An Focal Scóir - July 2007

The month of July opens with the legal difficulties being encountered by the Patrairch of Constantinople; Papal letter to China is finally released; AB Pius Ncube wants someone to invade Zimbabwe; Sinéad O Connor on her new CD 'Theology'

Diocese of San Diego warned by judge; Anglican Church hesitant on embryo research; a common Easter time to be considered and agreed by East and West; nicking nun in USA; African Synod for October 2009; outrage in Chicago AD over jobs being kept by those who were aware of CSA; Fillipino cleric defies death threats to take on corruption

Innocent cleric returns to parish; Vatican to be blamed for a few issues (?); Diocesan clerical changes in Galway; punishment of whipping and fines fro those who attempt to convert Muslims away from Islam; matter of life and death in Punjab to express the faith; USA cleric gets 5 years for CSA

Amnesty International under episcopal pressure; rebel nuns under court order; Zen demands democracy in China; Chinese authorities remove text of Papal letter; Lutherans turn Catholic; Latin Mass to cause Christian Jewish difficulties

Lawyer cleared in Pope joke; Vatican finances in good credit; Il Papa invited to Uganda; new Brit PM cedes control over Church and Judicial appointments; Il Papa to visit Austria in September confirmed; Irish PM bungles with suicide remark

RC Church in Yugoslav holocaust; German mosque dispute; Il Papa to visit WYD in Australia confirmed; new consistory for November; Red Mosque difficulties in Pakistan; Taiwan Ambassador says China needs RC Church

Argentinian ex-chaplain to be tried for war crimes; gay bullying in RC schools in UK; RC Church upset at new 7 wonders of world list; Il Papa 10 road rules; Mother Teresa nuns helping and teaching; backward papal directive

New RC church to be built in Minsk; RC Church contraception contradictions; new Vatican document on role of Church; Chavez launches tirade against RC bishops; clerical indecisiveness on HIV testing; ex priest slaying on internet; Vatican honours more martyrs

New suicide bereaved guidelines in Ireland; Il Papa blessing on Latin Mass; Chavez a worry to RC leaders; 12th July marches pass off in Northern Ireland; Il Papa on Alpine break; bust of Il Papa unveiled in his hometown

800th anniversary of St Elisabeth of Hungary; WYD anthem released; RC Church ministry to gay community; Ireland (still) awaiting 3 new bishops; Belgian bishop faces homophobia charges; Australian CSA arrests expected; Northern Ireland Police force sued over bias; Luther and gays

LA archdiocese seeking resolution; Il Papa asks Cardinal in UK to remain in post for now; Killaloe Diocesan changes of clergy and parishes; Scientology under spotlight; Il Papa again upsets other religions; new bishop not to everyone else's satisfaction; gay group tags RC as unChristian; supping with the devil

Psychological review of stance on gays; anti-Catholic bigotry claim by RC newspaper in Ireland; Vatican product recall; VOTF no longer doctrinally affiliated; Il Papa drag statue removed from display; liturgical clock going backwards (?); Vatican III on way (?); Il Papa names new Bishop for USA

Paisley lashes at Il Papa; Limerick priest mediates between feuding gangs; RC in Mexico seeks political influence; necessity of marriage; snail pace Papal changes; new RC cleric moves in with wife and kids; Coptic Pope criticises Il Papa; new clerical blog on the block....
...and into the second half of the last month of summer we go with the following stories making the headines...

Large settlements for CSA cases, a priest moves in with his wife and kids to local presbytery, US bishops defend right to refuse Eucharist to pro-abortion and pro-divorce lobbyists and politicians, Il Papa no Antichrist.

Il Papa on holidays in villa near Alps, Il Coptic Pope criticises Il RC Pope, Il Papa proclaims love to the youth, view of Qumran scrolls challenged, LA Archdiocese to settle for $600 million, Il Papa for France in 2008.

Dalai Lama more popular than Il Papa, further developments on Fr Hogan situation, introduction of Blog Voting, Archbishop Ncube accused of adultery, Boston facing shortage of priests, abortion demand rising in Portugal.

Archbishop funds stricken farmers, Il Papa to visit USA and Australia in 2008, criticism of Harry Potter, Homer Simpson upsets Pagans, Il Papa versus gay rights, closure of Vatican library, RC Church departed from teachings of Christ.

New bishop of Beijing selected, St Patricks Day to be on 15th March 2008, Vatican liability for abuse?, Mexican cardinal to be questioned on knowledge of abuse cases, Irish Prime Minister promises same sex recognition (do not hold breaths on that one!! tis Bertie after all!!!), RC Church shifting towards traditionalism.

Anti-Semitic RC Polish cleric, UK Anglican bishop in trouble for being homophobic (few in Ireland could be brought on those charges if judiciary had balls to so do!!), JPII not favourable towards annulments, new Vatican City portal and website.

Fr Bossi released, Holy Land Christians deserting their homes, Sweden RC Church apologises for CSA, Il Papa to appoint more women to top Vatican jobs, man petitions Vatican with adultery claim against Ncube, Mahoney under scrutiny in LA in relation to abuse claims.

Il Papa downplaying Vatican II by decrees, Romero for beatification, Vatican in acceptance of Beijing bishop, teflon cardinal, Greek Archbishop hits back at Il Papa, Zen meets Il Papa re China situation, paedophilia and the priesthood.

Anglican Church in turmoil over gay ordination, cardinal claims Il Papa book contravenes natural law, papal controversy downplayed, Humanae Vitae at 39, bishop aware of clerical abuse, Croagh Patrick climb, Irish schools to teach abuse prevention.

Vatican concern on family matters, women anointed as clerics, democracy in RC Church, RC priest arrested for Rwanda atrocity, blackmail attempt on RC cleric, gays should not get rights says Irish AB, Aussie dean lashes at youngsters, false priest on loose in Ireland, RC cleric to countersue alleged victim of CSA abuse, Amnesty International and RC Church at loggerheads.

Il Papa aide warns about Islamic Europe, Ireland a gateway for child smuggling, nuns under arrest for allegedly trying to convert students, Anglicans want Episcopalians disciplined, Il Papa against Vatican II?, 4 RC clerics arrested in China.

No safe sex at World Youth Day 2008, gay rights in Colombia, Polish priest condemned by Israel, Patriarch dies, abuse clergy not monitored, Hitler and Pius XII, no Latin Mass for Martini, Simpsons religious, Limbo and to finish off, Irish Catholic Church Guidelines on CSA found not to be proper (nothing new there then!!)
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

'Difficulties' with church's abuse guidelines noted

A Government-commissioned review of the Catholic Church's Our Children, Our Church child protection guidelines, published in December 2005, has identified "some difficulties" with it.

These included "a certain lack of integration between Our Children, Our Church and the guidelines produced by different State organisations."

It also said "the area dealing with abuse by persons outside the church requires some further development to bring it more in line with State guidelines".

The review was prepared by Dr Helen Buckley of TCD's social studies department, who was also a member of the Ferns inquiry team.

She was appointed to review Our Children, Our Church by the then minister of State for children Brian Lenihan in March last year when it emerged the guidelines were not being implemented in Northern Ireland after it was established that it did not comply with child protection legislation there.

In her review Dr Buckley welcomed Our Children, Our Church as "a comprehensive statement of the commitment of the Catholic Church to deal decisively with the problem of child abuse by staff or volunteers working for it".

