Pope Benedict
I know I’m not a catholic, but I find myself despising the current pope on a daily basis. I know that PJP wasn’t perfect, God rest his soul, but he was so much more…. likeable… than the present pontiff.
Pope John-Paul
From Benedict’s views on condoms and aids in Africa, to the current allegations of him turning a blind eye to child abuse within the catholic church, I’m really growing to dislike him intensely.
I realise that there are catholics out there who feel that criticising the pope is tantamount to criticising the catholic church, but you must admit, he doesn’t have the same aura about him that Pope John-Paul did.
Can’t the church choose somebody else, or does he have to expire first?
My dislike for him could boil down to this comment from a fellow tweeter though:
“Benedict does look a little like Darth Sideous… that might be it….he looks like a man who believed in something all his life, finally got hold of the hotline to God and no one picked up.”
What say you?
libhomo
March 31
11:46 am
The last pope was just as guilty of protecting child raping priests as the current one.
Sparkindarkness
March 31
12:04 pm
Not a fan of either one. JP2 had much better press than Benedict – but I don’t think Benedict has done anything or help any more vile views than his predecessor. He also fought condoms in Africa, lied about their effectiveness (frankly, an act of genocide), protected and covered up child rapists and espoused misogyny and gross homophobia.
And, sadly, I don’t think the next one will be any better than either of the previous ones.
Las
March 31
12:22 pm
Pope Benedict is exactly like JP2 in his views, it’s just that JP2 was considered “charismatic” so he got away with his bullshit. “Rest his soul” my ass…if I believed in hell I’d take some comfort knowing that bastard was burning there.
Frankly, I prefer Benedict…I like my wolves dressed as wolves. I really don’t understand the outrage. It’s the Catholic Church, there kind of supposed to say shit like that. The problem is the people who take these religious leaders seriously.
LizA
March 31
12:36 pm
What has been said already. Benedict is actually continuing his predecessor’s policies in most ways. We had a huge scandal in Austria in the mid-90s ago when JP2 made know child molester Hermann Groer archbishop of Vienna. They really are birds of a feather!
Bernita
March 31
1:08 pm
Karen, I’m with you.
I’m not a Catholic either but liked John Paul much better. Perhaps because I had the impression he liked women.
Mireya
March 31
3:51 pm
Popes are elected for life. And yeah, John Paul II was very charismatic and his relative young age allowed him to travel the world, which pretty much he was the first Pope to actually do that on a regular basis.
Benedict is what you could call a “placeholder” Pope. Yes, the Catholic Church does do that. This was mentioned by the media (although no one dared use the word “placeholder” of course”). The main clue: his already advanced age when he was elected. He will die, and then we’ll see what comes next.
Either way, the Popes have one purpose and one purpose only: to protect the Catholic Church, not the followers of that faith.
Take it from a non-practicing Roman Catholic who has no faith whatsoever in organized religion of ANY sort.
KristieJ
March 31
3:51 pm
This isn’t directed to the people of the Catholic faith, I don’t seem them as a part of this – but in every single picture I see of the current pope he just looks EVIL.
And I think there is something inherently wrong about the whole system – where the leaders dress in gaudy, obviously expensive clothing and ‘preach’ to those living in the depths of poverty.
And I think it’s twisted for one person to make statements about how millions of people are supposed to live their lives – even as far as to going into their bedrooms.
And don’t even get me started on how child molestation has been allowed to go on for decades – and they KNEW about it – and did nothing.
And the whole thing about priests expecting to live a life of celibacy just goes against nature.
Anon76
March 31
6:26 pm
When it comes to the papacy, I can only focus on one thing…Jesus having a hissy over the money-changers in front of a place of worship.
God does not charge a tax or a fee, if you will, to be with him.
Cindy
March 31
6:31 pm
@Anon The Lutheran Church is much the same with the money thing. I’m a believer but am not in any formal religion and here are the reasons why:
1. When my mother and I attended the Lutheran church, people were dressed up in expensive clothing. If you were one of the have-nots (or have-little) they would sit in the church and make fun of you.
