Only thing I’d differ on will be that he’ll get more than 50,000 on the streets, including a good share of Poles who will want their kids to see him, and Africans who actually agree with him.

The queen doesn’t represent an organisation that systematically abused children and proceeded to cover up. At least she recognised wrong doing and her visit offered some historical value. The pope is a bigot who represents an organisation with evil at its core and he refuses to recognise that the church were wrong. And if you think you seen protests for the queens visit, wait till this **** visits.

The Queen represents a real place the pope represents a fantasy that exists only in his head. He should be locked up, the man and those in his his organisation are deranged, there are more sane people locked away for telling the truth.

Ah yes, I remember the ’79 visit I was walking the quiet deserted streets of our capital city Yawning. It was great. :-)

Now THAT would be something I’d like to see!!

The facts are clear – Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict has done more than any other pope in recent centuries to remove paedophiles from the priesthood. He has even moved against very powerful clerics who were guilty – he has shown neither fear nor favour in dealing with this issue.

I really loved and admired John Paul, but I would admit that his handling of the abuse crisis was weaker than Benedict’s.

Is Benedict’s handling of abuse flawless? Probably not, but then again, there’s probably no person, or organisation, who gets this right on every single case. But the facts are pretty clear – since he assumed control of the issue in 2001, and since he became pope in 2005, he has tightened things up immeasurably.

Most organizations don’t claim to represent the creator of the universe and aren’t headed by a guy who claims to be infallible. It strikes me as odd that a believer wouldn’t hold them to a higher standard than the average organization.

Actually John, the Pope doesn’t claim to be infallible per se.

The conditions where this might apply are extremely narrow, and arguably have only been invoked once or twice in the last 150 years. Infallibility is certainly not claimed to apply to administrative and disciplinary matters.

Catholics also accept that every human is weak and fails from time to time – we are not Puritans who expect perfection.

I nominate you to do the citizens arrest!!!!

Hi AlMar; Some people will believe anything without question. You, like every other human have the ability to seek the truth but, you decide to believe those who say they have found it, however; they cannot prove any of it and yet expect you to believe them.

Would you like to buy a tin of checkered paint? it is black and white in equal amounts, lovely design; Of course you don’t! that would be ridiculous wouldn’t it?.

But; believing that wine and bread can be turned into flesh and blood by thousands of budding magicians, that is different is it? taking part in an act of cannibalism is also good is it? lighting candles and mumbling some pleading words is going to help you pass an exam, feed the hungry, house the homeless, rescue victims from paedophiles and despots!

I don’t think so, in fact I am bloody certain it will not. People who believe without proof, are for the birds. Take some time and respect yourself.

yeah a bit like the social services who have handed over those responsible for those children abused and died in their care….oops sorry they may have been disciplined we will never know….why cause they are civil servants employed by the state occupying positions of care and responsibily for those who were vunerable or abused by their parents… yeah funny we castigate the church and want accountibility from the church but its ok for social workers to preside over children who died in their care and were abused and neglected and not a peep from anyone

Social services unlike the church don’t actively lure children in to be molested and beaten nor do they abuse power in beating and refusing education to kids in schools for decades. Stop clutching at straws for weak excuses. The catholic church should be abandoned, the good clergymen and women that make up the vast majority should be given new roles in the community thus freeing everyone from the few monsters who have ruined your church

no your right jonna social services can ripe the children form their families them put into care, social services have a lot to answer for, yet the public get no answers,very much like the church. It took decades to get answers for the abuse and still no accountability. same as the social services

was about to post those exact words.

Hi Dave, I think it’s Walt Disney, only not as funny.

Ahahahahahahahaha nice. :)

my granny was told in 1915 by her mother,”never go confessions on your own”! this cancer is in the church a long long time.time it is gone!

I hope not,but if he is I hope he’s bringing a fat bag of cash and one incredibly impressive and sincere apology. oh and maybe a few P45′s while he’a at it.

Haha That was brilliant!