She said "the proposed structure for the management of child protection within the church will be . . . crucial to ensure a unified and consistent approach from different church based organisations and dioceses".

She also said that "the suggested code of good practice should ensure that many previously identified abusive behaviours will be pre-empted or quickly addressed, and other mechanisms for demonstrating transparency accountability under the management of the national structure will facilitate a restoration of trust in the Catholic Church".

However, addressing the "difficulties" she had uncovered in Our Children Our Church, she identified these as "its current presentation, which is difficult to navigate for the members of the Church who are most likely to need clear guidance on child protection procedures".

She found that "the wording which is used to describe the reporting progress is misleading and has elicited public criticism".

She said "a certain lack of integration between Our Children, Our Church and the guidelines produced by different State organisations is observable whereby the document could be seen as 'stand alone' rather than derivative of existing guidelines".

She noted that "the area dealing with abuse by persons outside the church requires some further development to bring it more in line with State guidelines . . . While the proposed structure is considered a major strength of the document, it will be equally important to provide a well-supported base in local parishes and organisations".

Ian Elliott, newly appointed chief executive of the Catholic Church's National Board for Child Protection, confirmed last night it had received Dr Buckley's review and was "considering it".

He said that, as with all such documents, Our Children, Our Church was subject to review and necessary changes would be incorporated in it.

Meanwhile, files concerning "a number" of Catholic priests are currently with Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service following completion of PSNI investigations of child sex abuse allegations made against them.

A spokesman for the PSNI said the investigations followed on information supplied by Catholic Church authorities and related to "historic cases". He added that the Catholic Church had "co-operated fully in supplying all the relevant information required".

A spokesman for the Church's Northern Bishops said that in the 40-year period between 1965 and 2005, 47 priests of the approximate 2,000 who have served in Northern Ireland's Catholic dioceses, had child sex abuse allegations made against them.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Dies

The head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Teoctist, died on Monday aged 92, after a heart attack following surgery on his prostate gland, the Church said on Monday.

Teoctist became Patriarch in 1986 during the era of Romania’s communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaucescu.

On account of his controversial relations with the communist authorities, he was forced briefly to step down after the revolution in December 1989.

In April 1990, he was reinstated as head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, however.

In recent years, many accusations were made against him in the press, including the claim that he was a collaborator with the former political police, the Securitate.

An ecumenical figure in the wider Christian community, Patriarch Teoctist was the first Orthodox Church leader to invite a Pope to visit an Orthodox country since the churches split in 1054.

As a result, Pope John Paul II visited Romania in 1999. Almost 90 per cent of Romanians belong to the Orthodox Church.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

The End of Limbo - What happens to all the babies who used to be there?

Church doctrine now states that unbaptized babies can go to heaven instead of getting stuck somewhere between heaven and hell.

If limbo doesn't exist, what happened to everyone who was supposed to have been there already?

They've probably been in heaven all this time, but no one knows for sure.

Until the recent announcement, the limbo crowd was thought to include anyone who hadn't been baptized but would otherwise deserve to go to heaven - like infants (including aborted fetuses), virtuous pagans, and pre-Christian Jews.

Those who had been baptized, on the other hand, either joined God in heaven, made up for their sins in purgatory, or suffered forever in hell.

If limbo never existed in the first place, you might assume that these souls passed straight through St. Peter's gates. But the carefully worded document from the Vatican's International Theological Commission stops short of certainty in this regard, arguing only that there are "serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope," rather than "sure knowledge."

The fate of unbaptized babies has confounded Catholic scholars for centuries.

According to church catechisms, or teachings, babies that haven't been splashed with holy water bear the original sin, which makes them ineligible for joining God in heaven.

At the same time, as innocent beings, they surely don't deserve eternal torment.

St. Augustine concluded in the fourth century that the babies must be punished in the fire of hell, but only with the "mildest condemnation."

Eight centuries later, Thomas Aquinas thought infant souls wouldn't go to heaven, but they wouldn't suffer in the afterlife, either (and they wouldn't even know what they were missing).

Theologians eventually settled on limbo as a hypothetical compromise - a state of natural, though incomplete, happiness.

Dante depicted limbo in his Divine Comedy as a pastoral setting of forests with green meadows, flowing streams, and tall castles.

Figures like Ovid, Homer, and Aristotle live in Dante's limbo, as does a parade of characters from Greco-Roman mythology, and even some Muslims, like Saladin, who managed to fight the crusaders and gain their respect at the same time.

Though the Vatican has effectively done an about-face, it won't directly state that limbo never existed.

Instead, it says that official church dogma never included the concept and that limbo remains a "possible theological hypothesis." Why the hemming and hawing? An outright reversal would go against hundreds of years of theological interpretation.

But the church has indeed changed its opinion on several matters. From the 13th century to the 16th century, the church went from opposing usury - the custom of charging interest on a loan - to accepting it.

Theologians also debated the legitimacy of slavery for years before Pope Leo XIII condemned the practice in 1888.

That same pope also declared that Protestants were in error and could not be granted religious freedom, a doctrine that wouldn't be reversed until the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican in the 1960s.

Bonus Explainer: Do Protestants have limbo?

No.

The most conservative groups in the Presbyterian, German and Dutch reformed traditions believe in predestination: A person who dies goes immediately to heaven or hell, even if he or she was never baptized.

(Mainstream groups have softened their stance on this matter.)

On the other hand, some Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and orthodox Christians hold that everybody remains in an "intermediate state" until the return of Jesus Christ on judgment day.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

The Ratzinger Effect: more money, more pilgrims – and lots more Latin

With donations to the Church from around the world almost doubling and pilgrims pouring into Rome in ever-greater numbers, Vatican watchers are beginning to reassess the two-year-old pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and noting a positive “Ratzinger effect”.

The move, which amends the Second Vatican Council’s decision in the 1960s that worship should be in the vernacular, is regarded as yet another sign of Benedict’s conservative attachment to tradition and doctrine.

Some senior Catholics in Britain have accused him of “encouraging those who want to turn the clock back” and say that they fear the rite will revive preVatican II prayers for the conversion of “the perfidious Jews”.

The Vatican denies this, however, and points instead to the huge appeal of the Latin Mass — and Gregorian chant — not only for disaffected right-wing Catholics but also for many ordinary believers who value “the sheer beauty” of the ancient liturgy.

“This is a Pope who — contrary to conventional wisdom — is in tune with the faithful,” one Vatican source said.

The unassuming and scholarly Benedict does not have the star appeal of John Paul II. At 80, he does not travel as much as the “Pilgrim Pope” or write as many documents.

Andrea Tornielli, the biographer of several popes including Benedict, said that when crowds packed into St Peter’s Square to hear Benedict in the early days of his pontificate, “many people attributed this to the John Paul effect”, or the global media coverage of the late Pope’s courage in the face of illness and death.

It was increasingly clear that although Benedict — formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, John Paul’s long-serving doctrinal adviser — lacked the showmanship and charisma of his predecessor, his “simple and direct” assertion of values struck a chord with believers, Mr Tornielli said.

The distinction between “the good and progressive John Paul and the bad conservative Benedict” was a false one, Mr Tornielli told The Times. “Ratzinger was John Paul’s closest adviser for over two decades, and many of his initiatives as Pope — including the Tridentine Mass — are developments of John Paul’s own ideas.”

