And The Delusional Comments Continue.....

Just when you thought that the Catholic Church/Vatican couldn't become more delusional, you're proven wrong!! They are!!

Vatican envoy praises church response to crisis
Official lauds Roman Catholic leaders’ response to U.S. sex abuse scandals

In his first visit to the United States since his appointment, the Vatican’s top diplomat said the Roman Catholic Church has responded to the U.S. clergy sexual abuse crisis with “dignity and courage.”

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, spoke at a news conference at the annual convention of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal organization.

Speaking through an interpreter, Bertone called the “business” created in the United States around the clergy abuse scandal “unbearable,” according to a Knights of Columbus transcript.

He added: “I hope that other institutions and social agencies will face this same problem with their members, with an equal degree of courage and realism as the Catholic Church has done.” He questioned whether other institutions have financially supported victims and “taken care of the victims and those who are guilty.”

Bertone also was asked about the role of Catholics in public life, an issue that took on greater significance in the 2004 presidential election and could re-emerge as a factor in the 2008 race.

“I don’t understand how a person in public office or one engaged in political activity can be obliged to renounce his Catholic identity because the party, be it in the U.S. or in other countries, imposes an ethical choice on the basis of the party’s program,” he said. “This, according to me, does not respect freedom of conscience.”

Bertone was appointed to the Vatican’s No. 2 post last year. Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit United Nations headquarters in New York in 2008; details of the pontiff’s first U.S. trip have not been released.

First and foremost, DIGNITY AND COURAGE FOR WHOM? Certainly not for the victims!! The Catholic Church and the Vatican didn't and haven't handle any of this with dignity and courage. They have done nothing but throw hush money at the victims in order to essentially secure their silence. They have removed the CRIMINALS from their parishes, and moved them on to other parishes. They have knowingly covered up the crimes of these pedophiles, and they don't care. And yes, I'm saying that THEY KNOWINGLY COVERED UP THE CRIMES OF PEDOPHILES!! What else would you call moving these pedophiles around from parish to parish instead of turning in these pedophiles to the police? That to me is aiding and abetting a crime. That to me is covering up a crime.

The Catholic Church and Vatican have faced this "problem" with realism? WHEN? When the hell has that ever happened?

If he means "financially supporting and taking care of victims" by throwing hush money at the victims to shut them up or encouraging them to keep the knowledge of the crime within the Church instead of going to police, then I guess he's right!!

He also said the following when asked about Catholics in public office:

“I don’t understand how a person in public office or one engaged in political activity can be obliged to renounce his Catholic identity because the party, be it in the U.S. or in other countries, imposes an ethical choice on the basis of the party’s program,” he said. “This, according to me, does not respect freedom of conscience.”

Respecting freedom of conscience? Silly me, but I thought that if you respect the right to freedom of conscience you respect the right of someone to THINK FOR THEMSELVES!! Clearly, that's not how the Catholic Church operates. If you're Catholic you are expected to believe and practice what the Catholic Church preaches. So if you believe in a woman's right to choose, you're apparently not worthy of calling yourself a Catholic. If you believe in the right to use birth control, you're apparently not worthy of calling yourself a Catholic. If you believe in the right to undergo in vitro procedures, you're apparently not worthy of calling yourself a Catholic. If you believe in the right to divorce, you're apparently not worthy of calling yourself a Catholic. If you believe in the right of everyone to be who they are whether they're gay or straight, you're apparently not worthy of calling yourself a Catholic. You see, you're not worthy because you didn't seek permission from the Catholic Church or Vatican to THINK FOR YOURSELF. You see, you're not worthy because you didn't seek permission from the Catholic Church or Vatican to ACTUALLY HAVE CONVICTIONS OF YOUR OWN AND NOT THOSE IMPOSED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

And the delusional comments continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!