Dissenters cite legacy of Pope John Paul II's mistakes

[dArKeR]

As the world's 1 billion Catholics mourn the passing of Pope John Paul ll, those whose voices remained unheard for nearly 30 years warned of the high price that continues to be paid for his unswerving orthodoxy.

Revisiting some of the church's most socially conservative doctrines, the 263rd Bishop of Rome endorsed and strengthened teachings liberals had hoped to reform.

Critics believe his vehement opposition to abortion -- which he compared to the Holocaust -- embryo research, IVF, married priests, gay rights and the ordination of women, and his labelling of contraception as an "intrinsic evil," turned millions of Catholics away.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/04/05/2003249201

I can guarantee you the real God of the Universe would say a priest molesting a child is equal to the Holocaust. And what about the MAN who was the leader of the priests?

[this_side_up]

1. Unfortunately, research says

it isn't just Catholics and other churches do many
more children than the Catholics.

We would be naïve and dishonest were we to say this is a Roman Catholic problem and has nothing to do with us because we have married and female priests in our church. Sin and abusive behavior know no ecclesial or other boundaries." Rt. Rev. William Persell, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Good Friday Sermon, 2002.


http://www.reformation.com

Check out the different lists.

[6000eliot]

2. I don't think the point is whether other religions have child molesters.

Rather, the point is the leadership of those churches condoning said molesting, and the Catholic Church has a lot to answer for in its leadership in this case, especially JP II.

[Skittles]

4. passing the plate to pay off the victims

while re-assigning pedophiles to do their crimes again and again. :puke:

[saigon68]

5. Seen that a lot around here

Feeney verdict: Guilty

Former area priest faces 60-year term for assaults


http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/priest/priest_14927345.shtml

By Dan Wilson
Post-Crescent staff writer

APPLETON — As the verdicts were being read by the court clerk, Troy Merryfield held up a finger each time a verdict was read.

He used four fingers, as former Catholic priest John Patrick Feeney, 77, was found guilty after six hours of deliberation on four of the five counts of sexual assault for incidents involving Troy and his older brother Todd in 1978.Feeney showed no emotion as he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of attempted sexual assault of child — charges that carry a maximum of 60 years in prison.

“Hopefully he will die in jail and then he’ll face God’s punishment,” said Merryfield, 38, who was 12 when Feeney, the parish priest at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Freedom, came into his bedroom and assaulted him. “He belonged behind bars a long time ago,” he said.

A special report in The Post Crescent, published in May 2002, detailed how Feeney was moved from parish to parish 14 times in 14 years, commonly after allegations of sexual misconduct, during his stint in the Green Bay Diocese. In all, Feeney served at 18 parishes in the diocese between his June 1952 ordination and before moving to California in 1983.

[Massachusetts]

11. Look close when watching the Popadrama.

You will see sliming along the paths and hiding in the shadows (1) cardinal Bernie Law who should BE IN the prison Feeney is going to.
-The Mad Catholic

[saigon68]

13. Aaah Yes the good Cardinal Law-- The Pedophiles Friend

In Vatican City impervious to extradition.

Maybe hannity will give him a boost of confidence.

[Bridget Burke]

8. And the victims accepting the money....

Instead of reporting real crimes to the police.

[vpigrad]

3. So the pope was a drama queen!

> which he compared to the Holocaust

Oh please.

[Voltaire99]

7. Sad, isn't it?

For a man so brilliant in some respects, his head was filled with mush--and no small amount of it (abortion, contraception, gay rights) harmful mush at that.

[MADem]

6. Over time, the real influence of his more than quarter century

...as Pontiff will be sorted out. Right now, it's a new thing for a Pope to die, half the world has been born since he started shuffling about in the shoes of the fisherman--like him or not, this is a BIG DEAL. He is the third longest serving Pope in history, the first non-Italian in almost 400 years, he did that Solidarity secret funding thing, he was a political, as well as a religious guy. After all, he is a Head of State as well as a religious leader--a lot like the Muslims, when you think of it, just more consolidated.

Over time, his influence will be properly assessed. He did great things for social justice, the poor, the elderly, the sick, the suffering, and he also dropped the ball totally on some of the same issues when it came to individuals or groups, with his stance on women's and gay issues.

My take: not perfect. Made mistakes in judgment. Had some backward ideas. But did some nice things as well.

I'm enjoying the coverage, having lived in Rome, and the Vatican and St. Peter's Piazza being some of my favorite places to hang out. I used to picnic up on the parapet virtually alongside the statues overlooking the square (right near the Vatican gift shop--fabulous place, everything from the iconic to the absurd!). I'll bet they don't let folks do that nowadays....those were simpler times.

[mrbill]

9. bought a key chain at that gift shop on the roof....

wonder if the coke machine is still there?

[BlueManDude]

10. Romero

The Pope looked the other way when he was assaasinated.

[MADem]

12. One thing the Pope did right--He BLASTED the Corporate Media

Damn near his LAST WORDS, too!!! Ripped 'em, BUT GOOD!!!!!!!

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA514756.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP (well worth a full read).

The MONEY QUOTES:

"The mass media can and must promote justice and solidarity according to an organic and correct vision of human development by reporting events accurately and truthfully, analyzing situations and problems completely, and providing a forum for different opinions. An authentically ethical approach to using the powerful communication media must be situated within the context of a mature exercise of freedom and responsibility, founded upon the supreme criteria of truth and justice."
...
"I would like to recall our attention to the subject of media access, and of co-responsible participation in their administration. If the communications media are a good destined for all humanity, then ever-new means must be found – including recourse to opportune legislative measures – to make possible a true participation in their management by all. The culture of co-responsibility must be nurtured."

[dArKeR]

14. I wonder who can think for themselves now a days? According to the polls

the Pope has great ratings. According to the polls, the new Pope should address more than a 1/2 dozen serious issues that the previous Pope did NOT address. It also seems the people do not make a connection of the thousands plus cases of child molestation had nothing to do with Pope John. Would that be the case for Clinton, Stewart, or Michael Jackson if they were head of the Red Cross and this happened under there watch in their association?

Pope John knew of molestations by priests since at least 1960. I just don't see how he's not held accountable?

Anyway, doesn't seem such a contradition that so much was not done but he's a great Pope?

[dArKeR]

15. Pope's legacy mixed for Catholic women

Pope John Paul II is credited for some advances by women in the Catholic Church, but his conservative social views have alienated many who have had difficulty reconciling Church doctrine with their everyday lives.

On the eve of his Vatican funeral, religious scholars have praised the role played by John Paul II in urging women to take a more active role than ever before in the Catholic community, as choir directors, catechists, heads of schools and other lay positions.

But over the quarter-century of his papacy, many US women were put off by John Paul II's pronouncements on abortion, artificial birth control and premarital sex -- issues seen as affecting women disproportionately.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1506&ncid=2357&e=1&u=/afp/20050407/ts_alt_afp/vaticanpopeuswomen_050407132327

I think the children molested in the time when the Pope did nothing to stop the priest even though the Pope knew the molestations were occurring also have a "Pope's legacy mixed for molested children." And I go on record, this just didn't happen in the USA. The Catholic Church has priest stationed in countries all over the world. Most all, the molested children could never even file a report in a police station, they'd be turned away, beaten, and/or threaten because the Church has so much power. Same goes for a victim going to their press. God bless Karol Wojtyla!

[dArKeR]

16. Bush, Clinton Disagree on Pope's Legacy

"There will be debates about him. But on balance, he was a man of God, he was a consistent person, he did what he thought was right," Clinton said. "That's about all you can ask of anybody."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050408/ap_on_go_pr_wh/pope_bush&e=2