Gothamist: Pope Benedict Uses Yankee Stadium Mass to Encourage Growth of Catholicism in the U.S.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:06:00 -0500

It appears that then Cardinal Thomas Ratzinger ( now Pope Benedict XVl ) initiated a explicit written policy to cover up cases of child sexual abuse by the clergy and to punish those who would call attention to these crimes by the churchmen http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_allen_l__080420_pope_played_leading_.htm

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:55:50 -0500

u asked for facts, got them and instead of saying dang the pope really is the antichrist you post a cheesy poem of disputed origins. ill match your cheesy poem with another one! Footprints in the Sand One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” beat that!

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:22:21 -0500

seems like he didnt want to be killed in an actual military conflict or be captured and charged with being an active member of a unit protecting a military war machine factory using slave labor,,,warcrimes anyone? moral authority my ass..his moral compass didnt seem to exist until the gig was up!

eyekantspel

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:36:51 -0500

legitimate criticism backed up by support is certainly justified, and distinguishable from a bunch of anti-Catholic smears. I'm not a papist, and have repeatedly said that I am neither Catholic nor religious. If this was about a Rabbi or a monk or a muslim I would be similarly pissed about a bunch of smears being tossed about. You might do well to remember that poem "In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up." It seems a lot of people are very willing to paint with a broad brush when it comes to criticizing Catholics, while similar comments directed toward any other religious group would not be tolerated -- strange, since pretty much all organized religion, and non-secular groups have similar modes of operation. That's certainly one of the reasons I am no fan of organized religion, catholic or otherwise. as for your name change suggestion, I certainly DO think for myself, otherwise I would have just posted "the pope looks like that guy from Star Wars" instead of challenging the majority of comments on the topic. I won't suggest a name change for you, maybe there is something in your history that makes you feel such passionate hatred towards the pope or the catholic church.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:47:40 -0500

the Pope made a point of visiting a Synagogue on his visit.... !!!!wow that changes everything!!!! its called PR, media hype, propaganda, pandering. creat one carefully controlled event, deflect attention from anything else!

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:43:50 -0500

on the money grubbing issue, you seem to forget the church is built on hundreds of years of plunder and exploitation of native peoples worldwide, but i guess you will say brought jesus to the heathens so its ok, HA! its the same here in the us, there will never be social justice as long as this system is in place, for example slavery, althoug outlawed the benefactors of the system did not decide to forfiet the profits they just devised a new system of inequality where they still reap the benefits of what they created. does this make sense,? the vatican is built on the backs of the world poor and explited? get it, im only running on a one coffe cup charge and need to get to work....back to the pope, its easy to dismiss what happened in WWII but not easy at all to dismiss his machinations to hide crimes in this new century.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:35:08 -0500

this is easy to find you brainwashed papisst. you should just change your name to icantthinkformyself. just google 'nazi pope' and 'pope protects pedophiles'

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:30:34 -0500

The letter states that the church's jurisdiction 'begins to run from the day when the minor has completed the 18th year of age' and lasts for 10 years. It orders that 'preliminary investigations' into any claims of abuse should be sent to Ratzinger's office, which has the option of referring them back to private tribunals in which the 'functions of judge, promoter of justice, notary and legal representative can validly be performed for these cases only by priests'. 'Cases of this kind are subject to the pontifical secret,' Ratzinger's letter concludes. Breaching the pontifical secret at any time while the 10-year jurisdiction order is operating carries penalties, including the threat of excommunication.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:29:56 -0500

It asserted the church's right to hold its inquiries behind closed doors and keep the evidence confidential for up to 10 years after the victims reached adulthood. The letter was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected as John Paul II's successor last week. Lawyers acting for abuse victims claim it was designed to prevent the allegations from becoming public knowledge or being investigated by the police. They accuse Ratzinger of committing a 'clear obstruction of justice'. The letter, 'concerning very grave sins', was sent from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that once presided over the Inquisition and was overseen by Ratzinger. It spells out to bishops the church's position on a number of matters ranging from celebrating the eucharist with a non-Catholic to sexual abuse by a cleric 'with a minor below the age of 18 years'. Ratzinger's letter states that the church can claim jurisdiction in cases where abuse has been 'perpetrated with a minor by a cleric'.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:29:02 -0500

