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25 Dec 2011 11:38

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World: Pope Benedict wishes for end to violence in Syria in Christmas message

  • May the Lord come to the aid of our world torn by so many conflicts which even today stain the earth with blood. May the Prince of Peace grant peace and stability to that Land where he chose to come into the world, and encourage the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. May he bring an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed.
  • Pope Benedict • Speaking during a Christmas service at St Peter’s Basilica Sunday. It’s of particular note that the Pope, who offered greetings in 65 different languages, chose to single out Syria, where a violent crackdown has led to at least 5,000 deaths in the past nine months. The day before, the pope made a point of decrying the commercialization of the holiday in his Christmas Eve message. source
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17 Aug 2011 10:11

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World: This is unexpected: The Vatican releases internal files in priest abuse case

  • what In a surprise move for an organization famously known for it secrecy, the Vatican released a series of internal files on the late Rev. Andrew Ronan, who has been accused of child abuse in both Ireland and the U.S.
  • why According to Vatican attorney Jeffrey Lena, the move is meant to “calm down those people who are too quick to make sensational and unfair comments without taking the time to get an adequate understanding of the facts.” source
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25 Dec 2010 10:25

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World: The Pope’s Christmas wish: Peace in the Middle East (of course!)

  • May the light of Christmas shine forth anew in the Land where Jesus was born, and inspire Israelis and Palestinians to strive for a just and peaceful co-existence.
  • Pope Benedict XVI • Expressing hope for the Israel-Palestinian conflict’s resolution during his Christmas Day mass. He suggested the same for Somalia, Darfur and the Ivory Coast. Merry Christmas, bro. You’ve had as tough a year as any of us have had, what with all those scandals you’ve had to deal with lately. source
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20 Nov 2010 11:20

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World: Pope Benedict offers church leaders power-ups, unlocks new levels

  • 24 new cardinals, not a single one of them birdlike (disappointing) source
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18 Oct 2010 10:47

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Culture: Vatican not familiar with The Simpsons’ recent decline in quality

  • Few people know it, and he does everything he can to hide it, but it is true: Homer J Simpson is a Catholic.
  • An article in the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano • Making the claim that Homer J. Simpson is a Catholic whether he likes it or not. The article bases its analysis on a 2005 episode of the show where Homer and Bart convert to Catholicism at the suggestion of a priest played by Liam Neeson. Yeah, you read that right. A 2005 episode. Which means that it’s not canon and you don’t need to care about this analysis. source
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16 Jul 2010 10:09

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World: The Vatican pissed off lots of people with their female priest rules

  • When he comes to Britain, there will be people who are deeply offended. I feel offended by it as a woman.
  • Catholic Women’s Ordination representative Pat Brown • Speaking with anger about the Vatican’s decision to label the attempted ordination of a female priest a “grave crime.” Because, well, they put it in the same category as child sexual abusers in the church, at the same time child sex abuse was in the news! Were they trying to slip it under the rug and hope nobody would notice? An awful decision; they really don’t get it. source
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15 Jul 2010 10:36

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World: The Vatican takes two steps forward, twelve centuries back

  • good Trying to get a leap on a major PR crisis, the Vatican is stiffening punishments and speeding up its handling of sex-abuse cases.
  • bad They also, however, put the attempted ordination of female priest into the same category as sex-abuse crimes. WTF? source
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10 Apr 2010 14:54

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World: The Vatican: Oh, that letter from the Pope was a form letter

  • There may be some overstep and rush to judgment going on here. … Moreover, while that proceeding was ongoing, there is no known report of the priest having re-offended.
  • Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena • Regarding that letter that suggested current pope may have had some connection to the sex-abuse scandals dogging the Catholic Church for the last 30 years. Lena claims the letter is “a form letter typically sent out initially with respect to laicisation cases.” The priest in question, who personally asked to be defrocked, was put on probation for three years after pleading no contest to tying up and raping two pre-teen boys. After he was finally defrocked in 1987, he was convicted of other sex crimes as a civilian. Yeah. This is a mess. source
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04 Apr 2010 11:50

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Politics: Peggy Noonan: The Catholic Church isn’t as all-powerful as it thinks

  • It is damage that will last at least a generation. It is an actual catastrophe, a rolling catastrophe that became public first in the United States, now in Europe. It has lowered the standing, reputation and authority of the church. This will have implications down the road.
  • Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan • Regarding the crisis the Catholic Church is facing right now, one that’s touched every part of the religion. It’s especially painful on Easter, of all days, to consider this. Noonan makes a key point in her argument: Like Wall Street and legislators in Washington (who have rung up a huge health care bill), higher-ups in the Vatican have considered the Church so powerful as to be invulnerable. And it’s not. And there are consequences. source
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03 Apr 2010 09:56

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World: The Vatican’s Jewish persecution comparison didn’t go over well

  • “This is really in bad taste.” On the list of least likely things you would’ve expected to come from the Vatican, a comparison of an abuse scandal and cover-up to Jewish persecution is pretty high. And a bunch of Jews aren’t happy about it, either. A Vatican spokesperson finally did some damage control, saying the line “is absolutely not the line of the Vatican and of the Catholic Church,” but the damage has already been done. source
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