I wholeheartedly concur with the title of this article. Of course the Church will survive this; it has survived worse. And the reason the Church will overcome the rape and physical abuse inflicted on countless numbers of children throughout the ages is because the masses are ignorant and needy. Most humans go through life without stopping to think about the worthlessness of religion or the fact that religious leaders, regardless of their faith, are nothing but con artists; in it for the easy life, personal gain and profits, all at the expense of the gullible herds that actually believe the nonsense that they preach. Does a suicide bomber ever stop to think that he or she is asked (instructed) to sacrifice their life but that their religious leaders never sacrifice their lives?
Just yesterday I spoke to an otherwise intelligent individual who is planning a “spiritual” trip next month to a location a thousand miles from home to visit the town where the “Virgin” magically appeared. Needless to say, the “Virgin” didn’t show herself in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Paris, or any other major city where tens if not hundreds of thousands of people could have witnessed the event. No. She also didn’t descend from heaven in a place such as Iran for instance, where people are obsessed with Muhammad and Allah and could care less about her. No. The “Virgin” decided that after a couple of thousand years of obscurity she would return to this planet, and she chose a remote little hick town in the southeastern United States. A place that has now been converted into a “holy place” where the Christian faithful can leave their money. And there is no doubt in my mind that when this particular individual returns, she will tell those around her that she either saw or felt the presence and divinity of the “Virgin Mary.” Such is the stranglehold that religion has on the masses.
So with this in mind, why should the raping of children by “men of God,” grown men who are completely devoted to the “Supreme Being” be reason for people to reject the Christian faith and stop giving these thieves their money. Why stop supporting this corrupt organization comprised of pedophiles and hypocrites? So what that priests molest children, these are just minor details. There’s no need to fret over the small stuff. The important thing is to believe. With the right amount of faith, and let’s not forget, the right amount of money, the faithful can buy their way into the “Kingdom of Heaven” and watch unbelievers such as myself burn for an eternity in hell. TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican spokesman said Saturday that the Catholic Church is capable of healing the wounds inflicted on it by the clerical sex abuse scandal, but that the time had come for “truth, transparency and credibility.”
The Vatican is moving to get rid of bishops tainted by the scandal — either those directly responsible of abusing children or ones who had sought to shield abusive priests.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi said a recent meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and abuse victims in Malta brought the victims new hope. He said the meeting had been held in the context of a living, dynamic church that is “capable of recognizing its wounds sincerely but also of obtaining the grace of healing.”
“We needed this message,” Lombardi told Vatican Radio.
Several bishops have resigned amid the abuse scandal recently — a development that appeared to be part of the new Vatican strategy.
In the past few days alone, Benedict accepted the resignation of an Irish bishop who acknowledged failing to report abuse to police, while Belgium’s longest-serving bishop resigned, expressing sorrow for having sexually abused a young boy both as a priest and after becoming a bishop in 1984.
Two more Irish bishops have offered to resign and the pope is expected to agree. There are also mounting calls for the country’s top prelate, Cardinal Sean Brady, to leave because of his handling of the case of a notorious child rapist.
“The time has come for truth, transparency and credibility,” Lombardi said in separate comments reported by the ANSA news agency. “The situation we are going through is extremely demanding and it requires us to be absolutely truthful and credible.”
Lombardi, who was speaking at a meeting organized by the Italian Bishops’ Conference, also called for “rigor and the refusal of any hypocrisy,” according to ANSA.
Hundreds of people have reported cases of abuse by priests at schools, orphanages and other church-run institutions. Victims say bishops and other church higher-ups covered up the crimes, choosing to protect the church rather than children.
The scandal has swept across Europe, including in Benedict’s native Germany, and elsewhere.
This week, the Vatican has said it would do everything in its power to bring justice to abusive priests and implement “effective measures” to protect children.
Benedict himself recounted his tearful meeting with Maltese victims, and promised action to confront the scandal. Neither Benedict nor the Vatican has elaborated on what action or measures are being considered.
The Vatican recently published guidelines instructing bishops to report abuse to police when civil laws require it. The Vatican insists that has long been church policy, though it was never before explicitly written.
