Pope Benedict XVI to Resign in March (true)

[Gabriel Syme]

Lest we forget:
http://www.protest-the-pope.org.uk/mr-ra...rap-sheet/

If I asked you an honest question, would you give an honest answer?

How much effort did you put into investigating the authenticity of these claims in this "rap sheet"?

I will deal with it here:

Joseph Ratzinger, a.k.a. “The Pope” is charged with the following crimes:
1.Opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of AIDS

Nonsense. Public Health Expert Dr Edward Green, who has held posts at various universities, including Harvard, stated that the empirical evidence re HIV transmission supported the Catholic position.

Id rather listen to a public health expert, (who is not a Catholic), than a "protest the pope" website, If I wanted the unbiased truth.

And women can control their fertility, with the same success as using condoms, entirely naturally.

I have posted substantiation of both these points in posts elsewhere on the forum today.

So, Point number 1 is anti-scientific rubbish (as it denies what university level experts tell us, based on empirical evidence).

2.Promoting segregated education

So its alright for families to choose:

- public (£££) or state schools
- gender exclusive or mixed schools
- boarding or day schools

All of which segregate pupils, on some grounds or other - gender, wealth etc - but its somehow NOT Ok for families to choose a Catholic school, because they segregates?

Point 2 is ridiculous 'clutching at straws'.

3.Denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women

An exceptionally vague statement.

Its true that Catholicism doesn't advocate abortion simply because a woman doesn't want to take responsibility for her own choice to have sex.

Pregnancy is not inherently harmful to women - it is a major and normal function of their bodies.

But it is not true that Catholicism condemns women to death, if the pregnancy somehow does wrong.

Morality is about intent. If medical action is taken to save a woman's life, but which results in the unintended death of the unborn child, that is not the same as a deliberate abortion.

This is know as the principle of "double effect" (thanks to St Thomas Aquinas).

Another example of this would be if you killed someone in self defence. Morally, that is clearly a world apart from committing a deliberate murder.

Note that any such dangerous pregnancy is exceptionally rare and that abortion kills women, but it is usually unreported. Here is one which was reported:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z2KdJ1yVfW

Point 3 is a deliberate distortion of Catholic policy.

4.Opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people

By "equal rights" they mean "view and treat entirely the same, with no difference" - as per the current gay marriage furore.

But (eg) homosexual couples are simply not "the same" as heterosexual couples. There are all manner of differences - demonstrably.

Asking a Catholic to view a gay relationship as being the same as a heterosexual marriage is like asking them to call a dog a horse.

But a dog is not a horse, so we wont do it. Note that articulating that a dog is not a horse implies no inherent slight upon the dog (unless the dog feels inadequate to start with, for its own reasons, and would really prefer to be called a horse).

Point 4 is a nonsense

5.Failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation.

It is true that some Catholic diocesan Bishops failed, decades ago, to deal properly with cases of abuse, which was a disgrace. They managed this as they had the final authority to act in their own areas.

But Pope Benedict has been a great reformer in this regard. He stripped the local Bishops of their authority to deal with any future allegations of crime - now they are dealt with by the CDF, to ensure consistency and proper treatment.

He was also meeting victims and making public apologies on behalf of the Church for years before the press took an interest in any of this.

He took the enormous baggage of the sexual abuse crisis by the handle, opened it, and began unpacking. Because of his courageous leadership on this front, much progress has been made in healing wounds that have lasted decades, and the Catholic Church now is an institution with the strongest protections for children.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/...-statement

Note also that rates of abuse in the Catholic Church are no higher than in secular society or other religions - indeed they are often lower. However, the media concentrate exclusively on Catholic cases, to give a false impression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_cover...a_coverage

Point 5 is a lie.

6.Rehabilitating the holocaust denier bishop Richard Williamson and the appeaser of Hitler, the war-time Pope, Pius XII.

Richard Williamson is not, and has never been, a Catholic Bishop.

He has never said the holocaust did not take place, but he has questioned the number of people killed (I do not defend his view, only clarify it).

He was part of a group excommunicated from the Catholic Church (SSPX). Benedicts action removed the excommunication, which was first necessary before the group could be reconciled with the Church.

The full reconciliation still has not taken place (mainly its just been lots of arguing etc) but Willianson has since been expelled by the SSPX (mainly as he is a bit of a nutter). Note that Williamson himself was against reconciliation with the Vatican (again, nutter).

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories...204487.htm

As for Pope Pius XII, its is now widely recognised that the idea of "Hitlers Pope" is a nonsense.

Its one of the myths people who hate the Church make up, and others swallow.

Modern Jewish historians estimate that Pope Piux XII saved 860,000 jews from the Nazis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/nyregi...r/XhA5Q6dw

Even the Guardian is now starting to have to admit it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb...-holocaust

A new book coming out will definitively review the record of Piux XII in this regard:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commenta...t-to-rest/

Point 6 is two lies

So - with a little googling, it was very easy to debunk all of that rubbish! (and very enjoyable too lol).

None of the allegations had the slightest substance, it was a lot of desperate bollocks made up by people to justify their hate. People who start with their conclusion, and then invent facts to support it.

Its disappointing to see these lies lapped up so eagerly, with no checks done etc. So much for 'critical thinking'.

The Catholic Church is not perfect, and - being an ancient organisation - has certainly made a few mistakes in its time, but it is not the monstrous organisation its opponents make it out to be.

If it were, I would take nothing to do with it!

Well - I am off to bed!
Good to talk to you again
Cheers
GS