While less theatrical than his predecessor, Benedict makes no secret of enjoying the “dressing up” side of the job, reviving ermine-trimmed robes, elaborate headgear and dainty satin shoes. He has grown more adept and relaxed at greeting people.

Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, head of economic affairs at the Holy See, said that the “remarkable increase” in both donations and numbers of pilgrims showed that there was “a symbiosis, a mutual sympathy between this Pope and Christian people everywhere”.

Presenting the Holy See’s annual budget yesterday, Cardinal Sebastiani noted that not only had it closed last year with a surplus of €2.4 million, partly thanks to diocesan donations, there had also been a “huge jump” in “Peter’s Pence”, the annual church collections given directly to the Pope to use for charity, from $60 million (£30 million) in 2005 to $102 million.

“The days when people talked of papal bankruptcy are past,” said Marco Tosatti, Vatican correspondent of La Stampa.

John Paul, who is on the road to sainthood, continues to be an attraction: with up to 35,000 pilgrims filing past his tomb in the crypt of St Peter’s every day, the Vatican is considering moving the tomb into the Basilica.

Record numbers attend Benedict’s weekly audiences, and seven million people a year now visit St Peter’s, a rise of 20 per cent. Similar increases are recorded for pilgrimages to Catholic shrines at Assisi, Lourdes, Fatima in Portugal and Madonna di Guadalupe in Mexico.

“This is a Ratzinger phenomenon,” reported La Repubblica.

For some he remains “God’s Rottweiler” or the “Panzerkardinal”.

He has disappointed liberals who hoped that he would relax rules on priestly celibacy or the use of condoms to help to fight Aids in Africa.

The Vatican has issued a document reasserting that only the Catholic Church is “the Church of Christ”, a move that has offended Anglican and Orthodox Christians.

Benedict’s statements on issues from the Latin Mass to dialogue with China were promised “imminently”, then delayed, and Curia department heads long past retirement age have not been replaced.

“Running the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is not the same as running the world-wide Church,” one insider said. “Benedict tends to appoint men he knows and trusts — regardless of whether they are right for the job.”

Above all, he does not delegate as the ailing John Paul II did, and such is his reputation as a theologian that no one dares to offer him advice.

This has led to a series of avoidable public relations disasters, most notably his speech on “faith and reason” at Regensburg University last year, when he inflamed Muslim opinion by appearing to suggest that Islam was inherently violent.

In Brazil in May he angered indigenous populations by asserting that the arrival of Christianity in the New World did not amount to “the imposition of a foreign culture” on native peoples, and his off-the-cuff assertion that Catholic legislators who voted for easier abortion in Mexico should be excommunicated had to be hastily “clarified” by Father Federico Lombardi, his spokesman.

More recently the Vatican was dismayed when a reference to a “frank exchange of views” on “delicate questions” after Tony Blair’s farewell meeting with the Pope was taken to mean the two men had had a row.

Such lapses, says John Allen, another of his biographers, make him appear “tone deaf”.

“For those who know Benedict’s mind, it can be painful to watch his carefully reasoned reflections become capsized in the court of public opinion by a stray phrase that’s obviously open to misinterpretation.”

Traditional strength

- On his election, Benedict XVI replaced the crown on the papal arms with a mitre, indicating a rejection of political power

- He has maintained the Church’s position on artificial birth control, abortion and homosexuality, areas that reformers had hoped would change

- Deus Est Caritas, Benedict’s first encyclical, argued that the concept of “Eros”, or sexual love, now signified simply sex. Its warmth and insight surprised commentators

- In March, the Pope affirmed the Catholic doctrine that Hell “exists and is eternal for those who shut their hearts to [God’s] love”. The move caused controversy amongst liberal theologians

For Christmas 2006, the Pope, who has described rock music as Satan’s work, abandoned the annual Vatican pop concert established by John Paul II.

The move was seen as a refreshingly honest refusal to compromise spiritual values for popularity.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Church of England signs up The Simpsons to keep the faith

While the world is overun by Pottermania, the exploits of Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer Simpson - alongside the other animated residents of Springfield - are being used to encourage children to reflect on the big issues in life in a new book from the Church of England.

To coincide with the launch of the Simpsons’ first feature film (which is alreday a big box office hit), 'Mixing it up with The Simpsons' suggests screening extracts from episodes of the hit show to invigorate church youth group programmes, as part of a new series providing contemporary material for youth workers to use in mid-week groups or ‘Sunday School’ settings.

A week ago, the first in the series was launched - a book using Harry Potter as a starting point for discussions abut beliefs and the world around us.

In the latest release from Church House Publishing, youth clubs are prompted to reflect on God’s love for humanity after watching a scene in which Lisa Simpson – an eight-year-old school girl – gives a Valentine’s Day card to the most disliked boy in her class.

And after watching a sketch when Bart gets expelled from school for embarrassing his head teacher during a school inspection, youth workers are encouraged to leave a plate of doughnuts with a ‘do not touch’ sign by them, to explore how Christians can deal with temptation.

In other sessions, issues of self-image are explored through the story of ‘Lisa the Beauty Queen’, and Homer and Barney’s relationship is used as a foundation for a reflection on the importance of friendship.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is known to be a fan of the American animated series and believes that the long-running animation represents “one of the most subtle pieces of propaganda around in the cause of sense, humility and virtue.”

With its compelling characters and comical storylines, the Church hopes that Springfield will become a springboard for discussion of important themes.

The author of the book, Kent church youth worker Owen Smith, believes The Simpsons is an unexpectedly rich resource for exploring Christian themes and theological concepts: “This incredibly popular animation engages with everyday issues, from gossip, fighting and sibling rivalry, through to identity issues and citizenship. The book builds on this platform and teases out a Christian message through activities and discussion”.

After watching the suggested sections from the animation, groups using the book are guided through a range of discussions on the emerging theme, relevant Bible passages are listed to present the Christian perspective, and a ‘prayer activity’ is provided to conclude the session.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

No Latin Mass for Martini

Retired Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini has criticised Pope Benedict's decision to allow greater use of the Latin Mass, saying it is important to have a common language for prayer.

Cardinal Martini says he will not celebrate mass in Latin, criticising Pope Benedict's decision to allow for greater use of the old Latin mass.

Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, who has broken with the Vatican on a number of issues, says he considers it important to have a common language for prayer.

"A bishop cannot ask his priests to satisfy all individual demands," he said in an article published by l Sole 24 Ore newspaper.

The cardinal said he loved the Latin language and would have no trouble celebrating Latin mass.

"But I will not do it," he wrote.

Cardinal Martini tempered his criticisms by paying homage to "the immense benevolence of the Pope, who wants to allow everyone to praise God with old and new forms," but made clear that he was not on board.

The 80-year-old cardinal also defended Vatican II, saying it "took a major step forward in the understanding of the liturgy".

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Amnesty refuses to budge on abortion

Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan says that the international human rights organisation will not revoke its new policy supporting abortion for women subject to sexual violence because the policy was adopted after long consultations with members.

Amnesty International has no plans to revoke its new policy backing abortion for women subject to sexual violence, rape or incest despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church.

Secretary General Irene Khan said on Monday that a meeting of Amnesty's International Council in Mexico City on 11 August would not endorse or disapprove of the policy because it has already been adopted after long consultations with members.

The Catholic Church, which worked closely with Amnesty in the past in campaigns such as one to abolish the death penalty, has urged its members to cut off all support for the group, founded by a Catholic layman to defend political prisoners.

