Posted by pacejmiller in Religion, Social/Political Commentary.
Tags: anti-semitism, Cantalamessa, Catholic Church, child abuse, Christianity, Church, cover up, Easter, Good Friday, Pope Benedict, scandal, Vatican
Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, who made the comments on Good Friday
I don’t usually like to comment on religious or political things, but this latest Vatican furore has gotten me worked up — and after all, it’s Easter.
At the Good Friday service delivered by Pope Benedict XVI’s personal preacher, Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, read out a letter from a friend which likened the recent persecution of the Catholic Church over clerical sex abuse cover ups to the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.”
What could have possibly possessed Cantalamessa to compare the allegations of feigned ignorance or blatant cover up over child sex abuse by the Catholic Church to the unspeakable horrors stemming from anti-Semitism? Rather than whine about and give lame excuses over the flack the Church has copped (and justifiably so) over the child abuse and cover up claims, why not actually do something about it? Or at least make it look like they’re doing something about it? By all means, make the point that the Church as a whole is being unfairly blamed, and that not all priests are pedophiles. But do it in an intelligent way that does not unnecessaily stir up the already sensitive public.
And of course, the expected public backlash/overreaction is equally frustrating. It’s typical of the media to pick one little bit of a sermon by one person of the Church and blow it out of proportion by saying it’s an insult to all the Jews that perished in the Holocaust. No wonder the Pope (and the Vatican) is trying to distance himself from the comments.
However, at the end of the day, it’s really just another example of the arrogance and naivete of certain members of the Catholic Church in thinking that they can play the “victim” card in the child abuse saga and expect to get away it. And to use anti-Semitism to draw parallels is just plain stupid.
In particular, I found the comparison interesting given that the Catholic Church has played a prominent role in both the child abuse cover-up scandals and in perpetuating theological anti-Semitism throughout history.
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Vatican Preacher: Accusing Church of Abuse Akin to Anti-Semitism April 4, 2010
Posted by pacejmiller in Religion, Social/Political Commentary.Tags: anti-semitism, Cantalamessa, Catholic Church, child abuse, Christianity, Church, cover up, Easter, Good Friday, Pope Benedict, scandal, Vatican
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Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, who made the comments on Good Friday
I don’t usually like to comment on religious or political things, but this latest Vatican furore has gotten me worked up — and after all, it’s Easter.
At the Good Friday service delivered by Pope Benedict XVI’s personal preacher, Rev Raniero Cantalamessa, read out a letter from a friend which likened the recent persecution of the Catholic Church over clerical sex abuse cover ups to the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.”
What could have possibly possessed Cantalamessa to compare the allegations of feigned ignorance or blatant cover up over child sex abuse by the Catholic Church to the unspeakable horrors stemming from anti-Semitism? Rather than whine about and give lame excuses over the flack the Church has copped (and justifiably so) over the child abuse and cover up claims, why not actually do something about it? Or at least make it look like they’re doing something about it? By all means, make the point that the Church as a whole is being unfairly blamed, and that not all priests are pedophiles. But do it in an intelligent way that does not unnecessaily stir up the already sensitive public.
And of course, the expected public backlash/overreaction is equally frustrating. It’s typical of the media to pick one little bit of a sermon by one person of the Church and blow it out of proportion by saying it’s an insult to all the Jews that perished in the Holocaust. No wonder the Pope (and the Vatican) is trying to distance himself from the comments.
However, at the end of the day, it’s really just another example of the arrogance and naivete of certain members of the Catholic Church in thinking that they can play the “victim” card in the child abuse saga and expect to get away it. And to use anti-Semitism to draw parallels is just plain stupid.
In particular, I found the comparison interesting given that the Catholic Church has played a prominent role in both the child abuse cover-up scandals and in perpetuating theological anti-Semitism throughout history.
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