The leader of the most corrupt organization on the planet is warning others against corruption – how selfish is that? What does the Pope think, that the Catholic Church has somehow cornered the market on corruption? Anyway, isn’t he just a tad late to warn the African people of corruption? After all, there is more corruption in Africa than there is in any other continent with the possible exception of Asia.
Hopefully for his sake the Pope won’t put his foot in his mouth once again as he did during his last trip to Africa in 2009, when he suggested that the distribution of condoms aggravated the AIDS problem. In the case of the Catholic Church and specifically the Pope, such absurd positions have been taken in the past on condom use that there is difficulty in completely reversing their stance as this may appear hypocritical; which of course it is. Nevertheless, as a need for some “damage-control” following his stupid commentary with regard to condoms use, the Pope did state in a book that condom use is acceptable “in certain cases.”
The Catholic Church’s opposition to condom use began decades ago when Church leaders realized that more condoms meant fewer people; fewer people meant fewer Catholics and fewer Catholics meant fewer profits. You see in the end, religion (especially Christianity) is all about money. One could say that Christianity is the capitalist faith, in which case the Catholic Church is comparable to Wall Street. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
By Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere | AFP
Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday denounced corruption, warning it could lead to violent upheaval, while calling on African leaders not to rob citizens of hope on his second visit to the continent.
Benedict issued the call during a speech at the presidential palace in the west African nation of Benin, a voodoo heartland and Catholic bastion where thousands greeted him joyously as he arrived on Friday.
The audience for the speech in the economic capital Cotonou included voodoo chiefs who also heard the pontiff call for inter-religious dialogue to take place without improper fusion of beliefs. Catholicism and voodoo beliefs often mix in Benin.
“At this time, there are too many scandals and injustices, too much corruption and greed, too many errors and lies, too much violence which leads to misery and to death,” he said in a speech at Benin’s presidential palace.
“These ills certainly afflict your continent, but they also afflict the rest of the world. Every people wishes to understand the political and economic choices which are made in its name. They perceive manipulation and their revenge is sometimes violent.”
He added later in the speech before politicians, religious leaders and diplomats: “From this place, I launch an appeal to all political and economic leaders of African countries and the rest of the world.
“Do not deprive your peoples of hope! Do not cut them off from their future by mutilating their present!”
He also seemed to make reference to uprisings in the Arab world and spoke of the independence of South Sudan, Africa’s newest nation.
“During recent months, many peoples have manifested their desire for liberty, their need for material security, and their wish to live in harmony according to their different ethnic groups and religions,” he said.
“Indeed, a new state has been born on your continent. Many conflicts have originated in man’s blindness, in his will to power and in political and economic interests which mock the dignity of people and of nature. Human beings aspire to liberty,” the 84-year-old pontiff said.
He called for inter-religious dialogue, saying “everyone of good sense understands that a serene and respectful dialogue about cultural and religious differences must be promoted.”
But he added that “inter-religious dialogue when badly understood leads to muddled thinking or to syncretism. This is not the dialogue which is sought.”
Africa has seen its share of sectarian and ethnic violence, and the pope also said in his speech that “no religion, and no culture may justify appeal or recourse to intolerance and violence.”
Benedict later traveled to Ouidah, a city heavy with symbolism as a centre of voodoo and which served as a major slave trading port, and was welcomed by some 3,000 people cheering when he arrived at a seminary there.
He is to sign a document seen as a roadmap for the Catholic Church in Africa at a time of religious tension and with evangelical movements making huge gains on the continent. Africa also has the world’s fastest growing number of Catholics.
The main message of the document — an apostolic exhortation called “The Pledge for Africa” — will be peace, reconciliation and justice.
The document, a summary of the conclusions of a 2009 synod of African bishops, is also expected to refer to the problems of unequal development and corruption, among others.
The pope may face questions over the Church’s stance on condoms, after his comments on his first African trip to Cameroon and Angola in 2009 caused a global outcry when he suggested condom distribution aggravated the AIDS problem.
He has since seemed to ease that stance, saying in a book published last year that condom use is acceptable “in certain cases,” notably to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 70 percent of the world’s HIV cases.