Khan said the new policy, inspired by rapes in war zones such as Darfur, urged governments to provide safe abortions when women conceive after rape or incest or when a pregnant woman's life is threatened.

"The purpose of the Council meeting is not to endorse this policy because this policy already exists," she told Reuters, adding the issue might still come up for discussion.

The policy, debated among Amnesty's 2.2 million members since 2005, was quietly adopted in April. Last month, the Vatican - which considers abortion to be murder and never justified - said Amnesty had "betrayed its mission".

Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said: "If, in fact, Amnesty International persists in this course of action, individuals and Catholic organisations must withdraw their support."

Khan stressed the London-based group, which previously had no official stand on abortion, had debated the change internally for 2-1/2 years and made a decision consistent with the group's long-standing campaign against violence towards women.

"Having a policy doesn't mean that we are in favour of abortion as a right, that's not the position we are taking as an organisation," she said.

"A policy has been made ... that Amnesty should support women to be able to make the decision to terminate pregnancy without fear of violence in these limited cases of sexual violence or where the life of the mother or her health is very seriously threatened."

Khan expressed disappointment in the way the Vatican had cast the dispute, but said the disagreement should not prevent cooperation with the Catholic Church on other issues.

"There are many human rights issues on which we differ, but we are a human rights organisation, our principles are based on international human rights law and human rights values."

"The Catholic Church is a religious organisation drawing its principles from other sources," she said.

"Where we coincide, we have a very fruitful partnership and I look forward to continuing partnership on those issues."

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Did Hitler try to kidnap the pope?

Did he do all that he could have done, all that he should have done?

Controversy over the conduct of Pope Pius XII during the Holocaust has raged for over 40 years.

Pius's once sterling reputation for having done what he could behind the scenes for persecuted Jews first came under sustained attack in 1963, when Rolf Hochhuth's play The Deputy cast his failure to publicly denounce the Nazi genocide in an anti-Semitic light.

The bitter debate has never really stopped since, fuelled by Pius's ongoing canonization process: by last March the man who ruled the Roman Catholic Church from 1939 to 1958 was only a small step removed from beatified status, the last rung before full sainthood.

Even those, Jewish and Catholic alike, who might otherwise contemplate letting past tragedies go gently into the history books, are unwilling to ignore the present-day sanctification of a man about whose motives and actions so much uncertainty swirls.

One key issue concerns the practical value of public denunciation, especially weighed against possible repercussions.

What would have happened, for example, if Pius had excommunicated Hitler, a baptized Catholic?

Would German Catholics have stopped the entire genocide machine in its tracks, or would open enmity have simply caused the Nazis to turn their murderous impulses on the Vatican or on Catholics in general, while doing nothing for Jews?

That's where A Special Mission (Perseus) by American journalist Dan Kurzman, the first serious investigation of Hitler's little-known plan to kidnap Pius in order to keep him quiet about the Final Solution, brings a new twist to the story.

Pius the Vicar of Christ and Hitler the Antichrist loathed and feared one another as rival claimants for Europe's hearts and souls, says Kurzman. Stalin may cynically have asked of another pope, "How many divisions does he have?", but Hitler knew 40 per cent of his army was Catholic and that a 10th of the elite SS had refused to abandon the faith despite strong Nazi party pressure.

Pius, for his part, was aware of the depth of anti-Semitism that cut across German society and that nationalism had long trumped religion in Europe.

Had not Catholics on both sides of the Western Front dutifully mown down their co-religionists by the millions in the previous world war?

Neither leader wanted to issue a command that might backfire. Hitler, when not in a rage, feared creating a martyr; Pius, whose overriding concern was piloting his Church safely through the maelstrom, was wary of provoking a violent psychopath.

The standoff turned acute when the fall of Fascist Italy removed the last buffer between the two men in the summer of 1943.

Hitler sent German troops into Rome and ordered SS Gen. Karl Wolff to kidnap Pius, lest the sight -- "under his own window," in one German diplomat's words -- of Rome's Jews being rounded up for Auschwitz finally drive the pope to open protest. It's worth noting the threat went far beyond the personal -- Wolff's orders included executing the papal court and looting the Vatican.

According to Kurzman, who had extensive conversations with Wolff before the general's death in 1984, and with others who knew of the plan, Wolff had no desire to stick his head in a post-war noose by laying violent hands on a pope.

Instead he made his mission plain to Vatican officials, and relied on the mere threat of it to force silence, while using that silence to convince Hitler no further action was required.

Despite Kurzman's insistence that the kidnap plot was a vital factor in Pius's decisions, it's difficult to evaluate its importance. In the event, Pius never did directly denounce the Holocaust, but he and his city escaped the war largely unscathed, with Rome's monasteries and convents (and the papal summer home of Castel Gandolfo) stuffed with Jewish refugees.

Six decades later, the thousand-year Reich is history, and the Roman Catholic Church is a going concern.

That leads directly to the other core issue in the debate: did Pius have an obligation to speak out, whatever the consequences to himself or his flock? Popes have two jobs, according to historian José Sánchez, author of Pius XII and the Holocaust: their ancient responsibility of caring for the Church and their role in "the popular mind" -- of being a moral conscience for mankind.

But the second role, Sánchez says, is a modern development. "Pius would scarcely have recognized it, and it certainly wouldn't have been his priority. And it wasn't possible, within the constraints of the war, to have done both."

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Archbishop is "bored" of Chávez' criticisms

San Salvador Archbishop Fernando Sáenz Lacalle said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is getting "boring" with his "insults" against the Catholic Church, adding that usual criticisms against the Catholic leaders in the continent should not be attached "much importance."

In a news conference in the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador, the prelate was asked about Chávez' attitude, as the Venezuelan ruler called Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Madariaga "parrot" and "imperialist clown."

Chávez' insults came following Rodríguez Madariaga's remarks published by a daily newspaper in San Salvador claiming that the Venezuelan ruler "believes he is a god with a right to outrage everyone else." Sáenz Lacalle declared: "I think this is a weekly circus show. Therefore, I think that not much importance should be attached to this, even though the fact that a Head of State insults a Cardinal is very significant."

"Anyway, in this particular case (of Chávez), it is so frequent that it is getting boring."

Two days earlier -through Honduran President Manuel Zelaya- Chávez apologized to the Honduran Cardinal, and even invited him to visit Venezuela to verify that his criticisms against the Venezuelan revolution are groundless.

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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

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Sotto Voce

Sex allegations against Ncube a diversionary tactic?

The controversy around Archbishop Pius Ncube continued this week as a prominent pro-government cleric added his voice to the campaign against the vocal regime critic.

Analysts have told IWPR that the unproven allegations that the archbishop had an affair with a married women are being hyped up to divert public attention from the growing economic crisis.

In addition, they say, President Robert Mugabe has his own reasons for seeking to discredit a religious leader who has been one of his most articulate and outspoken opponents.

In the latest broadside against Ncube, Bishop Trevor Manhanga of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe, and also chairman of the Heads of Christian Denominations, attacking him for meddling in politics.

“It is no secret that the relationship between Archbishop Ncube and the head of state President R.G. Mugabe has not been cordial. This is very unfortunate, and it was wrong for the Archbishop to have issued communication of a personal nature against the Head of State,” Manhanga wrote in an article for the government mouthpiece, The Herald, on July 24.