I hope not, the only concrete thing they should be considering is a pair of red concrete shoes and you can guess the rest. I shall be busy like the last time, doing something important like Yawning. ,B-)

Old Nokia, your photo is great, no matter what comment you make it speaks out mischief. Wonderfull, Thanks for your common sense.

Cheers dude.

Jim, all I can say is that I wish you inner peace, contentment and continued sobriety.

Jim, you can hardly blame the pope for that.

Keep it tight Jim, much love. I hope your mate is up in heaven throwing pennys over the wall onto those evil mofos is hell

Ah Derek, that is it in a nutshell. Well done.

That would be an ecumenical matter

Careful now.

In fairness, you can hardly accuse Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict of protecting Maciel since he is the very one who launched the investigation into Maciel and had him removed from public ministry.

Yes but in keeping with the commonly held idea within the Church that the laws of any other country are meaningless, he never offered any evidence he had to Mexican authorities. Having him removed from public ministry is only one step above moving him to another parish, both are just exercises in damage limitation.

No Brendan.

Firstly, the statute of limitations was well expired in Mexico.

Secondly, removing the likes of Maciel from public ministry at the age of 86 (the investigation was only begun when Maciel was 85) was an incredible move. At that age he was no longer a threat to anyone. This was one of the most high profile priests from Mexico, and indeed in global Catholicism. The order he founded was the fastest growing in the world, and it was highly respected. By moving against Maciel, it was clear that the Legionaries of Christ would be damaged, that they would have experienced turmoil and decline. This is exactly what happened. But even still, Benedict acted. He could have ignored it or fudged it. He didn’t.

Okay, I forgot about the Statute of Limitations, i apologise. But is it really that incredible a move? Surely it would be a given, if any other world organisation, let’s say the World Scouting Organisation, it’s the only one I can think of anywhere near in size to the church, had a member like Maciel then kicking him out would not be considered incredible. The fact that an action like that is given adjectives like incredible or unprecedented is not a sign that the church is all of a sudden incredibly progressive, only that expectations have hit rock bottom.

I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations has not expired for many catholic priests currently suspected of or under investigation for paedophilia. What chance the pope might release any information he has to the relevant countries’ authorities?

Brendan – I do accept your point about expectations to a certain extent. Removing those like Maciel should have been the norm. it wasn’t, but in reality under Benedict it is becoming standard practice.

Noddy – the issue of files is really one for the local bishops. They have been told by the Vatican to comply with national laws regarding reporting crimes.

If a rapist goes to court and apologises for his crime, will he be allowed go free like the church has? No he will not and rightly so. Apologies like that, are empty and will not restore the innocence to those from whom it was viciously and violently taken. So forget your apologies and let us start looking for heads to roll until they are all either locked up or deported to some hell hole inhabited by crocodile and other wild carnivores.

A visit has the potential to address the outstanding serious issues.

And pigs might fly.

They had better fly, coz if popey gets a hold of them!…..

Kilkenny Dinosaur Cat will be here any minute to tell us all we’re going to hell!

Haha-looks like Nokia charger was rattled by Kilkenny Cat. He’s fighting with her now on stories where she hasn’t even posted. It’s ok Nokia, we’ll tell her to stop outsmarting you.

I agree,but I would rather the churches property which was paid for by the people they abused be taken back! the the real health and education can begin.

Looks like you have Kilkenny Cat on the brain Nokia Charger. You must be missing her?

Old Nokia – you just cheer up my $hite day no end – Im finally managing a smile to a nasty ould day thanks to you LMFAO xxxxxx

Happy to oblige! :)

No one was very burnt, pressed or hanged for being a witch in this country.

Petronilla De Meath was burnt at the stake in Ireland and there were plenty of women hanged/strangled for sorcery and heresy. Maybe do a bit of research before making baseless claims?

The Pope is head of an Authoritarian Statelet that systematically covered up crimes in sovereign states… If any other country did that to Ireland, yes i would oppose their visit.

He is not entitled to the same protocols, because he is a criminal.
We now know that he actively attempted to hide the abuse scandal from secular authorities, and was involved in the transfer of priests to different locations after allegations were made against them.

If they were complicit in the cover up of the abuse of thousands of children, yes I would.