Jolly ol' Pope Ratzinger was a Cardinal back in 2001 when he sent a letter to every Catholic Bishop basically telling them to keep the fact that priests were raping little boys a secret. This is an article that discusses this in detail - Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:27:08 -0500

Joseph Ratzinger was a member of an anti-aircraft unit protecting a BMW factory that used slave labor from the Dachau concentration camp to make aircraft engines, but he was drafted into the military and didn’t have any choice in the matter. In fact, Ratzinger also says that he never fired a shot and never participated in any combat. Later he was transferred to a unit in Hungary where he set up tank traps and watched as Jews were rounded up for transport to death camps. Eventually he deserted and became a prisoner of war.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:26:35 -0500

While Ratzinger was not a Nazi in the past and Benedict XVI is not a Nazi now, there is more than enough reason to question his handling of his past. It appears that he hasn’t been honest with others — and probably not honest with himself — about what he did and what he could have done.

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:26:23 -0500

Although it is true that Ratzinger deserted the military rather than continue fighting, he didn’t do so until April 1945, when the end of the war was quite close

ihateallbrokers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:25:59 -0500

Joseph Ratzinger’s claims about the Hitler Youth are not true. Compulsory membership was first defined in 1936 and reinforced in 1939, not in 1941 as he says. Ratzinger also says that he was “still too young” at the time, but he was 14 in 1941 and not too young at all: between the ages of 10 and 14, membership in the Deutsche Jungvolk (a group for younger children) was mandatory. Yet there is no mention of Raztinger belonging. If he had managed to avoid the required membership in the Deutsche Jungvolk, why did he suddenly join the Hitler Youth in 1941? Resistance: Both Joseph Ratzinger and his brother, Georg, have said that “resistance was impossible” at the time and, therefore, it’s not surprising or morally culpable that they also “went along.” This is also not true. First, it’s insulting to the many who risked their lives to resist the Nazi regime, both in organized cells and on an individual basis. Second, there are many examples of those who refused service in the Hitler Youth for a variety of reasons.

eyekantspel

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:01:44 -0500

i'm neither catholic nor religious, just willing to stand up and argue when i think an attack is over-the-top, and i think some of the comments on this board have been more hateful than necessary. i don't dismiss child molestation in the church, but laying the fault on this one man is ridiculous. similarly, it is pretty clear that the nazi allegations, in context, are an easy slur against someone faced with that mandatory enrollment as a 14 year old. and i believe wikipedia says it was the pope's cousin who was killed -- i think the point of that tidbit was to suggest he would not be sympathetic to the nazis- without knowing more, i don't see as logically supported. you claim 1. "woman-hate (women can't be priests) but bias against women exists in most religions, and in society generally (like not getting the vote in the US until 1920). The church as an institution is slow to evolve, that doesn't make them women-haters. 2. the anti-Semitism the Pope made a point of visiting a Synagogue on his visit, and Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the leader of the Park East community, called the papal visit is "a reaffirmation of Pope Benedict XVI's commitment to inter-religious dialogue and outreach to the Jewish community." 3. the encouragement of hunger and poverty (anti-birth control) the position on birth control is an extreme pro-life one. the side effects of that position are not "encouraged". i think a better argument against the church is not the proliferation of poor hungry kids, but the failure to address the aids epidemic, and how condom use would lower transmission rates. 4. the money-grubbing by that you must be talking about the Church's wealth, as an organization certainly true-- again, something which is seen in most organizations and groups that collect money from the masses. many catholics are charitable people, so i think the label "money-grubbing" doesn't fit the religion.

megs

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:35:17 -0500

eyecantspel, I hope you don't think that all of ihateallbrokers points were rebutted, do you? You're obviously Catholic, which is your right, but you can't dismiss institutionally-supported child molestation and being a Nazi that easily. Nazis killed the pope's brother, who had Down's Syndrome. So he JOINED them? Gimme a break! Then he faked illness to get out? The woman-hate (women can't be priests), the anti-Semitism, the encouragement of hunger and poverty (anti-birth control), and the money-grubbing aren't 'standards to live up to'-- they are elements of hate. Tell the truth, eyecantspel. You can believe in it all you want, but it's a mighty misanthropic corporation.

eyekantspel

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:59:51 -0500

There seem to be 2 different viewpoints on religion. One is that religion should conform to the mores of society, and the other is that people should strive to bend to the will of the church. revise to There seem to be 2 different viewpoints on religion. One is that religion should conform to the mores of society, and the other is that people should strive to live up to the standards set by the church.