When it came to the accusations themselves, the Catholic bishop was, however, careful to refer only to Ncube’s “alleged moral failure”.

Manhanga’s comments came just over a week after a lawsuit was filed at the High Court in Bulawayo seeking damages in an adultery claim.

The archbishop has flatly denied the allegations, saying, "I will prove my innocence. There is no truth at all."

The state media has gone to town on the lawsuit, carrying television footage and newspaper pictures purportedly showing Ncube in compromising positions with the woman in question, Rosemary Sibanda, who has already claimed she did have an affair with him.

The triumphalist tone of President Mugabe’s comments on the allegations betrayed the political impetus behind the scandal.

Addressing to mourners gathered at the National Heroes Acre for the burial of Brigadier-General Fakazi Mleya on July 18, Mugabe was crushing in his condemnation of what he said was Ncube’s failure to uphold his clerical vow of celibacy.

There is no love lost between the two men, and Ncube has consistently been scathing about the way the president has run Zimbabwe.

It was he who first told the world that people were dying of hunger in parts of Matabeleland because of punitive policies imposed for repeatedly voting against Mugabe.

Only a few weeks ago, he implored the British, Zimbabwe’s former colonial masters, to use force to depose the president.

“Mugabe’s attack on Ncube had nothing to do with morality. It was all politics,” said a Catholic man living in the middle-income suburb of Hatfield, who did not want to be named.

“For Mugabe, Ncube’s fall is important in another respect. In recent months, there has been this war between Mugabe and the whole Catholic establishment after the issuance in April of the pastoral letter ‘God hears the cry of the oppressed’, which puts the blame for Zimbabwe’s problems squarely on Mugabe’s shoulders.”

According to the Hatfield resident, Mugabe could now say to the people of Zimbabwe and the world at large that Catholic bishops had no moral authority to criticise him. “Ncube’s fall takes the glitter from that pastoral letter,” he said.

There is a strong sense among analysts and Mugabe critics that this high-profile case is being used not only to damage a hostile public figure, but also to use lurid headlines to deflect attention from the real problems that Zimbabweans are facing.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe has strongly condemned the way the case has been handled.

“The showing of graphic pictures… smacks of an agenda far beyond normal journalistic reporting. The pictures… are not only disrespectful of the legal processes under way, but show a hidden agenda to tarnish the respected reputation and image of the archbishop once and for all,” said the group.

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, meanwhile, called for a day of prayer for the archbishop.

"The allegations against Ncube are not even an issue in these troubled times when there is no mealie-meal in the shops, there is no meat, and there are shortages of just about everything," the commission’s J.D. Katazo said this week.

A Zimbabwean political analyst who asked not to be named said, “For now, we have been made to forget that thousands of our compatriots are, as we speak, crossing into neighbouring countries daily to seek refuge from the dire situation that Mugabe has created.”

He was referring to reports from South Africa that the number of Zimbabweans crossing the crocodile-infested Limpopo River had risen dramatically in recent weeks following a government directive to slash prices, which was intended to curb inflation but in fact led to immediate shortages in the shops.

The situation was now so serious, the analyst asserted, that in the next few weeks “we should not be surprised to hear reports of starvation in the country. There are no basic foodstuffs in the shops, and even those who stocked up are likely to run out soon because producers have stopped producing.”

Before prices were cut, Zimbabwe was already in the grip of food shortages and the United Nations estimates that four million people already need food aid.

The shortages have been blamed on Mugabe’s disastrous land reform programme, which destroyed the country’s mainstay, the commercial farming sector.

More than 80 per cent of the population live on less than one US dollar per day while unemployment is fast approaching the 90 per cent mark.

Urban dwellers are the worst affected by Mugabe’s policies. Now they have to contend not only with the lack of basic commodities but also with serious transport problems. The cities have run out of fuel and commuter buses are at a standstill, leaving workers to walk to work.

Many analysts fear that the situation is reaching the point of no return, and say this explains the government’s readiness to use the Ncube affair to divert people’s attention and prolong its rule.

“I think we have reached the tipping point,” said an independent journalist working in Harare.

“As the old song says, a hungry man is an angry man.”

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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Mexico police arrest man in priest's killing

A second suspect in the July 22 killing of a Roman Catholic priest was arrested, Mexican police said Sunday, the same day the dead body of another priest was found in the capital.

Police in the central state of Hidalgo told a news conference Sunday that Rogelio Fernandez Guzman, nicknamed "Cara de Guerra," or "War Face," was detained Saturday in Acapulco. He allegedly fled to the Pacific coast city in a car belonging to Rev. Fernando Sanchez Duran, 68, who was killed last week.

Sanchez Duran, who ran a parish in Tepeji del Rio, just north of Mexico City, was reported missing on Tuesday and his body was found Thursday at a local dam. Officials said he had been suffocated with a plastic bag.

Fernandez Guzman and another suspect — Ivan Segovia Gaspar, the priest's godson — are believed to have killed him after trying to get money from him, said state Attorney General Jose Rodriguez Calderon.

Segovia Gaspar was arrested earlier and allegedly told prosecutors that Fernandez Guzman committed the killing. Both are being held pending formal charges, which prosecutors are expected to file within a few days.

Also Sunday another priest was found dead in a parish residence in central Mexico City, government news agency Notimex reported citing the Mexico City Prosecutor's Office.

A photo from the crime scene showed the man with his hands, feet and body bound with what appeared to be strips of cloth. Authorities were investigating the death as a possible homicide, Notimex said.

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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Suspect priests not monitored

Recent news about a decades-old local case of sexual abuse by a priest has victims' rights advocates asking why no one is monitoring clerics, including the Rev. Kevin Barmasse, who have been suspended but never prosecuted over child-abuse accusations.

Barmasse is one of 34 clerics and other church personnel, dating back to the 1950s, whom the local diocese has identified as having "credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving a minor" against them.

He is also one of 15 clerics and other church personnel on the list who are still believed to be alive and are living freely without any monitoring by diocese or civil authorities.

Barmasse and the others were never criminally convicted, though last week the Pima County Attorney's Office confirmed that it had opened a criminal investigation into Barmasse's actions because of new information from two men who say he abused them during the 1980s.

Fourteen of the clerics and other church personnel on the diocese's list are now dead, and five have been prosecuted and sent to prison or jail.

Paul N. Duckro, director of the diocese's Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection, said local law enforcement has reviewed the cases of all the people on the diocesan list. But he said the diocese does not have the resources to monitor the suspended priests or personnel.

That means Robert C. Trupia — a former monsignor whom the local diocese has called a serial predator and who was removed from the priesthood by the Vatican — could be living anywhere in the United States and possibly working with children, though the accusations against him are easily found through a Google search of his name.

"The church is not set up to do extensive monitoring. Even adult probation struggles with that. There is not a civic organization I can think of with those kinds of skills and resources," Duckro said.

"The names are easily accessible, and police departments have access to the information. Certainly the information is not lacking."

Many of the clerics and personnel on the list were never prosecuted because no one reported the abuse to authorities within the statutorily allowable time. And not all of them are believed to have committed offenses that would technically fall within the definition of a crime.

The diocesan standard for "credible" is that the abuse not only could have happened but probably did happen. That's a lower standard than that of the criminal justice system's "beyond a reasonable doubt."

The diocese's Sexual Misconduct Review Board determines who will appear on the list, and the bishop has final say.

