Pope charged with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. About time.

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Two German lawyers from Marktheidenfeld in Pope Benedict's home state of Bavaria have filed charges against the Pope in the International Criminal Court alleging crimes against humanity. The 16,500-word submission from Christian Sailer and Gert-Joachim Hetzel alleges “three worldwide crimes which until now have not been denounced . . . (as) the traditional reverence toward ‘ecclesiastical authority’ has clouded the sense of right and wrong”.

Full details are available in the Irish Times.

Pope ogles topless men in the Vatican

From Russia Today:

"A usually staid weekly Papal audience was spiced up this week with an acrobatic performance by a troupe of topless men. The four performers dressed in white suits walked across the stage towards the Papal throne and surprised the Pope by whipping off their shirts before beginning an acrobatic performance on Tuesday. The Pope looked on as the men hoisted each other into the air, one on top of the other, three high."

Catholic church sees cash in internet pilgrimages

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The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
 

An article in today's Guardian details the church's plans to 'create a new digital income stream with half a million payments a year' from selling virtual electronic candles at the famous shrine at Santiago de Compostela.  (For a brilliantly blashpemous take on this famous pilgrimage, watch Luis Buñuel's classic film 'La voie lactée'.)

Can't be long now before they introduce virtual indulgences?

Catholic bishops in Connecticut put church before child abuse victims

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A bill to remove the current time limit for victims of child sexual abuse to bring legal action is being opposed by the state's Roman Catholic bishops, who are also asking their parishioners to oppose the bill.  Why?  Because they say that the bill would put "all Church institutions, including your parish, at risk".  Good to see they have their priorities right then.

Read the CNN story.

Mr Ratzinger’s Rap Sheet | Protest The Pope


Joseph Ratzinger, a.k.a. “The Pope” is charged with the following crimes:

  1. Opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of AIDS
  2. Promoting segregated education
  3. Denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women
  4. Opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people
  5. Failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation.
  6. Rehabilitating the holocaust denier bishop Richard Williamson and the appeaser of Hitler, the war-time Pope, Pius XII.
via protest-the-pope.org.uk

Pope's "apology" blames Irish bishops but ignores his own role in child sex abuse scandal

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Yesterday Pope Benedict XVI issued a "pastoral letter" to be read out at all Catholic masses in Ireland.  The letter was widely trailed as an apology for the many instances of sexual abuse committed by paedophile Catholic priests and the role of the church in covering up these abuses and protecting the abusing priests.

Now it is here, however, the letter seems to be more of a public relations exercise, blaming the Irish bishops for their policy of simply moving paedophile priests around and swearing their victims to secrecy, whilst making no mention at all of the Pope's own role in protecting the offending priests from the law.

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The Irish Catholic church's approach to protecting their paedophile priests - buy the victim's silence

Reports of settlement overseen by bishop of Derry adds to abuse scandals surrounding Catholic churches in Europe

Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent

Thursday 18 March 2010 11.14 GMT

The Catholic church in Ireland was today embroiled in another child abuse scandal after allegations that a victim was paid to keep quiet in a deal overseen by the bishop of Derry.

Bishop Seamus Hegarty was named as a party in a confidential civil settlement after a woman claimed she was abused by a priest for more than a decade, according to a report in today's Belfast Telegraph. According to the newspaper, the claim was settled without admission of liability but with a payment of £12,000 to the alleged victim. The settlement between the archdiocese of Derry and the woman, who was eight when the abuse began, reportedly contained a confidentiality clause preventing her from discussing the case.

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Catholic adoption society wins the right to be homophobic - disgraceful

Catholic adoption society wins exemption from using gay parents

Catholic Care wins high court appeal not to adhere to sexual orientation regulations to use homosexual parents

Wednesday 17 March 2010 11.33 GMT

Pope Benedict XVI has called on Catholic priests in Britain to continue debating equality laws

Pope Benedict XVI. Adoption society Catholic Care has won exemption in the high court from choosing homosexual parents. Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images

A Catholic adoption society today won the right in the high court not to consider homosexual couples as parents.

Mr Justice Briggs, sitting in London, has allowed the society's appeal for an exemption from the sexual orientation regulations – opposed by the Charity Commission – which means the society can continue operating as it has always done.

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