul II, but this pope loves all the bells, whistles and and authority the church granted him over the years. He truly believes he is above it all, including human law.

[SoapBox]

16. The old Nazi and his cult, have smeared themselves...

Pervs. Plain and simple.

And then they have the "balls" to try and say it is everyone else's fault.

How Christian of them.

[UTUSN]

17. K&R #6 for, ignoble is as ignoble DOES!1

*************QUOTE**********

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1728239,00.html

The Heartthrob from the Vatican

By Jeff Israely/Rome

When Pope Benedict XVI touches down for his first papal visit in the United States next week, you may notice that he doesn't have the same onstage flair as his predecessor, John Paul II. But you may also begin to notice a very handsome man of the cloth never far from the pontiff's side. That would be Monsignor Georg Gänswein, the Pope's personal secretary, responsible for everything from deciding who gets to see Benedict, to keeping His Holiness on schedule, to discreetly handing him his papal reading glasses just before a homily or other public discourse. While he is the paradigm of discretion, others have taken liberties with his image. Fashion designer Donatella Versace said her Spring 2007 collection was inspired by Gänswein, confessing: "I was thinking of an austere, severe and ethical man. I find Father Georg's austerity very elegant."

Italians have taken notice of Gänswein, and nicknamed him "Bel Giorgio," which Americans might translate as: Gorgeous George. Paparazzi have snapped photos of him playing tennis in his tennis whites, while the Roman and Bavarian press eagerly report his bravura on the ski slopes and appearances at evening Church functions. Nevertheless, despite the glamour imposed on him by the celebrity press, the tall, athletic and dirty-blond Monsignor in his clerical black, concentrates on his pivotal but quiet job choreographing papal appearances. And that is how Americans will see him, in a supporting role buoyed by his scene-stealing good looks. ....



http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2006/11/18/pope-benedict-issues-formal-vatican-decree-a-smile-is-not-a-sin/

Pope Benedict Issues Formal Vatican Decree: A Smile Is Not a Sin

November 18, 2006

POPE BENEDICT AND MSGR. GANSWEIN, THE POPE’S DEVOTED PERSONAL SECRETARY

The New York Times published an article today that disclosed some of the jokes making their rounds about Pope Benedict and his secretary, Msgr. Georg Ganswein. This brief extract from the Times article describes some of those satirical moments:

Perhaps it is his good looks, or his work in the ever-so-serious Vatican, but for whatever reason, Msgr. Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI’s secretary, has suddenly found himself the butt of jokes in the Italian news media. ....

In a curious “non-response” to this growing wave of satire, the pope’s secretary told his radio audience that “the Vatican was not offended.” “We’re convinced that smiles bring religion closer to the people,” he said, “because a smile is never a sin.”

Pope is Wrong: This One’s Very Sinful.

In response to the Times article, Andrew Sullivan published this irreverent, biting criticism of the article (and the Pope) today on his Time Magazine blog, The Daily Dish:

“The NYT runs a very curious article today about Italian humor about the current Pope. None of the jokes cited seem to me to be very risque or even funny. The entire argument of the piece is undermined by lack of any real evidence that this pope is subject to any more ridicule than has historically been the case. Except of course for that photograph (see above, seated with Msgr. Georg Ganswein). It shows the actual source of the jokes circulating in the Vatican and elsewhere about this Prada-preferring, Gucci-wearing, high-drama German intellectual (Pope). The actual jokes – which the NYT won’t print – are about how good looking so many of the men are who surround Benedict, especially his personal assistant, Msgr. Georg Gänswein, shown holding the large phallic microphone in front of Benedict’s face. The Vatican gossip merchants call Georg 'Gay-Org.' He is inseparable from Benedict. And he surely is easy on the eyes. There is no evidence that Benedict has ever broken his vows of chastity; but there is no evidence that he is heterosexual either. Hence the gossip; hence the jokes. When you’re a Pope who declares that even closeted, chaste gay men cannot be priests, it’s pushing your luck to clothe yourself in Prada, bedeck your Pope-mobile with luxurious Natuzzi Italian white leather, and surround yourself with assistants who look like they strayed from the pages of 'L’Uomo Vogue.'

"Butch it up, sister. Or the jokes will only get louder.”

******************UNQUOTE************

[Christa]

19. + 1. nt

[Hekate]

42. TY for the comic relief; those quotes are hilarious. Sullivan and Israely are gooood.

"Butch it up, sister"! :rofl:

Hekate

[SpiralHawk]

20. Pope Ratzinger really has the Republicon playbook down cold

Ya gots to give him credit for that...

[tom_paine]

39. On those rare opccasions when the Corporate M$M actually does it's job & busts you

cry "Lib'rul Media!"

It's the Bushie Way (and it works most, if not all of the time)

[Hekate]

43. Oh please. Credit where credit is due! The Pope has centuries and centuries on the Repubs.

:eyes:

[skepticscott]

21. Please don't forget

Not only did the RCC cover up uncounted cases of priests raping children, they also abeted and facilitated the commision of further rapes by the same priests.

