At Vatican Easter Mass, Priest Defends Pope Benedict

Photograph of Pope Benedict waving to faithful during the "Urbi et Orbi" ( to the city and the World) message at the end of the Easter Mass in St. Peter's square by Gregorio Borgia/AP

Preceding today's Easter's Mass at the Vatican, Pope Benedict didn't reference the various scandals around the world involving abusive priests (unlike his Palm Sunday address), but another cleric did. According to the NY Times, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, a former secretary of state and the dean of the college of cardinals, said, "Holy Father, the people of God are with you, and do not let themselves be impressed by the gossip of the moment, by the challenges that sometimes strike at the community of believers."

Sodano also noted how the apostle Peter described Jesus during his tribulations, "When he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." The president of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, was unhappy with Sodano's remark, "When we speak up and tell how our childhood innocence was shattered by sexual assaults by priests, it is not 'petty gossip.'" Pope Benedict, who the AP said "looked weary as he listened to Sodano's speech," told followers that the "[salvation of the Gospel was needed] to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences."

On Friday, a Vatican priest likened the scrutiny the Pope and Catholic Church were receiving to anti-Semitism, but today he apologized, "If, against every intention, I hurt the feelings of Jews and victims of pedophilia, I am truly sorry and apologize, reaffirming my solidarity with both."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 4, 2010 2:20 PM

Comments [rss]

ides_of_march

Any priests who molest kids should be locked up for life. That said, the case in question where they're trying to link Benedict XVI is at best a gross distortion. The priest in question died while he was under a canonical trial, and it was Benedict who waived the statue of limitations so that he could be tried. To accuse him of a coverup is just at odds with the facts.

matty

Cardinal George had the same sermon in Chicago. It makes me ashamed to be Catholic.

Boogie Down

So don't be. It's not like religion is akin to race or place of birth. It's a CHOICE.

melpol

The revelations of child abuse in the catholic church and its coverup has shocked the world. What makes the crimes even more puzzling is that there is no rational reason why a holy man would sodomize a child. The Devil must take the blame for this sacrilege. It is his way of gathering Legion. He knows that an abused child will become a hater of the church.

And Jesus asked him, saying “What is thy name?” And he said, “Legion”: because many devils were entered into him.

inoyourider

Fuckin scumbags in fancy outfits.

Guest

omg... it's monty burns.

nicemarmot

Apparently to the Catholic church, child molestation is petty? Oh that's right, they're exactly like every other church synagogue mosque etc - they believe they're following God's law and that puts them above the actual law. So basically, God wanted those children to be molested.