A Very Misguided Cardinal
It is a bit rich for Cardinal Kasper to call the UK a Third World country, because of our attitude to homosexuality, contraception, aggressive atheism, abortion and our multi-cultural society.
Especially, as the Catholic church does not allow the use of condoms to prevent disease and has done little to punish the known child abusers in the ranks of their priests. Every accusation of child abuse, no matter, who is thought to have performed it, should be fully investigated by the proper authorities. Internal investigations are not good enough!
By any stretch of the mind, our crimes are all very small compared to systematic child abuse. C would be ranting today, as she had dealt many times with the worst excesses of child abusers. None as I am aware, were priests of any denomination.
But then Cardinal Kasper is seventy-seven, so he should have advantage of wisdom! Where is it? Nowhere in my mind! We all decry elderly dictators like Robert Mugabe and Kim Il Yong, for holding on to power, but isn’t the Catholic church under the control of a self-serving group of elderly men, albeit with perhaps a better sense of morals. Where are the women at the highest level for a start?
I also have a personal beef against the Catholic Church. They discriminate against coeliacs and don’t allow them to be priests.
I shall not be watching anything to do with the Pope’s visit. I mean him no harm, but the sooner this circus and its associated cult of personality is over the better. I don’t pay my taxes for visits like this!
The Anonymous Widower 
I too was cross about what this cardinal came out with, although I suspect he has been very misquoted – one report I read, cant remember where, said that the Cardinal’s remarks were actually a comment on the multiracial society we have in Britian, with many people from third world countries living here.
Whilst Catholics will welcome the Pope because is the Pope, I have to say, I dont think he will get the level of public support that John Paul II got simply because JP II was Polish, and at that time Poland had a great deal of public sympathy. This Pope is German. Germany has little public sympathy.
I do think they should sort out the contraception thing – most catholics I know use it, and the lack of it in many countries causes incredible suffering and serious overpopulation.
The abuse issue is serious, and although there is a lot of talk about the RC abuse, there was actually a lot of it in many other churches and in non religious groups too. in correct interpretation of Catholicism has also been at the root of a great deal of spiritual abuse. But dont get me started on spiritual abuse, I could write a book!
Comment by Liz P | September 16, 2010 |
The contraception thing isbn’t important, as the birth rate is falling fast in a lot of the world. The real problem is non-use of condoms to stop sexually transmitted diseases.
Interestingly, I have not found one of my friends, who is positive about this Pope’s visit.
Comment by AnonW | September 16, 2010 |
Something I recommend to anyone who wants a bit of entertainment. Open almost any online newspaper article about Catholics or the pope’s visit, and read the comments at the bottom. Some of the apoplectic, Basil Fawlty-esque outbursts are wonderful to read. Absolutely hilarious! The Independent and Guardian are the best.
Comment by SpencerH | September 16, 2010 |
The BBC Have YOur Say page on the news website has comments, some of which are unbelievable, some are quite rude. I am not a Catholic, the Pope’s visit doesnt impinge on my life at all. But I am aware how important it is to my Roman Catholic friends, whose faith is inspired and encouraged by the visit. There is a lot of Roman Doctrine which I cannot agree with. I am entitled to that opinion. So are the Roman Catholics
Comment by Liz P | September 16, 2010 |