Vatican announcement: Disgraced Cardinal O’Brien leaving Scotland for “penance and prayer”… Memo for those of you saying, “Oh yeah?  Why doesn’t the Vatican *jail* him?” See. there’s this thing called “civil law”. We laity do the jailing thing. And we chose not to. That’s not Rome’s job, particularly with foreigners.  And the Church’s job is to emphasize the “mercy for [...]

How, at this late date, can a bishop still be such an utter, utter numbskull? Newark Abp Myers allows priest who *admitted* groping boy to continue working with children What baffles me is the sheer gratuitous, wilful, reckless, irresponsibly wicked stupidity of this stuff. 30 years ago, when the Smart People were saying that second chances and [...]

on the strange freedom the media feel in just making crap up if it’s useful for bashing the Church. The truth is bad enough. Why lie about it? Unless, of course, you are simply an unscrupulous liar. The problem is, the next time you report on something about the Church, why should I believe you?

Interesting piece by an Aussie “well and truly lapsed” Catholic who recognizes that priests have become the latest in a long line of figures on whom a deranged culture heaps its sins rather than confront them: Women were scapegoated and tortured and murdered as witches in the Dark Ages, Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats, [...]

The pattern appears to continue.  When the bishop has not himself committed the sexual sin, he has tended to be left to face the music from flock and civil authorities, if civil authorities (that is, us laity) press charges.  If he has committed the sexual sin himself, he’s gone.  O’Brien is now gone–leaving us with [...]

Now he’s the Suffering Servant, identifying himself with Jesus as he was prophecied in Isaiah 53.  He humbly writes of himself: The poem of the Suffering Servant is important for all of us who are disciples of Jesus Christ since we are called to imitate his words, actions, and life.  Part of that journey will [...]

Just. Shut. Up. Willya? Benedict, upon retirement, sets the healthy model:  He will disappear from view. Mahony demonstrates why this is wise with his perpetual narcissistic grandstanding, self pity, and thumbs in the eye of his successor.  It’s all about him.  All the time.  Benedict, who is actually humble, will stand aside and let his successor [...]

Here’s the quote: “Unfortunately it doesn’t surprise me,” he says. “It is a culture of indifference where the priests are looking out for the priests. They don’t want to get involved or make accusations, so they turn away. They are more concerned about protecting their own jobs and reputations.” Damn those Catholics and their weird [...]

Rod Dreher on the latest bit of episcopal boneheadedness, appointing a guy who is a confessed gay/bisexual groper of kids, forbidden by the court to be around childen in perpetuity, to be in charge of priestly formation in Newark, NJ.  Smart.  Dreher writes: Ah, so the guy won’t be around children, so what’s the problem? [...]

An atheist in my combox has the startling insight that the Church is full of really repulsive people, just like the rest of the human race. Reader Ghosty remarks: We expect about one out of twelve bishops to murder God, so we’re not laboring under any illusions about the sinners in the Church, and never [...]