Duckro said all the priests on the diocese's list have been either suspended or removed from ministry, which is a preventive measure.

"Most predators do not jump out of the bushes. They really do so from a position of authority, whether in a family or volunteer role. Taking a person out of ministry reduces their access," Duckro said.

"Secondly, by making people aware of what has happened through the list, it makes people more alert."

Dioceses continue to pay a stipend to suspended priests and also offer them psychological counseling.

David Clohessy of the national Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests says dioceses could consider ways to monitor the suspended priests.

One idea is threatening to withhold stipends unless the priests agree to monitoring.

"A tiny percentage are behind bars. A tiny percentage fled the country or are missing, and a handful of dioceses put these guys in a church housing facility," Clohessy said.

"But the overwhelming majority are living in unsuspecting communities."

The dangers are real. Clohessy pointed to a case of a suspended priest from the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., who pleaded guilty last month to molesting a teenage boy over four years between 2002 and 2005 in Syracuse, N.Y. Francis G. DeLuca was originally suspended from the Delaware diocese on an accusation that he abused children there during the 1960s.

Psychologists and other experts generally place the recidivism rate for sexual offenders at 17 percent. Even 1 percent is too much, Duckro emphasized.

Clohessy worries that there are not enough checks and balances to ensure suspended priests don't reoffend.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops does not track how many U.S. priests have been suspended, but Clohessy says between 800 and 900 have been suspended in the last five years.

"With the passage of time and with what I call creeping complacency, and in the absence of newer charges, I think more people are inclined to believe that suspended priests are either innocent or cured," Clohessy said.

Barmasse was ordained a priest for the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1982 after graduating from St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. His assignments in the Diocese of Tucson were at St. Andrew the Apostle in Sierra Vista from 1983 to 1986, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on Tucson's Northwest Side between 1986 and 1988, and at Blessed Sacrament in Mammoth from 1988 to 1991.

Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas wrote in a letter to parishioners in 2003 that the Tucson diocese accepted Barmasse for ministry with the understanding that he would get treatment related to an accusation of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Documents show Barmasse got treatment, and the professional who treated him believed he would be able to minister safely, yet urged caution.

Kicanas, who became bishop of Tucson in 2003, said Barmasse should not have been allowed to minister in Tucson or anywhere else, and that such an arrangement would not be allowed today.
Barmasse left the local diocese in 1991. He remained a priest of the Los Angeles Archdiocese during his time here. He was removed from ministry in 1992 and is now living in a Los Angeles suburb. He could not be reached for comment.

"A tiny percentage are behind bars. A tiny percentage fled the country or are missing, and a handful of dioceses put these guys in a church housing facility. But the overwhelming majority are living in unsuspecting communities."

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

British army leaves Northern Ireland after 38 years

After 38 years the British Army is ending its presence in Northern Ireland. What was the longest campaign in the army's history draws to an end at midnight on Tuesday, without fanfare or ceremony.

Colonel Wayne Harber of the 39th Infantry Brigade told the The Times: "There will be a private moment of remembrance and absolutely nothing else."

Troops Out!

For the Republicans of Northern Ireland this is the end of the End Game: for years "troops out!" was the recurring slogan and aim of the Irish Republican Army.

The unravelling of Operation Banner, as the campaign was known, began for real when the IRA abandoned its policy of armed resistance. Colonel Harber comments:

"I think that everyone is glad that it's over. There has only been one set of losers: the people of Northern Ireland. You should not have the Army on your streets; it is an aberration."

Send troops

In August 1969, the Catholics of Northern Ireland were begging for British soldiers to come to their rescue.

In just a few days time, seven people had died and hundreds had been injured in street fighting between the Protestant and Catholic communities, streets were ethnically cleansed, houses set on fire.

The Irish MP Gerry Fitt remembers being beseiged by an almost hystericla mob of 500 people demanding he ask London to send troops.

"In the company of four or five hundred of my constituents, I went down to a bookmakers shop and rang [British] Home Secretary James Callaghan. He said - and I will never forget his words - it would be relatively easy to bring the army in to Northern Ireland, but it would be the devil of a job to get it out."

RUC

The task of the British Army was to support the Northern Ireland police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The RUC was not your average police force. It was a semi-military organisation (unlike police in other parts of the United Kingdom, the RUC carried firearms) concerned mainly with protecting the existing, Protestant-dominated order.

Ninety-six percent of its membership was Protestant and the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland were generally regarded as potential or actual Republican terrorists. The treatment meted out to Catholics was based on this conviction.

The real Republicans regarded the RUC as no better than a sectarian militia and the police became one of the IRA's primary targets. In the course of "the troubles" they killed 277 RUC officers (while 763 soldiers were recorded as killed by paramilitaries).

No-go

Throughout the province, "no-go" areas developed - Catholic neighbourhoods regarded as too dangerous for the RUC and the army.

Until recently the police station in Crossmaglen could only be supplied from the air, since this apparently unexceptional little border town with its maze of winding streets was regarded as too dangerous for police and troops on the ground.

Despite the withdrawal, around 5,000 British troops will continue to be stationed in Northern Ireland.

They will no longer be there to support the police. They will form part of a peace-keeping garrison which can be deployed in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone or wherever else they are needed.

Reorganisation

Probably one of the toughest elements of the Northern Ireland peace process, which only got going properly in 1997, was the reorganisation of the RUC.

A peaceful Northern Ireland would not be possible without a police force which would serve both communities and be respected by all sections of the population. Different uniforms, different insignia and a new name (the Police Service of Northern Ireland) were introduced to help create a new culture within the force.

An extraordinary meeting of the main Republican party, Sinn Fein, at the start of this year gave the final stamp of approval to Catholics to apply for jobs with the new service.

Recruiting Catholic officers is, however, still a problem. It will demand creative thinking to reach the long-term goal of a 50 percent Catholic, 50 percent Protestant police force.

Recruiting Poles

The solution may even lay outside of Northern Ireland, in Poland. Almost 600 people filled in application forms for the PSNI in reponse to adverts in Polish newpapers in recent months.

They still have to pass language tests and evaluations but, to the great relief of the Polish police, who were afraid - Northern Ireland salaries being four times higher than Polish - of losing hundreds of epxerienced oficers, almost every candidate proved in need of greater language skills to be accepted.

Northern Ireland doesn't seem particularly perturbed about the continuing Protestant domination of the police.

An opinion poll earlier this month indicated that 83 percent of the population, both Catholic and Protestant, has confidence in the new police force.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Austria's Catholic faithful to get a daily SMS from Pope Benedict

Austria's Roman Catholic faithful will be able to receive a daily SMS from Pope Benedict XVI ahead of his September 7-9 visit to Austria.

Launched on Sunday, the info-service provided by Austria's Catholic Church will provide messages with quotes from works by the pope from now until September 6.

Monday's SMS offered the following to the mobile phone congregation: "God is not some far-away higher being that cannot be approached. He is very close, in hearing range, always accessible."

"With new communication channels like SMS and mobile services, we want to bring the visit of Pope Benedict XVI even closer to the people," Bishop Egon Kapellari said in a press release.

The "Thoughts of the Day", consisting of carefully chosen quotes, are intended to encourage reflections "about God, Christian faith, the nature of humans and the meaning of life" in the summer holiday season, the press release said.

The service is free.

Also available are a cellphone picture of the pope, songs to be sung at festivities during his visit and chants performed by the monks of Heiligenkreuz monastery - another venue of the pope's visit.

