# Archbishop Compares Criticisms Of Pope To Jesus' Sufferings

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 30, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289 "2010-03-30T02:02:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 14

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/261 "2010-04-16T00:25:05Z")

</div>

> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#):
>
> Presently, I am weighing this whole idea that that Pope JP2 was the evil one (or if you prefer Evil One) and Pope Whathisname is stuck cleaning up the mess.
> 
> I am getting most of my news on this from Andrew Sullivan. He seems even-handed and even that means he is beating on the Church like a tin drum. But at least he is doing it for the right reasons.

JP2 is the evil one?!? Ratzo “is stuck cleaning up the mess”–even though he was in a key position to advocate and clean up the mess in prior years? Please note I am not absolving JP2 here–but it sure sounds like you are not including the current Pope in your “criticism”.

And Andrew Sullivan is beating on the Church, but for “the right reasons”. WTF is going on in this thread? Random anti-Catholicism? Is English your first language or are you naturally stupid? I am truly at a loss as to how someone can so completely misconstrue the impetus of a thread the way you have. Seriously, you must have an mental astigmatism the size of Vatican City. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Maus Magill]  
Sure they are. All the bad priests have been removed[sup]1[/sup].  
[1] This statement is not intended to imply the offending priests have been defrocked, turned over to civil authorities, or even moved out of the diocese. Just as long as they are not in the parish where the priest was tempted and lead astray by your beautiful young boys, and their sinful ways. Oh - and don’t ever tell any one about this, because you wouldn’t want people to look down on your children as the sinful priest tempters that they are.  
[/QUOTE]

You forgot the pre-pubescent and adolescent girls, the evil temptresses of whores that they are. Tempting those priests with the onset of their secondary sexual characteristics. Kneeling in church, saying their rosaries, going to confession. Such total skanks… Pity those poor priests–any man would crumble. Wasn’t woman born to sorrow, all because of Eve? Tsk, tsk.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/262 "2010-04-16T03:26:37Z")

</div>

> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#):
>
> If you desire consistancy, get a dog. My opinions change over time as I gather more information. Do yours?

Actually, more than consistency, I was commenting on your post’s low level of comprehensibility. I’ll go over it again armed with the above, and see if I can parse it any better.

Oh, and yes, yes they do.

Also as I gain more life experience and, it is to be hoped, wisdom. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/263 "2010-04-16T03:32:32Z")

</div>

Okay, I think I’ve got it:

> [@Paul in Qatar](#):
>
> You have to admire perfections and the Church has (and is) perfectly screwing up. I am awestruck at how tonedeaf these people are. They honestly seem puzzled people are upset. Just for a moment take these people’s comments as true statements as to what they think. I am amazed.
> 
> Further, every day there is a new revelation. It just keeps getting worse. A remarkable story.

“These people,” in each of its iterations above refers to the RCC spokespersons (official and non) who have been trying to downplay the institutional coverup.

IOW, I think **Paul in Qatar** is now on board with this being a Pitting about institutional coverups and whatnot.

ETA: Perhaps. Sorta.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/264 "2010-04-17T03:38:58Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> “With so much invasion of eroticism, sometimes it’s not easy to stay celibate or to respect children,” Bishop Felipe Arizmendi said during an annual meeting of Mexican bishops near Mexico City on Thursday.
> 
> “If on television and on the Internet and in so many media outlets there is pornography, it is very difficult to stay pure and chaste,” said Arizmendi, an influential bishop from the colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas in southern Mexico.
> 
> “Obviously when there is generalized sexual freedom it’s more likely there could be cases of pedophilia,” he added.

[Mexico bishop says porn, tv to blame for priest abuse](http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63F5KV20100416)

> [@](#):
>
> With the invasion of eroticism present in the media, it’s not easy to remain celibate and respect children. I don’t want to blame society and deny our guilt, but recognize that the sexual liberality in the world has diminished the moral forces that want to educate.

[http://realthinktank.posterous.com/mexican-bishop-felipe-arizmendi-says-too-many](http://realthinktank.posterous.com/mexican-bishop-felipe-arizmendi-says-too-many)

Hundreds of Bishops, each protecting their local empire as best they can, does not make for good global stratagery.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/265 "2010-04-17T03:55:32Z")

</div>

> [@Squink](#):
>
> [Mexico bishop says porn, tv to blame for priest abuse](http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63F5KV20100416)[http://realthinktank.posterous.com/mexican-bishop-felipe-arizmendi-says-too-many](http://realthinktank.posterous.com/mexican-bishop-felipe-arizmendi-says-too-many)
> 
> Hundreds of Bishops, each protecting their local empire as best they can, does not make for good global stratagery.

You know, I’ve never had any issue respecting children. I have a feeling it isn’t an invasion of eroticism that’s the problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/266 "2010-04-18T21:33:49Z")

</div>

[this is just perfect](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7bWwORLzc4). NSFW, video with a song containing swear words.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289/267 "2010-04-18T23:25:22Z")

</div>

> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> The Catholic Church is a hierarchy. Everyone has a boss, right up to the Pope. Now most kids who were abused and had the courage to tell anyone would probably tell their parents first. Unfortunately, it seems that most parents then complained within the hierarchy, instead of taking it directly to the police. So they went to the priest’s boss (most likely the pastor of the parish), who passed it up to his bishop, etc. The church decided to keep everything in house, up to and including such measures as swearing the victim and his/her family to secrecy.

Yup. And here is my one “to be fair” observation in limited quasi-defense of the Church hierarchy’s reaction to this problem:

To be fair, several decades ago it was widely believed that crimes like rape and sexual abuse needed to be kept a permanent deep dark secret for the sake of the victim, not just for the sake of avoiding scandal or hurting an organization’s reputation. I am willing to believe that **some** of the Church officials who tried to hush up sexual abuse incidents sincerely believed that they were doing what was best for the victims.

However, my empathy about well-intentioned bad decisions completely stops functioning in the case of Church officials who facilitated or condoned known abusers’ obtaining access to other children. I just don’t see any possible justification for that.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/archbishop-compares-criticisms-of-pope-to-jesus-sufferings/534289.md?page=13)
