Catholic Church "an empire of misogyny"

[trotsky]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43330026

A former president of Ireland has criticised the Catholic Church as "an empire of misogyny".

Mary McAleese was speaking in Rome ahead of the Voices of Faith conference, which features prominent Catholic women from around the world.

They are celebrating International Women's Day by demanding a greater say for women in Church governance.

Pope Francis has declined to attend their meeting or to celebrate Mass for those attending.

[Act_of_Reparation]

1. Where are all of our cautiously optimistic friends, now?

I mean, it's gotta be pretty clear by now that we were right about this asshat being little more than a smiley, happy mascot tasked with rehabilitating the Church's image without ever rehabilitating the actual Church.

[MineralMan]

3. Most of those, I believe, have left the building,

or have been ushered out.

[trotsky]

4. He sure talked the talk about wanting to empower women, didn't he?

Here's a chance to walk the walk, and he declines.

Wish I could say that I was surprised.

[Merlot]

5. Well, to be fair, one person could not rehabilitate the catholic church

and would probably die ("accidently" ) while trying.

He may be a "smiley, happy mascot" but he's better than the ratf*cker that was there before him. And by better, I mean the doesn't skeeve me out when I see him.

[MineralMan]

7. In my opinion, the Roman Catholic Church will simply

wither away in time. The process has already begun, and will accelerate as the church and its antiquated fixed doctrines become more and more irrelevant.

[Merlot]

10. That's what I think as well. Why bother trying to bring this

antiquated system forward in thought and policy? Just let it die out.

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. He is qualitatively no different from the ratfucker that preceeded him.

And the idea that anyone who tries to reform the church will get whacked is fucking absurd. These clowns aren't fucking Bond villains. They can't manage to diddle kids without getting caught, much less assassinate a world leader.

[Merlot]

11. They're corrupt and will do anything to hang onto power

Like any other corrupt organization, that will include killing people who are inconvienient.

And they got away with abusing children for YEARS. To many years, to many children before being exposed. And with all that exposure, they still exist.

[MineralMan]

2. The Patriarchy Must Be Defended, Apparently.

In the 21st Century, the Roman Catholic Church is one of the last major holdouts in terms of doctrine-defined patriarchal rule. Most other groups have shed that, at least theoretically. The other primary holdouts are some governments based on Islam. In their attempts to maintain a failed patriarchal philosophy, both are failing to recognize the anachronism such attitudes represent.

[Merlot]

6. If they made changes it would be nothing more than window dressing.

I'd almost rather they stay as they are and watch as their membership dwindles.

[MineralMan]

8. That is most certainly true.

Oh, wait...those are Martin Luther's words. Never mind.

[Merlot]

12. You lost me there!

I have no idea what this Martin guy may have said, or even who he is!

[MineralMan]

13. Ah, OK. That phrase is a stock response to questions

in Luther's "Little Catechism." I refer to it due to Martin Luther's role in the Reformation, which sent Christians on a journey of denominationalism and sectarianism that is still splintering away apace. Luther attempted to reform the Roman Catholic Church and to remove some of the objectionable practices it has instituted.

The Reformation was an important historical thing, but once doctrinal reform was seen as a positive movement toward beneficial change, it was an unstoppable process, leading to reform after reform, splitting Protestantism into myriad sects and denominations. The Roman Catholic Church stuck stolidly to its doctrines, so remaining the largest denomination of Christianity.