eyekantspel

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:57:35 -0500

because the catholic church is really a pedophile organization It certainly provided shelter for a number of bad priests who abused the trust they were given, but it is not a pedophile organization. You might as well say that all Muslims are terrorists. which enriches itself by taking money from the brainwashed masses, I don't disagree, but that basically makes it the same as pretty much every religious organization and a lot of secular organizations also, including political parties and environmentalist organizations. the pope himself has actively engaged in covering up abuses by child molesters that's a strong charge. can you provide backup? he was a former hitler youth According to wikipedia "membership was required for all 14-year old German boys after December 1939" I wouldn't expect a 14 year old to be in much of a position to stand up to the government he was living under. served in the nazi army according to wikipedia: "In 1943 while still in seminary, he was drafted at age 16 into the German anti-aircraft corps. Ratzinger then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigours of military duty. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he deserted back to his family's home..." and in general is a hard nosed piece of work whose idealogy does not jibe with modern life in any country. He's the Pope. There seem to be 2 different viewpoints on religion. One is that religion should conform to the mores of society, and the other is that people should strive to bend to the will of the church. I'm not religious, mostly because I think it is nonsense, however there is some logic to religion having a structure in which the basic tenets are resistant to change.

wer1212

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:15:34 -0500

did the pope go back to transylvania yet?

ihateallbrokers

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:13:15 -0500

because the catholic church is really a pedophile organization which enriches itself by taking money from the brainwashed masses, the pope himself has actively engaged in covering up abuses by child molesters, he was a former hitler youth, served in the nazi army and in general is a hard nosed piece of work whose idealogy does not jibe with modern life in any country.

smitty

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:11:23 -0500

Hats off for the National Anthem, fellas!

murphguide

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:53:33 -0500

Gothamist is generally a positive publication. Why are there so many haters in the comments section?

ihateallbrokers

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:49:25 -0500

i hope the pope drops dead and spends the rest of enternity burning in hell with real estate brokers, used car slaesmen and slumlords.

west side Michael

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:35:37 -0500

And now Ladies and Gentlemen of NYC,the bill!

west side Michael

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:34:36 -0500

And now ladies & Gentlemen......The bill!

pickycapellit

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:27:05 -0500

I was shocked to see Pope Benedict eating a Hebrew National hot dog during the Rite of Peace procession.

slappy

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:25:15 -0500

I hope he wasn't wearing red sox in those red shoes.

JenChungsBra

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:21:29 -0500

It looks in that picture like the Pope is stealing home. Holy cow, I think he's gonna make it!

Cord

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:41 -0500

I hope he blessed the Yankees in general. Since 2000 they haven't been quite the same. http://satiricalmilk.blogspot.com/

smitty

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:36:51 -0500

i hope he blessed the bullpen! ha.

drewo

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:27:33 -0500

And of course, the Vatican, teeming with untold quanities of cash, paid for all the security that was erected in and around NYC for this visit - not us non-believing taxpayers? Right?

babyhitler

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:26:50 -0500

I like how he apologized for all the atrocities the Chuch has committed over the years in the name of god and perverted the faith of the blind with corruption. Oh wait, he didn't do that.

wer1212

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:20:13 -0500

New York was great on Saturday. I had jews in my face all day on the streets of Manhattan asking if I was Jewish, throwing matzah in my face, and the pope was all over the place recruiting for catholicism. I want to take a moment to thank these parties, for improving the recruitment process over the years... I guess its still in your face, but then again, its all much better than a knife to the throat. Thanks guys!

Ph

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:13:01 -0500

I think it was pretty cool that he came up to Yonkers.

Pharmer

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:01:18 -0500

I guess the Westboro Baptist Church managed to demonstrate at Yankee Stadium? UGH. They're more annoying that the posts about the Pope.

Kojak

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:00:38 -0500

Blasphemous Sinners. Theres no such thing such as hearing too much information about our Holy Father. Repent at once devil worshipers!

wer1212

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:59:07 -0500

The pope is the devil.

cucarachita

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:50:01 -0500

Yes, I second that! Enough a'ready! Pope pope pope pope pope! Aagh!

Ralph

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:25:13 -0500

Please Jesus, make this the last post about the Pope's visit. We've had enough.