Cultists should not be absolved of child rape.

The Pope's desperately lame efforts to shirk church responsibility for chronically enabling the rape of children are sad to behold.

Instead of coming clean and owning the issue, the cult of vicarious redemption through human sacrifice has attempted to pass the blame onto:

• Jewish people:
  

  "They do not want the church, they are its natural enemies. Deep down, historically speaking, the Jews are God killers."

• Homosexual people:

  "I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia. That is true," said Bertone. "That is the problem."

• The Devil:

  "recent revelations of "violence and paedophilia" committed by Catholic priests against children in their care was also the work of the Devil, said Father Amorth"

• And worst of all, the child victims themselves:

  There is outrage in parts of Spanish society following declarations made over Christmas from the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez. His comments were that there are youngsters who want to be abused, and he compared that abuse to homosexuality, describing them both as prejudicial to society. He said that on occasions the abuse happened because the there are children who consent to it.
  ‘There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you’, he said.

I'd watch out for that last one kids, he seems a little too familiar with irresistible temptations.

They've drug out that old homophobic fallacy that homosexuality is the root of pedophilia, oddly ignoring the fact that girls are consistently molested as well. This naturally drew the ire of the rational.

They've also claimed that trying to hold them accountable for systemically enabling child rape is akin to the persecution of Jews by the Nazis:

At a solemn Good Friday service, Pope Benedict XVI's personal preacher said allegations that the pontiff covered up sex abuse cases by Catholic clergymen reminded him of the "more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism."

Wonder what he considers the "[less] shameful aspects...." are?

As the pope listened in a hushed St. Peter's Basilica, the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa likened accusations against the pontiff and the Catholic church in sex abuse scandals in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere to "collective violence" suffered by the Jews.

Demanding accountability for consistently covering up child rape is just like what Hitler did! What else can one expect coming from the same cult who were unaware child rape was even a crime:

"We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature.

Weakland, who retired in 2002 after it became known that he paid $450,000 in 1998 to a man who had accused him of date rape years earlier, said he initially:

"Accepted naively the common view that it was not necessary to worry about the effects on the youngsters: either they would not remember or they would ‘grow out of it’.

Roman Polanski concurs.

They are even making efforts to stop legislation that would remove the statute of limitations in child rape cases. Three bishops signed a letter stating to remove the limitations would put

"all Church institutions, including your parish, at risk,"

At risk of what, exposing all the child rape from their creepy past?

The list is a mile long and the church has spent billions in legal fees and hush money. Yes, billions.

Thankfully, there are plenty of their flock who are recognizing that the church has committed a criminal act and demanding justice be served.

I somehow doubt reformation is coming, but perhaps someday we'll recognize that science has more offer to questions of morality than a sexless cult of men in funny hats ever will.

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OVERDUE:


"Two billboards in Marsa advertising the Pope's visit to Malta got the unlikely addition of two stencilled images of what looks like a panda. It is not clear why the "artist" in question juxtaposed the bears with the Pope. The organising committee was alerted yesterday morning and it plans to erase the images."