Pope Benedict XVI: Pissed Off at Belgian Law Enforcement

According to BBC News, Vatican officials are comparing a recent raid by Belgian police on a Catholic church office, to being "worse than communist era." Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is quoted as making complaints that priests were held for nine hours without eating or drinking. Bertone is also quoted as saying: "It was sequestration, a serious and unbelievable act." My guess is that Mr Bertone's view of "serious and unbelievable" is a tad skewed.

I (the author of this commentary) find this strange. If I'm not the only one who remembers, weren't there hundreds, if not thousands of individuals worldwide who claim their lives were wrecked because as children, they were forced to perform sex acts with a handful of old perverts posing as "Men of God?" Not all priests, mind you. It was just a handful...and their God has big hands. He's got the whole world, after all.

It's not like Pope Benedict XVI didn't admit it happened!
Pope Benedict XVI, in his defense, has acknowledged the abuse himself, and in so doing has given law enforcement the closest thing to a confession as anyone has ever hoped for from a representative of the Catholic church. For a while there, I was even beginning to respect the man for his courage. But, now that the Belgian police are treating the investigation as an investigation of a criminal act, he's decrying the Belgian officials.

Mr. Pope - can I give you some advice? I realize I'm a "nobody," but I'd like to help you here. You seem like a really nice guy in so many ways. If you want to be seen as the "Pope who cleans house" then, let law enforcement the world over do what they must to prosecute these monsters who've been hiding in your house long enough. You've nothing to hide, right?

Lots of us in the world perceive the Catholic church as hiding, protecting, and therefore endorsing the abuse of children over these past few decades. If you really believe that any single thing, any one of your priests say in mass is true, then why would you be upset that Belgian law enforcement is helping you? I say, "Gooooo BELGIUM!"

What's holding back other countries' law enforcement?
Why are law enforcement agencies in all other countries (including the USA) apparently so afraid to pursue these allegations of abuse like Belgium? Are they more scared of going to hell for pissing off a Pope, or for letting perverts and sexual predators go unpunished - free to rape and abuse more children? They have the right to go to hell for the reasons of their own choosing, of course. We all do.

Justice needs no permission from the "Holy See"
Pope Benedict XVI has already admitted the scandal is "due to church sin." With an admission of culpability like that, what on earth are other countries waiting for? Let me ask just one more question, please: Who cares if the Pope, any Cardinal, or any religious figure is offended by a thorough investigation into the claims of abuse? Would any criminal be expected to be happy to get caught?

Source:
Personal opinion, and
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