Category: Catholic Church
“The most heinous, corrupt, suppuratingly vile organisation that’s ever been on the planet.”
“Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.”
No, Joseph Ratzinger.
A man who makes aid conditional on the prohibition of condoms, and who spreads the lie that condoms spread AIDS, is certainly not eligible for any kind of “pardon”.
A man who condemns gay people as intrinsically disordered, morally evil sinners, adding immeasurably to the reservoir of hatred and violence against gays that exists in so many parts of the world, does not qualify for a peaceful retirement.
A man who takes on the job of responding to the massive catalogue of child abuse at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church, orders that every allegation and conviction be brought to his personal attention, and then establishes as Vatican policy that those allegations of abuse be treated with “perpetual silence” is not eligible for anything but to be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
Of course we’ll get what Hitchens called the “delicious interlude” between the retirement of the Pope and the ascension of another elderly virgin claiming to be the vicar of Christ on earth, and the whole horrible business will go on. But if there’s any justice in the world at all, Ratzinger will be hauled before a court to face those charges, and eventually die in shame and disgrace.
RELATED: The title of this post comes from the comedian Dylan Moran in his episode of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, and it’s just about the most perfect description of the church I’ve ever heard. Watch Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens’ blistering speeches eviscerating the Catholic Church at an Intelligence Squared debate in 2009. In his song, Fuck The Pope, Tim Minchin takes down the “self-aggrandised bigot in the stupid fucking hat.” Sarah Silverman’s viral video, Sell The Vatican Feed The World.
Jim Wallace backtracks on church child abuse claims
Last week I transcribed and posted the video of Jim Wallace speaking to an audience at NSW Parliament House in 2009, in which he argued that gay men were responsible for the decades of child abuse in the Catholic Church. Specifically, he said that the Catholic Church had been the “victim” of child sex abuse. His argument was that gay men were responsible for most of the abuse and it wouldn’t have occurred if homosexuals were more effectively weeded out from the clergy. I sent him a please explain and this arrived in my inbox this morning.
Hi Jacob,
Please find a statement below from Jim Wallace as per your request.
“On the 9th of September 2009 I participated in a discussion organised by Fellowship of the Round Table on Censorship on the internet. During the evening I was asked a question about child abuse within a church context where I stated that 70 per cent of child abuse offences within the church had been committed by homosexual clergy. It would have been more accurate if I had stated that more than 70 per cent of child abuse offences within the church involved same-sex abuse.
Research to date shows that same-sex attraction is not related to child abuse. I apologise for any misunderstanding or offense caused as a result of my error.
Paedophilia within organisations is one of the ugliest issues our society is facing and I commend the purpose and intent of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Royal Commission is an opportunity to expose, compensate and hold institutions and individuals accountable for child abuse.”
Kind Regards,
Katherine
Katherine Spackman
Communications Director
The Australian Christian Lobby
It’s appropriate that he admitted that he had made an error in conflating paedophilia with homosexuality. I hope this statement is sincere and that he genuinely has adjusted his views, and that it’s not just an attempt to avoid criticism and scrutiny. I’d also like to note just briefly that there is no “misunderstanding” what Jim was saying in that video and the message he was trying to convey – you’d need to be using Olympian-level mental gymnastics to get around it.
I look forward to the ACL forcefully denouncing other religious groups and individuals who attempt to make a link between homosexuality and paedophilia in the future.
The original post is linked here.
RELATED: Jim Wallace has compared gay parenting to the stolen generation. Wallace says the campaign for marriage equality is comparable to Nazi propaganda. Wallace asserted last year that a gay “lifestyle” is worse than smoking. Wallace has said that gay people are morally evil sinners on par with thieves, liars and adulterers, and that gay people suffer from “shameful lusts”. He believes he is engaged in a “spiritual battle” with Satan. A few years ago now Jim Wallace Tweeted on ANZAC Day that the Australia that servicemen and women fight for is not “gay marriage and Islamic.” Wallace has admitted to personal involvement in the harmful and discredited practice of “ex-gay therapy.” Wallace also hired Wendy Francis as his Queensland ACL director, after she Tweeted – and then in a subsequent interview stood by those Tweets – that legitimising gay marriage is like legalising child abuse.