Hi 680199, All religions are fundamentally disrespectful to me and to the collective intellect of my fellow humans. There is not one single shred of tangible evidence, to back up their ridiculous claims. Yet millions follow blindly and hang on every word, it is no wonder that governments get away with screwing us, they see that we are gullible enough to believe without proof. You get what you deserve.

No not to Islam and you know full well why.

Hi Fiachra; The pope is a self-made head of an authoritarian state of mind. The vatican city is a state of fundamentalists, where else would you be allowed to set up a state as small as the vatican? a city within a city. Strange how it wasn’t destroyed in either world wars, when all around it was devastated. Some say it was protected by their god, if so, where was this god, when his chosen Jewish people were being annihilated just over the border in Germany and Poland etc?., If what they say is true, then their god was more interested in protecting the wealth and money of the vatican, ponder that if you will.

I’m too young but my parents look back on the 79 visit with great admiration. It is a mark of the times and the distance that we have travelled from the Church that any proposed visit here isn’t welcomed with open arms.

People have given up the church, because it’s bogus. There’s no great mystery.

Sean O Briain
I remember the 79 visit as it conjures some great personal memories for me. Times were different , there was a sense of celebration and community, and of course the church was still all powerful. No one had dared come out and said what was really going on with the little children and vulnerable among us. As I was in Dubln , we walked to the Phoenix Park with shopping trollies laden with sandwiches and flasks of tea… If the Pope comes here I would not even tuern on the TV set to see him hereso much is my disgust of him in particular.

Hi Eileen, good comment but an organisation is only as powerful as we allow it. So the church is only as powerful as you allow it, you are in charge of your own life and let no one take that from you.

Ephan
Thanks for your comment . :)

There is only one thing that might attract young intelligent people / folk. to the church “Tell the Fcuking Truth”

Let him come and then slap in handcuffs the minute he sets foot on Irish soil, he’s the head of the largest pedo gang on the planet and as the CEO of his perverted church the buck stops with him. “Holy Father” my arse, holy shit more like, where on earth have you been living when the epidemic of vile revelations were coming out about the catholic church’s behaviour in Ireland? pervert priests, cover up bishops and nazi style camps run by vicious nuns who destroyed the lives of thousands of “young and old”, men women and above all children. There’s nothing remotely ‘holy’ about Ratzinger or his cult!

if u are joking ha ha,if u are not,ha ha,ur deluded!

You are taking the Piss!

Romani Domum!

How about a chorus of thousands of victims of clerical abuse singing “You’ll never beat the Irish”?

JP said gay people are intrinsically disordered.

JP was a man of his times, fighting injustice, the Soviet regime in Poland & working for a more inclusive church. This gombeen’s a traditionalist who’d love to see it go back to Latin masses for everyone!

Times changed, but Benny win’t let the church come with it. >:-(

I take it you approve of his comments about gay people…

And discouraged the use of condoms in AIDS ridden Africa.

You’re kidding right? John Paul II, Patron Saint and Protector of Paedophile Priests! How many priest around the world did he let continue abusing children throughout his reign? Are they the actions of an honourable man?

I’m not going to stand over JP’s thoughts on homosexuality, I think the opposite. Nor will I defend him on paedophole priests. If he knew, then I’d hope he looked for forgiveness. But he was a damn sight better than the crackpot that’s killing my church!

The whole thing is a disgrace, a bloody farce. None of them are any good, their entire organisation is based on fantasy. Get on with your lives and leave childhood fairy tales behind you. Take back your sanity.

Colm, asking forgiveness is good enough. If I kicked you in the stones, then asked forgiveness would that be cool? Thy should all be taking responsibility all of this is such a shame , too many lives ruined and the good name of the majority of priests who are good people has been tarnished

His holiness, my arse! Sideshow Bob, more like. A lot of people have done good without claiming to represent some guy in the sky, or needing to wear a pointed hat and swan around in silk and gold. No fear of these arseholes going hungry. Also there is no need to shout, using capital letters to get your point across it doesn’t make it any more sensible.

Hi the truth hurts! Why dont you repost your comment and see what happens?