POPE SPREADS THE POOP EDITION

MacYapper - John McIntire


FREE CYRIL!


www.izzazu.com

Yo, yo, yo, MacYippers! What up?
Look I don't mean any disrespect to you twinkly-eyed Catholics, but I'm so over the Pope. If you want to come over hear and meet with a few dozen of the thousands of victims, fine. But it's a PR stunt pure and simple.

In his initial statement he said he was "disappointed" in the offending priests. Thanks for the newsflash Mr. Funnyhat, we didn't think you were proud.

Then he said he couldn't understand how this could happen.

I'll tell you Legs Benedict (John Stewart's nickname).
It happened because ya'll hired a bunch of pedophiles.

Yupper, that's about the size of it.


NYTIMES.COM:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/us/nationalspecial2/18cnd-pope.html?hp
In Washington on Thursday, the pope held an unannounced meeting in Washington with several victims of abuse by priests in the Boston area. The pope himself had requested the meeting, said the official, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, which took place at the papal nuncio’s residence. The pope prayed and spoke personally to the handful of victims who attended, in a meeting that lasted about 25 minutes. Some wept, Father Lombardi said.

MacYapper - Garsh thanks a real big bunch Holy Father. 25 minutes? Why it's worth a whole lifetime of shame and humiliation, not to mention a stolen childhood, to see the Big Fellah for almost half a freaking hour. Boy, oh, boy. To coin a phrase.

NYTIMES.COM:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/nyregion/18victims.html
Jim Hackett waited 30 years before going public in 2005 with his horrific account of being sexually abused by a priest who eventually admitted that he groped adolescent boys. The priest was placed on leave, yet found a way to continue as a clergyman.

MacYapper - Right, cuz you wouldn't want to automatically banish someone from the priesthood for life just because they diddled a little boy.

We all make mistakes. Besides, only the Big Guy In The Funny Hat can do that, right?
You wouldn't want to entrust such an iffy call to a mere underling.

NYTIMES.COM:
“It’s all just window dressing,” said Mr. Hackett, 44, a computer programmer who lives in Cheshire, Conn. “You have to look at his actions. He was pressured into doing something.”

MacYapper - Bingo Ringo. They've paid out hundreds of millions and the messy PR job isn't done yet. New Pope? New PR.

NYTIMES.COM:
Almost all say that more important than the pope’s words are his actions, criticizing what they say is the lack of a concrete plan to purge pedophiles from the church and discipline bishops and other leaders who have protected them.

“It’s a small but overdue positive step if it leads to action,” David Clohessy, a leader of the survivors network, said of the private meeting with five victims from the Boston area on Thursday. “Talk can produce change or complacency.

“Despite the soothing words and promises of reform,” Mr. Clohessy added, “the cold, hard fact is that not a single kid is safer today because of what’s been said this week.”

MacYapper - Yeah, you don't want to rush a concrete plan to purge pedophiles. Take your time. And how can you blame the higher ups for covering up for the lower pervs. They've all got to stick together. No pun intended.

No one is safer today? Hey, it's a rough world out there. Dog eat dog. Or as Woody would say, dog doesn't return other dog's phone calls.

NYTIMES.COM:
“He’s been so troubled by this? I feel for him deeply,” another victim, Patricia Anne Cahill, 55, said sarcastically of the sentiment the pope has repeated several times during his visit this week. “Let him have lunch with some of us. He’ll see what being troubled is like.”

After Thursday’s meeting, Ms. Cahill said: “The question I have is: How were they chosen? Why wasn’t it put out there as a random sampling? Maybe they’re saying what the church wants to hear and what the public wants to hear.”

MacYapper - Really? You think the church is saying what the public wants to hear? Interesting theory.


Random? Random my alter boy's package. They found some who were not going to cause trouble after the meeting. Have you heard any statements from those with whom His BigHattedness met? Not moi.

NYTIMES.COM:
Mr. Hackett, who was one of 43 abuse victims to share $22 million as part of an agreement to settle abuse claims with the Archdiocese of Hartford, was similarly suspicious of Benedict’s public pronouncements about the sex abuse scandal this week.

“He has a history of pooh-poohing it — now he’s taking a whole different line,” said Mr. Hackett, who has distanced himself from the church. “I wonder about the change of heart. He probably realizes that a lot of people are walking away from the church. Now, he’s just trying to stop the bleeding.”

MacYapper - Indeed. Action could have been bold and decisive. The new Pope could have hit the ground running and condemned this in historically strong no uncertain terms. But the discussion still only comes out in dribs and drabs.

He deflates the critics with a gesture or two. And then he walks around looking beatific and performing magic tricks.

It's all very sad.

It this more of a somewhat cynical PR ploy than a genuine, heartfelt attempt at repair and reconciliation?

Does the Pope shit in the woods?


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ROCK ON MAC-YIPPERS!
email me at johnmcintire@comcast.net