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Today, Italy's La Repubblica newspaper added fuel to the fire, alleging that Benedict's resignation was prompted by a report prepared by three Cardinals on conflict and corruption in the Vatican — including what it says is the "inappropriate influence" of a gay lobby within the Holy See.
The newspaper — which has the largest circulation within Italy — says that Benedict asked three Cardinals, Julian Herranz, Josef Tomko and Salvatore De Giorgi, to conduct an internal report after the VatiLeaks scandal. When the 300 page report was delivered to Benedict in December, it reportedly cemented a decision that he had already been considering — it was time to resign.
What was so damning in the report? While La Repubblica doesn't quote directly from the report, it contains details reportedly passed on by a senior Vatican source, which points to financial and sexual lobbies that have split the church.
Gee...........
As a catholic, I have always assumed that many of the priests are gay. Why does it make any difference?
We are short of priests and thankfully third world nations have provided priests for many posts in the US. One of our priests is Vietnamese and the two previous priests were from Africa.
The Catholic church should drop the vows of celibacy and allow women to be priests in order to increase the supply. We have deacons, which helps, but will not solve the problem.
I tell my wife (I call her a "Shiite Catholic) I am nominating her for Pope, as she would make a very good one and could also bake cookies and pies for the Cardinals if they got owly and needed some treats.
Geeze Louise, I don't get this...talk about organized religion....
1st. any priest is still a human being, not a God, period, and human beings (and I hate to burst the bubble with some of you) but they have sexual drives just like any human being, some more then others...sex is sex...with your soul mate, it is obviously a gift...however, sex within the human being, is not an act that requires embarrassement, unless it is by forcing yourself on a child...and a lot of priests are guilty of that....sex with boys....and that definately needs to be addressed.
But as far as the gays...I don't care what your sexual prefrence is, as long as you don't force your beliefs on me. If you want to be gay, fine...but do not expect the whole world to bend in your direction as there are some people who are tremendously insulted by it...due to they're religions/beliefs
You can't change people....all you can do is be fair, and realize, your sexual prefrence, is between you and your God....period....the same way mine is....
Sometimes things are exactly as they appear. The Pope is old, and he decided to retire other than remain and die in office. I admire him for that. Of course in today's society there has to be a spin put on everything.
IMHO, the Pope is resigning ahead of the sh** storm coming about pedophile priests, and not just in America. They are on the tipping point of losing Ireland, and there are reports coming out of South America.
They can whine about gays all they want, but this is a mess the Vatican is hip deep in.
Sometimes things are exactly as they appear. The Pope is old, and he decided to retire other than remain and die in office. I admire him for that. Of course in today's society there has to be a spin put on everything.
Well the last Pope to retire happened 600 years ago.
Every Pope since then has stayed in office until they died.
IMHO, the Pope is resigning ahead of the sh** storm coming about pedophile priests, and not just in America. They are on the tipping point of losing Ireland, and there are reports coming out of South America.
They can whine about gays all they want, but this is a mess the Vatican is hip deep in.
And he led the investigations into these accusations going back into the 80's.
This is what he did before becoming the Pope.
Well the last Pope to retire happened 600 years ago.
Every Pope since then has stayed in office until they died.
Not only that but I feel that it creates further consequences for an organization whose credibility is already in the basement. The Catholic Church probably lost my generation (and Millions others) long before this but it does cement the fact that the Pope has no divine power, no "special connection" to God.
He is simply a man that rose through the ranks due to his compliance and unwillingness to expose anything that would disrupt the status quo or hurt the "corporation" that is The Catholic Church.
Hopefully, The Ex-Pope will now be outspoken against the ills and travesties of the organization he used to represent.
Not only that but I feel that it creates further consequences for an organization whose credibility is already in the basement. The Catholic Church probably lost my generation (and Millions others) long before this but it does cement the fact that the Pope has no divine power, no "special connection" to God.
He is simply a man that rose through the ranks due to his compliance and unwillingness to expose anything that would disrupt the status quo or hurt the "corporation" that is The Catholic Church.
Hopefully, The Ex-Pope will now be outspoken against the ills and travesties of the organization he used to represent.
He will disappear into seclusion until his death is announced.
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