Reply #15: Whoa there

[JerseygirlCT]

First, we were talking about "firing" not "prosecuting". Entirely different things.

Please don't go running off thinking my comment meant I don't think/wish he were accountable WITHIN THE CHURCH for his actions. I find him despicable, actually - have long before he was even made pope.

As head of state, it might be difficult to prosecute him for those crimes. Having a religious head also function as head of state (The Vatican) certainly makes all that fuzzy. Wish that weren't the case - and not knowing the niceties of Italian law and Cannon law, I couldn't tell you.

My point was that since the RCC is not a democratic institution by a long shot, there is no mechanism to "fire" him that I know of.

(Papal infallibility is also widely misunderstood and far more limited than many think. And for the record, I'm not keen on even the limited instances where his pronouncements are supposed to be considered infallible. Part of why I'm now Episcopalian, no longer RC).

I think the fact that the RC hierarchy placed their perception of the welfare of the institution above the welfare of its most vulnerable children is horrifying, and unlike what they thought they were doing, they cut any moral grounding for the institution or their positions in it to shreds. If they are victims, they are their own victims and put themselves squarely in the trouble they now find themselves in.

I think, from the pope on down, they need to avail themselves of the sacrament of reconciliation and humbly and honestly beg forgiveness of the children abused, the parents of the children, the people of the RCC and the world. And then spend the rest of their earthly lives makes honest restitution.