To get in the right spirit for the upcoming visit, the bells of Vienna's St. Stephen's cathedral and Mariazell basilica can be downloaded as a ringtone.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Israel urges condemnation of priest

Israel wants Polish Catholic leaders and the Polish government to condemn a priest who was recorded making anti-Jewish comments.

Tadeusz Rydzyk, a Roman Catholic priest and owner of the ultra-conservative Catholic broadcaster Radio Maryja, reportedly depicted Jews as greedy because of property restitution claims and criticized Polish President Lech Kaczynski for supporting the Museum of the History of Polish Jews that is opening in 2009.

Rydzyk's comments were made public earlier this month in the Polish magazine Wprost.

He has responded to criticism by saying he never meant to offend anyone.

Radio Maryja has a history of airing anti-Semitic commentaries.

Israeli Ambassador David Peleg told The Associated Press, "I think that this is the strongest anti-Semitic remark here in Poland since 1968. We hope that the government, on one hand, and the Catholic Church, on the other hand, will make a statement condemning this anti-Semitic remark."

Peleg has asked Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president's twin brother, to condemn the priest's remarks, but the president and prime minister have withheld comment, saying they first needed to verify the authenticity of the recording obtained by Wprost.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Pope Benedict XVI's Recent Claims about the Roman Catholic Church Proven False by New Book

Pope Benedict's recent statement that has caused such dismay among the world's Protestant and Orthodox churches has been effectively proven a falsehood by a recently released book on the subject of Christianity.

Formerly known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before being elected to the office of pope, Benedict XVI asserted that the Roman Catholic church was ''the one true Church of Christ.''

The document containing the statement was written by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before his election as Pope. It states that Christ established only one Church here on Earth. It argues that other Christian denominations cannot be called Churches in the proper sense because they cannot trace their bishops back to Christ's original apostles.

In his new book ''Christ, Christianity & The Catholic Religion'' author Joseph C. Whyte provides overwhelmingly convincing historical and Biblical evidence that undermines the pope's claims.

Not only are Pope Benedict's claims proven to be false, the author presents Biblical evidence that contradicts Pope Benedict's claim that the Roman Catholic Church can trace its bishops to the original apostles of Jesus.

The author outlines the birth of the Catholic Religion which, contrary to the pope's claims, did not begin with the Apostles of Jesus, but with Emperor Constantine of Rome in the fourth century.

The book further traces the rise of the new Roman Catholic institution under its benefactor, Emperor Constantine and its deviation from the Holy Scriptures, its descent into Roman pagan religious practices, the incorporating of pagan religious festivals into its worship, and the suppression of the true Church of Jesus Christ.

"Benedict's statement is reminiscent of statements made by previous popes that have been described as ex-cathedra (literally meaning from the chair) and claimed to be divine revelations."

Pope Innocent III issued a similar statement in 1215, ''There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside of which no one at all can be saved'' (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215) and Pope Boniface made a like pronouncement in 1302, ''We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff'' (Pope Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302.)

Pastor Joseph Whyte illustrates in his book that all such statements are proven falsehoods that are characteristic of the Roman Pontiffs throughout the centuries and should not be regarded with any level of seriousness.

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Disclaimer

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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Priest's rant sparks security fears

SECURITY has been upgraded at St Patrick's Cathedral after a showdown between a Catholic priest and a gang of skaters.

Hundreds of angry messages attacking the church's dean appeared on internet site YouTube yesterday.

The threats follow the posting of a video of Monsignor Geoff Baron swearing, and making racist and sexual slurs against the gang while trying to evict them from the grounds of the East Melbourne landmark.

The monsignor's foul-mouthed outburst -- and the skateboarders' equally vile reaction -- has been viewed almost 40,000 times.

"Might go skate the church tomozz (sic) and cover the place in wax and grind the steps down and throw some rubbish all over the place," one angry skater posted.

Another threatens to turn the picturesque cathedral into Melbourne's "next skate park".

"I'm gonna round up some bike riders and scooter riders and beat-boxers and . . . have a competition down the stairs there," the post said.

Another wrote: "Let's all go skate St Pat's and see if he's calmed down a bit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Dozens of other messages suggest skaters should have bashed the priest to "teach him a lesson".
The footage -- taken almost a year ago -- shows Monsignor Baron losing his temper and swearing profusely before slapping one of the teens.

It also shows the priest being spat on, pushed, threatened and baited by the skateboarders, who repeatedly throw things at him.

The church official said skaters had been a problem at the cathedral for some time.

He said the church would investigate the threats but refused to comment further.

Monsignor Baron was not speaking to the media yesterday but offered a public apology on radio.
"The shame that I feel and the embarrassment, I can't really describe," he told 3AW.

"It was outrageous behaviour. I let myself down terribly badly, quite clearly, and I've also brought scandal and shock to other people.

"I wish I could take it back, but I can't. I've got to live with the consequences."

He described the teens as "jackals and hyenas", who had started things by calling him a pedophile and provoking him.

"When you're pushed to the limit, you lose control.

"All that rubbish, that filth which I said, just came to the surface. They were laughing and carrying on, which made me even worse."

Monsignor Baron apologised to the public for his blasphemous outburst, but not to the skaters.

But one of the skaters, who gave his name only as Adrian, said the priest had sworn at them before, on catching them trespassing on church grounds.

He said some of his mates "got a little bit too excited" this time but blamed the monsignor for stirring them up.

"He's notorious," Adrian said. "We shouldn't have been there . . . but he has no right to swear profanities at us.

"It was the furthest thing from our minds, to cause trouble. It's a Catholic priest saying homosexual, racist remarks. Who wouldn't be upset?"

But other YouTube visitors praised the priest.

"The kids should have their butts kicked for provoking and breaking the law in the first place," one person wrote.

Another wrote: "I know this priest and he is the nicest, calmest person -- it freaks me to see him like this."

Monsignor Baron said he would not offer to resign.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

New Da Vinci Last Supper Code

An Italian information technologist believes that superimposing Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Last Supper with its mirror image reveals a figure who looks like a Templar knight and another holding a baby.

The new theory that Leonardo's Last Supper might hide within it a depiction of Christ blessing the bread and wine has triggered so much interest that websites connected to the picture have crashed.

The famous fresco is already the focus of mythical speculation after author Dan Brown based his The Da Vinci Code around the painting, arguing in the novel that Jesus married his follower, Mary Magdalene, and fathered a child.

Now Slavisa Pesci, an information technologist and amateur scholar, says superimposing the Last Supper with its mirror-image throws up another picture containing a figure who looks like a Templar knight and another holding a small baby.

"I came across it by accident, from some of the details you can infer that we are not talking about chance but about a precise calculation," Pesci told journalists when he unveiled the theory earlier this week.

Websites had 15 million hits last Thursday morning alone, organisers said, adding they were trying to provide a more powerful server for the sites.

In the superimposed version, a figure on Christ's left appears to be cradling a baby in its arms, Pesci said, but he made no suggestion this could be Christ's child.

Judas, whose imminent betrayal of Christ is the force breaking the right-hand line of the original fresco, appears in an empty space on the left in the reverse image version.

And Pesci also suggests that the superimposed version shows a goblet before Christ and illustrates when Christ blessed bread and wine at a supper with his disciples for the first Eucharist.

