Petty Gossip

Old Joe Ratzinger has my sympathy. Over ten thousand Britons have signed a petition protesting the his visit to England and Scotland in September. Northern Ireland - maybe not this time...The Pontiff currently enjoys immunity from prosecution in the UK, specifically over sex crimes by paedophile priests. Some time ago, two American cardinals were reassigned to Vatican City after allegations of cover-ups in regard to the sex-abuse scandal  in the US threatened their positions. Both hold Vatican passports.
All this comes on the heels of a sermon by the dean of the College of Cardinals, in which he called the scandal involving Catholic clergymen "petty gossip" during Mass on Easter Sunday. The Pontiff, seemingly untouched by recent events, suggested that the Vatican's reputation would prevail due to divine protection. "The loving presence [of Christ] accompanies the church on its path and supports it in times of difficulty," said the Pope in his address at Castelgandolfo on Easter Monday, today. Since he dismisses 'petty gossip' he won't mind if I add a little of my own. I read an article HH wrote in 1984, when, as God's Rottweiler, he was quite well known for stifling dissent. The article was a strong condemnation of liberation theology, which is a potent political mix of Marxist hermeneutic and revisionist history and which really only served to convince me that the old feller had even then begun to lose touch with reality, since the marbles were beginning to rattle. 
The Catholics seem to love dressing up, whether figuratively or literally and recent scandals have provided them with the best excuse they've had in centuries to manufacture a new suit of clothes for the emperor - perhaps even a new emperor. When in doubt, add spice to the mixture seems a fine 'maxima vaticana'.


Go ahead.  Smokescreen. Blur the edges. The Church will, as always, hide behind all kinds of silly nonsense, believing that the preservation of doctrine is going to buttress the priesthood and save it from popular savaging, rather like the following:


Since the launching of the “Voice of the People for Mary Mediatrix” (in May 1993), as a popular movement of the People of God from the five continents of the world praying and petitioning the Vicar of Christ to papally define the fifth Marian Dogma of Our Lady as “the spiritual Mother of all Peoples”, in her three motherly roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all Graces and Advocate, a lot of good things have been happening in the Church and in the world as a result of this endeavour.


Of course they have.


It's a logical fallacy to suggest that the people have a voice - remember 'Father knows best'...Co-redemptrix? Hogwash. I wonder if she'd be OK about messing with little boys....