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Post by pumpkinpie on May 16, 2010 14:52:27 GMT
Credit: Reuters/Alessia Pierdomenico VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, facing the worst crisis of his five-year-old papacy because of a widening sexual abuse scandal, told a crowd of nearly 200,000 Sunday that priests must guard against worldly temptation. Benedict said such tests should drive Catholics to greater spiritual fervor and stricter adherence to Church rules. "The real enemy to fear and to fight is sin, spiritual ill, which sometimes unfortunately affects even members of the Church," the 83-year-old German pontiff told the crowd gathered in St Peters square. "We live in the world but we are not of the world, even if we must guard against its temptations," he said. "The tests that the Lord provides drive us to greater fervor and consistency." Benedict's tone marked an extension of the latest change in the Vatican's response to the abuse scandal, which has forced the resignation of bishops in Ireland, Belgium and Germany. In recent weeks, a number of Vatican officials had accused the media, gays or progressives of waging a smear campaign against the Church. However, earlier last week the Pope said during a trip to Portugal that Catholicism's greatest threat came from "sins within the Church" and he acknowledged it must seek forgiveness, though this was no substitute for justice. Sunday's demonstration of support, organized by an Italian Catholic lay association, brought nearly 200,000 people to the wide circular space before St. Peters basilica. Many of those who came from across Italy waved banners such as "The people of Rome with the Holy Father" or "Renewing the Holy Spirit." "Thank you for your presence and your faith," the pope told the crowd, which interrupted his speech with applause. "Today you demonstrate the great affection and closeness of the Church and the Italian people to the pope and your priests." Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, head of the Italian bishops conference and a close collaborator of the pope's, said the Church "purified by penitence should be a place of justice and comfort for the faithful." (Reporting by Daniel Flynn) www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64F1CW20100516?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29&utm_content=Twitter
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Post by mikemarshall on May 16, 2010 16:39:53 GMT
Well, he could help them in their quest by rescinding the absurd ordinance introduced by Gregory VII which enjoined clerical celibacy upon them.
Until that date it was perfectly normal for priests to be married and have families like any other man.
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Post by june on May 16, 2010 20:53:42 GMT
What is it with Christianity and fiddling with kids? They can't get enough of it can they.
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Post by mouse on May 17, 2010 6:58:29 GMT
oh its not just christianity...very far from it as the pakistan authorities are finding out..with a great deal of iman/mufti and madrass abuse at last coming out into the open there have been at least three imans here in the uk in the past 18mths found guilty of multiple abuse....as with christianity it has taken a while for people to complain and bring this into the public arena its a man thing mostly although women do abuse...but when you have a huge number of men with not real outlet then of course you will get more abuse[numbers] and where you have large numbers of men dealing with children again abuse will happen but christianity is largely is where the media is alive and well and allowed to publish and the sooner we get real and stop seeing it as a ""religous ""thing the better...its nothing to do with religion and all to do with the availability of children...be they scouts..bible groups..confermation calsses,,arabic classes or what ever
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Post by fretslider on May 17, 2010 17:43:13 GMT
Hmm, god is an overwhelming responsibility
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Post by DAS (formerly BushAdmirer) on May 17, 2010 22:39:19 GMT
Well, he could help them in their quest by rescinding the absurd ordinance introduced by Gregory VII which enjoined clerical celibacy upon them. Until that date it was perfectly normal for priests to be married and have families like any other man. I agree with Mike on this point. Pope Gregory's celibacy edict should be revoked. Priests and Nuns should be allowed to marry. That's so obvious you have to wonder why someone with the intelligence of this Pope can't seem to figure it out. I guess the weight of tradition and resistance to change much be huge in the church. Criminal molestation of little boys is, however, an entirely different issue. Pedophilia should result in instant expulsion and excommunication. There should never be a reassignment to a different location. There should never be a Bishop or Cardinal who looks the other way and tries to finesse the problem. There should never be a second chance. If a priest does that he should be gone forever the very next day.
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Post by mouse on May 20, 2010 8:11:47 GMT
its a man made edict so can be undone by man......
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