White Coat Underground

Look, the Pope gets to make the rules—it’s his club and he gets to decide who plays and who doesn’t. The Vatican does not claim to be democratic. That being said, all decisions rest on him, and him alone, and cannot be blamed on “the will of the people”. The buck really does stop with Papa. So when he invites rabid anti-semites back into the fold, it’s a reflection of his personal beliefs. Catholicism, and Christianity in general, places a premium on forgiveness—it’s some good shit for the soul, and the story of Pope John-Paul II reconciling with his would-be assassin is truly heart-warming.

Contrast that with Benedict (the former heir to Torquemada) who has reached out to unrepentant anti-semitic holocaust deniers. This kind of act is symbolic, but what message is he trying to send? Catholics are all one big happy family? Hey, they invented excommunication for a reason. These guys, like Richard Williamson, are completely unrepentant. Even with the ex-excommunication, he is still spouting typical holocaust denial tripe:

“I believe that the historical evidence . . . is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed…I believe there were no gas chambers.”

Gee, I really don’t fucking care what you believe, you sick, demented fuck. But I do care that Il Papa has invited you back up into the treehouse. That shit makes baby Jesus weep. It also makes me wonder what Benedicts goal is here. But, hey, it’s his club, he can do what he wants. Viva Il Papa, right or wrong.

This may sound a little radical, but perhaps Catholics should be speaking out against their Dear Leader?

(Yes, my back still hurts…so what?)

Comments

#1 Robert
January 28, 2009

You cannot speak out against der fuerher!

It is verboten.

Amen.
#2 Joshua Zelinsky
January 28, 2009

These excommunications weren’t about Holocaust denial or anti-semitism. The individuals in question were excommunicated for their appointment as bishops without the consent of the Catholic church. The fact that the members of the Society of Pius X are ultra-right wing, anti-semitic, Holocaust denying whackjobs isn’t relevant and the Pope has appropriately not let that impact what is in essence a theological matter.
#3 PalMD
January 28, 2009

How can it not be relevant??? If the Pope is allowed to interpret moral behavior/laws and consequences, and ignores this “little detail” (to paraphrase Le Pen), then it’s all on him.
#4 CyberLizard
January 28, 2009

Dude, you’re seriously expecting rationality from a group that engages in the ritual of symbolically eating the flesh of a dead guy? Those pain meds must be messing with your head
#5 Isis the Scientist
January 28, 2009

Pal, I hope your back recovers…
#6 Dianne
January 28, 2009

Maybe later the Pope will get around to reversing the ex-communication on people who committed REALLY horrible crimes like, say, obtaining or performing abortions or voting for politicians who weren’t in favor of banning abortion in all circumstances including to save the life of the mother…Nah…Killing millions of living, thinking people is forgivable. Killing a blastulocyst without a single neuron, apparently isn’t.
#7 PalMD
January 28, 2009

I should make clear that the beliefs of the Church are irrelevant to me. I’m not one of these “you must be an atheist or your an idiot” bunch. I understand (i think) why human beings believe, even if i don’t share that belief.

BUT..but…

I still get to comment on the consequences of that belief. I think that the Catholic Church as done a great deal of good and ill in the world…i don’t think it is inherently good or bad just because it is religious. It has the capacity for good and bad acts. The current is a bad act.
#8 Coriolis
January 28, 2009

It’s funny how the faith is supposed to make them moral… but then when it comes to something like this, it’s just a theological issue and conveniently divorced from the supposed morality of said theology.
#9 Blake Stacey
January 28, 2009

Apparently, Williamson has some serious issues.

I’d try to summarize, but his insanity defies compression.
#10 SimonG
January 28, 2009

It seems to me that the Pope is more interested in the unity of the Catholic Church than anything else. The truly moral thing would surely be to at least mention how abhorrent or at least irrational their views are.

However, if the Pope were to actually condemn Holocaust denial it might take on the mantle of papal infalability and he’d have little choice but to kick the tossers back out again – along with who knows how many others.
#11 Brian X
January 29, 2009

If I hadn’t lost faith completely, this would certainly have been enough to drive me out of the Catholic church. Joey Ratz is a disgusting human being, and I hope the speculation of the Italian gay community that he is in fact gay proves to be spectacularly and embarrassingly true.