Happy fifth anniversary, Pope Benedict Ratzinger! Since you are a traditional marriage supporter, tradition dictates that I give you a gift of wood. No silverware for you!
Congratulations, Benny, on five years of constant crisis, and we're not just talking about sexual abuse, although you've been stellar in your denial and cover-up. We're talking about your relationship with the worlds' Jewish population. How about those Muslim-Catholic relations? Let's not forget your condemnations of the world's gays as "filth," which include most of your priests (possibly even yourself). What about forbidding condoms to prevent HIV? Your encouraging religious schism in other Christian denominations? Turning a blind eye to genocide? Rape? You must be doing something right to inspire such wonders in the name of your god and savior.
Today marks the fifth anniversary of Pope Benedict's ascension to the papacy, but they aren't exactly popping champagne at the beleaguered Vatican. At the moment Benedict is embroiled in a massive pedophilia scandal that could define his papal legacy, and it's not like he's had a charmed papacy until now, Sylvia Poggioli reports in a rather scathing piece for NPR. Benedict's a lousy communicator, and he's attracted a host of critics.
“This is a papacy of permanent crisis,” says one veteran Vatican correspondent, citing incidents like his comments about condoms and AIDs, or his various kerfuffles with Muslims and Jews. One Swiss theologian and longtime colleague of Benedict's has actually advised bishops to actively disobey him when he eschews necessary reforms. And the head of the Association of Young German Catholics says Benedict has utterly failed to reach kids. “There's no such thing as a generation Benedict,” he says.
I disagree. There is a Generation Benedict. It's made up of the countless numbers of children that were sexually abused and then came forward under Benedict/Ratzinger's watch only to be pushed asunder and silenced, so that more Catholic children could be converted into sexual abuse victims via his pedophile-priests. Wood? Hmm.
Image Credits of Possible Gifts for Pope Benedict XVI's Fifth (Wooden) Anniversary:
Wooden sewing machine for Pope Ben's vestments: Planet Pink n Green
Wooden machine gun for use in killing non-believers: Pixdaus
Wooden torture rack for encouraging religious homogeneity: Find Target
Wooden egg thingy for sticking where the sun don't shine: Dear Ada
Wooden good luck phallus for overcoming the sexual abuse scandal: Thailand Stories
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