2. For nearly 20 years my mother taught Sunday school and Bible school. She paid for supplies out of her own pocket. Members had to put their offering in an envelope stamped with your membership number. Now mind you, she couldn’t attend service since she was teaching Sunday school. And we didn’t have alot of money and what extra she had was going for supplies for said Sunday and Bible schools. The came to her one day and told her flat out that she didn’t contribute enough money weekly and thus was no longer a member.
3. While still a member, my father was in the hospital. Mind you, he wasn’t a member and didn’t attend, but his wife and daughter did. The Pastor completely ignored him when he was doing his rounds.
Religion? I think not.
Amarinda Jones
March 31
6:33 pm
Anyone, regardless of what religion, who turns a blind eye to child abuse or women’s rights or medical issues because it doesn’t fit in with their interpretation of a story written thousands of years ago needs to go. Despite being a heathen myself, my understanding is he has to cark it before a new one gets the hat. I think you have a while to go yet
Anon76
March 31
6:44 pm
Cindy,
Ah, yes. In my childhood years I dealt with the Lutheran Church, also. I loved going to Sunday school, being in the church programs and the like, but…
I was there because of my stepfather. A grasping, ladder climbing man with not a soul in his body, as I later found out. For the things he did, I label him pure evil. But he and his family were upstanding in the church, and so, without reproach.
Organized religion is not something I believe in. There are benifits, but it is too easily corruptible.
DS
March 31
9:04 pm
No different in a lot of churches.
I’m an atheist/agnostic (which one I am depends on the day of week or the weather, I’m not devoted to my lack of religion) but I adore and respect the man who was our preacher when I was a kid and could be forced to go to church. I wouldn’t spit on the man who now heads that church if he were on fire. He came close to asking me to do something financially sleezy but sheered off at the last minute– probably because of the look on my face when I realized where he was heading.
It’s not the post, it’s the person.
AztecLady
March 31
10:22 pm
I’m Catholic because I was baptized, but it’s been years since I’ve been to church voluntarily (being dragged by your elderly relatives does not count), but yes, there was something about John Paul II and his quest for understanding between different religions that allowed me to overlook, at least to a degree, some of the darker aspects of the Catholic church.
The current pope… well, let’s just say that I feel that, simply by virtue of having been ordained pope, he calls attention to all the skeletons in the closet.
LizA
March 31
10:50 pm
I wanted to appologize if my previous post was too curt. I should not post when in a hurry!
Just to add – Benedict rose high under JP2. He is totally the former pope’s creature, a product of the last papacy….
Ann Bruce
March 31
11:22 pm
I’m Catholic and…let’s just say I much prefer JP II. The man was like a rock star. The current pope, however, has taken the Catholic Church back a decade.
Angelia Sparrow
March 31
11:47 pm
As others have said, Pope Palpatine there is just continuing his predecessor’s policies. JP2 authored the Humana Vitae encyclical, one of the most anti-woman, anti-human, pro-poverty pieces of doctrine ever handed down. He rigidly repressed Liberation Theology among Latin American Catholics. He covered up the sex abuse. At least Ratzinger has made an apology, meaningless as it is.
When Cardinal Ratzinger took the name Benedict, he was telling us what we were in for.
Rosie
April 1
4:00 am
I’m like Azteclady, a cradle Catholic who’s many years lapsed. I have friends and family still practicing and I know their are Catholic churches filled with people who don’t embrace the attitudes of the current papacy.
Was PJP a whole lot better? No.
To ignore the real world and focus attention on poor, uneducated Third World countries because you can take advantage of their ignorance and leverage their dependence on the small relief and education the Catholic Church brings them is abhorrent to me.
One day about 10 years ago my husband and I just decided we could no longer support the Church either by our presence or financially when they continue to promote such practices.
awriter
April 1
2:30 pm
Snap. I thought it was just me. Hehehe.