The original Da Vinci depicts Christ when he predicts that one among them will betray him.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Aoun and Gemayel supporters clash as Cardinal Sfeir calls for dialogue

Christians clashed last night in Beirut despite calls from the Maronite patriarch, Card Nasrallah Sfeir, for dialogue and accord.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner left the Lebanese capital for Egypt empty handed as his Spanish colleague Miguel Angel Moratinos was arriving.

Supporters of former President Amin Gemayel clashed with former General Michel Aoun's followers in the streets northeast of Beirut, using sticks, fists and feet.

The fight ended quickly after Lebanese army troops stepped in and dispersed the feuding parties.

Friction between the two camps had heated up when Aoun announced that he and his allies would jointly contest the Metn seat that was left vacant by the November 21 murder of Gemayel's son, Pierre.

Only a few hours earlier, Cardinal Sfeir urged the contenders to help reduce tensions by adhering to traditions and uniting in times of crises. In saying so the patriarch seemed to be suggesting that Aoun ought to leave the by-election uncontested since it became vacant as a result of murder.

Sfeir said that elections, “in times of peace and prosperity, are a healthy and democratic practice, while in times of crisis, legitimate rights can be ignored.”

“The Lebanese are used to letting emotions prevail over legitimate rights in situations like this; particularly tragic situations,” Sfeir explained.

He expressed hope that “kindness and harmony make their way into the hearts and minds” of the rival parties, “especially since parliamentary seats being disputed belonged to people who have been assassinated by merciless criminals.”

But in his statement he focused above all on internal divisions, especially among Christians, noting that when a family is divided it courts disaster.

The fate of any force, party, community or group that splits is destruction, dismemberment and annihilation.

This is something that must be understood so as to put an end to the divisions that can only get worse if they continue.

In Cairo where he met his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Abul Gheit and Arab League Secretary Amr Moussa, French Foreign Minister Kouchner said that the “Lebanese crisis is difficult and complicated, and with external influences, it has become one of the most difficult problems in the world.”

He stressed that “pressure is needed . . . meaning that Syria and Iran must not exercise influence that could lead to war.”

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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Malta’s Apostolic Nuncio is the new Pope's almoner

Pope Benedict XVI has nominated Apostolic Nuncio for Malta his Excellency Archbishop Mons. Felix del Blanco Prieto as the Pope's official almoner. Del Blanco Prieto is replacing Mons. Oscar Rizzato.

The Pope's official almoner, continues in office even after the pope dies.

He continues to carry out works of charity in accordance with the criteria employed during the pope's lifetime.

Archbishop Nuncio Felix del Blanco Prieto was born in Morgovejo, Leon, Spain on 15 June 1937.

He was ordained priest on 27th May 1961 and consecrated bishop on 6th July 1991.

Del Blano Prieto was declared as the Apostolic Nuncio for Malta in June 2003.

He also served as an Apostolic Nuncio in Cameroon and Republic of Equatorial Guinea

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Taliban questions pope's silence on civilian deaths

The Taliban questioned yesterday why the pope called for the release of 22 South Korean Christian hostages but did not speak out against civilian casualties by foreign troops.

The hardline Islamic militia also asked why Pope Benedict XVI was silent on the fate of Afghan women that it claimed were being held at US military bases in Afghanistan.

It could not be immediately confirmed if any Afghan women are being detained by US forces, leading the hunt for Taliban militants and their Al-Qaeda allies, and Ahmadi gave no details.

The South Koreans, 16 of them women, were captured on July 19 and the hardliners have threatened to start killing them unless the government agrees by noon Monday to free certain Taliban in Afghan jails.

"Why is the pope not asking and requesting and speaking out against the detention of Afghan women in Bagram and in Kandahar jails?" Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said to AFP in a telephone call from a secret location."Why is he not speaking out against civilian casualties by foreign troops? Afghanistan is invaded by foreign troops. They are bombing innocent civilians," he said.

Scores of civilians have been killed this year in international military action against the hardiners, who have also killed hundreds of ordinary people in their attacks.

The reaction came hours after the pope appealed for the hostages' lives and also condemned "the practice among armed groups to use innocent people" as bargaining chips.

Ahmadi suggested the militia may release the South Korean hostages if Afghan women being held by the US military were freed first and said the pope should push for this.

There have however been no reports of women rounded up by US forces and officials were not available late Sunday for comment.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Colombia is moving forward on gay rights

It's not so odd to find a gay pride parade in a major city these days. What is odd is to have a conservative politician getting praise from a transsexual in a Wonder Woman costume.

But in Colombia, where Catholicism still reigns and a conservative president is serving an unprecedented second term, gay men and lesbians are closer to getting national legal rights than in any other Latin American nation.

Earlier this year, the country's Constitutional Court ruled that same-sex couples should have the same rights to shared assets as heterosexual couples, a decision that even the Catholic Church supported.

And last month, pushed by a strange coalition of conservative and leftist congressmen, legislation giving gay unions the same social security, health and inheritance benefits as heterosexual couples passed the House and the Senate -- only to have a few opponents temporarily stall the bill when the two chambers tried to reconcile the language.

That legislation, which also has conservative President Alvaro Uribe's support, is expected to pass in the coming months, despite a tepid resistance by the Catholic Church.

''This is a conservative country, but it's not a moralist country,'' said Virgilio Barco, the son of a former Colombian president with the same name and who is also gay and a leading organizer for the group Diverse Colombia

Latin America has long experienced discrimination and violence against gay people. But a recent surge in gay-rights organizations has led to landmark legislation: Governments of Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil have passed laws allowing gay civil unions.

Colombia, however, is the first to inch toward making gay rights national law.

Like most activists, Barco points to the 1991 constitution as the starting point for this battle because it gives widespread recognition to the indigenous, Afro-Colombians and minority religious groups.

''This started everything,'' said Barco.

COURT AND CONGRESS

But the fight for gay rights started gaining momentum at the beginning of this millennium with the emergence of several groups like Diverse Colombia, founded in 2003. Working with lawyers from the prestigious University of the Andes, these groups took their battle to the courts and Congress.

They have found some strange allies along the way. Uribe is a staunch Catholic but supports the pending legislation on gay rights. One of his congressional allies, Armando Benedetti, also championed the law, as did leftist political parties and movements.

''It's something we can all support,'' Benedetti told The Miami Herald at the gay pride parade while several transsexuals waved to him. ``This isn't about class warfare. This is about equality.''

The legal push has been accompanied by a drive to make the gay world more visible. Bogotá's mayor, Luis Eduardo Garzón, set up a community center that specifically tends to psychological and legal problems, as well as hosts gay-rights-related events.

The annual gay pride parade has also grown. An estimated 10,000 marched this year down the main thoroughfare of Bogotá to the occasional applause of supporters. Politicians of all stripes joined them.

''We used to be tourists in our own country,'' said Leonardo Galeano, 35, as he walked with his male partner along the city's main thoroughfare. ``[But] there's been an awakening.''

PUBLIC DOUBT PERSISTS

Still, activists, marchers and pro-gay politicians admit there's a long way to go. Polls show that most Colombians approve of the legislation on gay rights but do not favor gay civil unions or adoption by same-sex couples.

Violence and discrimination also continue, said Marcela Sanchez, the head of Diverse Colombia.

And protestant churches, more than the Catholic Church, are mobilizing to defeat any future legislation.

''The laws seem to be going in one way, but the consciousness doesn't always go with it,'' Sanchez said.

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce