Bad-taste comparison of the week: Pope's preacher compares abuse row to anti-Semitism
D.M. Procida
news stories of preposterous claims in low taste.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8601084.stm>
Pope's preacher compares abuse row to anti-Semitism
Pope Benedict's personal preacher has compared criticism of the
pontiff and Church over child abuse to "collective violence"
suffered by the Jews.
The Rev Raniero Cantalamessa was speaking at Good Friday prayers
in St Peter's Basilica, attended by the Pope.
In his sermon, he quoted a Jewish friend as saying the
accusations reminded him of the "more shameful aspects of
anti-Semitism".
Oh yes, that would be the pogroms, the beatings, the deportations, the
death camps.
With Jewish friends like that, who needs etc etc etc?
Just possibly, if the worst anti-Semitism that could be brought to mind
were some expressions of middle-class distaste ("But darling, they're
*Jewish*") then one might be able to understand comparisons like this.
But I'd love to see unfolded the reasoning that led to this comparison's
being considered a good idea...
[I posted this article a couple of days ago, but for some reason it
didn't appear. The wretched priest has since apologised:
"I am truly sorry to have hurt the feelings of Jewish friends,"
he said.
He also said he did not think one could compare anti-Semitism to
the "attacks on the Church in these days".
So that's nice.]
Daniele
Henry Goodman
message
news:1jghp21.1uftiiw1qw85biN%real-not-anti...@apple-juice.co.uk...
I don't think we Jews have ever been accused of child sexual abuse,
certainly not on the scale now being revealed within the catholic church.
Well this pope was brought up in the Hitler youth.
--
Henry Goodman
henry dot goodman at virgin dot net
D.M. Procida
> > April 1st was yesterday, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy further
> > news stories of preposterous claims in low taste.
> >
> > <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8601084.stm>
> I don't think we Jews have ever been accused of child sexual abuse,
> certainly not on the scale now being revealed within the catholic church.
> Well this pope was brought up in the Hitler youth.
Oh, come on, that is really a sequence of non-sequiteurs!
The Pope may or may not be a good person, but German history has nothing
to do with the problems the Catholic church has managed to incubate (for
what it's worth, he was conscripted into the Hitler Youth, and his
family hated Nazism. One of his cousins of his own age was killed
because he had Down syndrome).
It remains to be seen what sort of part Benedict played, and will play,
in dealing with the sex abuse scandals the church faces.
Much more deserving of being laid at his door are criticisms about his
insensitivity and tactlessness (and that's being charitable) towards
other religions. Both Muslims and Jews have had good reason to be
outraged by things he has said and done.
I don't know whether - for example - the Williamson affair (Richard
Williamson is the ex-excommunicated Holocaust-denying Bishop whom
Benedict decided should be readmitted to the church) shows that Benedict
is merely a somewhat graceless blunderer, or something more serious.
Daniele
Helen Deborah Vecht
> I don't think we Jews have ever been accused of child sexual abuse,
> certainly not on the scale now being revealed within the catholic church.
> Well this pope was brought up in the Hitler youth.
Oh Jews have been accused of child sex abuse and there's a whole
'awareness' website and charity addressing the issue. I won't dispute or
defend that.
I don't know how some supposedly intelligent man can compare attacking
Jews, who by and large had done nothing wrong to attacking Catholic
clergy, a significant proportion of whom _had_ done something wrong
and/or covered up for these misdeeds.
--
Helen D. Vecht: helen...@zetnet.co.uk
Edgware.