[crikkett]

22. Not the ONLY religous org to cover up crimes but that's still no excuse.

You DO remember Jim and Tammy Baker?
Scientology?

[City Lights]

23. Ya sure, the pope is the victim here.

:eyes:

The vatican needs to clean up its own house before is sticks its nose into mine.

[thelordofhell]

25. So in other words.....

The problem isn't catholic priests raping children and the church covering it up, it's the media reporting it all that's the problem. Disgusting.

[TygrBright]

26. Yeah. How dare the media actually, like, REPORT that stuff.

Total smear job. Disgusting. Telling the truth. Reporting. Foul, foul, foul. They're goin' straight to the bad place for doin' their jobs like that.

Obviously, those "media" job descriptions need to be updated to say something along the lines of "report the truth however and wherever you find it UNLESS it makes someone powerful look sleazy."

:eyes:

Long past the s-bend...

disgustedly,
Bright

[Bluenorthwest]

28. Such horrid people. Just pure evil.

This Ratsy, he goes around slandering gay people worldwide to provide cover for his own deep corruption. Vile wretch, called 'Holy Father' by his accomplices. They dress him in silk and bow to him.

[laconicsax]

30. They pretty much said the same thing about Galileo

So in 500 years, maybe they'll acknowledge there was a problem.

[troubledamerican]

31. Pope Nixon: "The Media are out to get me"

Can't wait for the Checkers Speech

[IndianaGreen]

34. NYT: Memo to Pope Described Transfer of Pedophile Priest

Memo to Pope Described Transfer of Pedophile Priest

By NICHOLAS KULISH and KATRIN BENNHOLD
Published: March 25, 2010

MUNICH — The future Pope Benedict XVI was kept more closely apprised of a sexual abuse case in Germany than previous church statements have suggested, raising fresh questions about his handling of a scandal unfolding under his direct supervision before he rose to the top of the church’s hierarchy.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope and archbishop in Munich at the time, was copied on a memo that informed him that a priest, whom he had approved sending to therapy in 1980 to overcome pedophilia, would be returned to pastoral work within days of beginning psychiatric treatment. The priest was later convicted of molesting boys in another parish.

An initial statement on the matter issued earlier this month by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising placed full responsibility for the decision to allow the priest to resume his duties on Cardinal Ratzinger’s deputy, the Rev. Gerhard Gruber. But the memo, whose existence was confirmed by two church officials, shows that the future pope not only led a meeting on Jan. 15, 1980, approving the transfer of the priest, but was also kept informed about the priest’s reassignment.

What part he played in the decision making, and how much interest he showed in the case of the troubled priest, who had molested multiple boys in his previous job, remains unclear. But the personnel chief who handled the matter from the beginning, the Rev. Friedrich Fahr, “always remained personally, exceptionally connected” to Cardinal Ratzinger, the church said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/world/europe/26church.html?ref=world

It was Ratzinger who protected Boston's Cardinal Law when Law was protecting his own share of pedophile priests. Ratzinger should resign from the Papacy!

[panzerfaust]

36. And the (previous) Papa blamed the US Media for the Child Abuse scandal in the US.

From what is coming out the current Papa knew, or should have known - being in charge of the Vatican's pedophile priest investigation, what was going on.

Even if he did not have a weakness for alter-boys himself (and there seems no evidence of that), he certainly does seem to have put the "good" name of Holy Mother Church above his duty to the abused children.

The church will survive this - it has survived much worse - but only God knows why.

[Guilded Lilly]

37. Spread the source of child abuse all over the place if you want

Nothing changes the facts that the Catholic Church has been guilty of one HUGE conspiracy to cover up the IGNOBLE, criminal, serial, predator pedophile priests that they have protected at any cost.
The most heinous cost is to the health and well-being and yes, soul of all those children.

And if these foul acts are the only ones that victims have finally been brave enough to expose, imagine those that go undetected because their victims have cowered in shame and hurt and fear and will never say anything.

These aren't just a handful of random criminal acts from repugnant sexual predators.
This is just the tip of their perverted iceberg.

These *men* should not just be defrocked. They should be behind bars for life.

[dogfacedboy]

38. I can think of no bigger pathetic fool than

an individual that follows the Roman Catholic Cult, or any piece of crap called the Pope, especially the current one.

Sorry, folks, but the truth isn't always pretty.

[Hekate]

40. I make an "ignoble" gesture in their general direction and suggest they need an exorcism.

I also suggest that countries with Napoleonic Law might be the appropriate venue for ridding the Church of its troublesome priests.

Okay, I know I'm mixing metaphors and historical references with a blender, but really :grr:

Hekate

[lonestarnot]

44. Popie did that to himself.

[closeupready]

45. Fine organization to talk about reality, an organization that calls condoms bad.

Pfft.

[lunatica]

46. Playing the victims.

If it weren't for that gosh darned media everything would be wunnerful

[Vidar]

48. It's awful hard to smear a Nazi.