Category Church

Cardinal: Abortion is bigger sin than priest abuse

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 1 comment

George Pell says, “I have always been on the side of the victims.” But the archbishop of Sydney has a funny way of expressing his support.

During an inquiry this week into what the Herald Sun describes as “rampant” child sexual abuse by priests going back decades, Pell admitted, “We’ve been slow to address the anguish of the victims and dealt with it very imperfectly.” He acknowledged that his predecessor, Sir Frank Little, “did cover up” sex abuse and that former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns knew of accusations and destroyed documents and moved suspects to other parishes, actions that were“followed by disastrous consequences.”

Pope Says Atheists Go to Heaven?

By Aaron Adair • • 3 comments

The new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been making plenty of news since taking over in March. Not only is it the case that he may have exorcised demons in public very recently (very old school), but now he seems to have blessed the infidels (not-so old school).

In his Wednesday sermon, he stated the following:

Higgs Boson Discovery Confirmed & New Head of Cover-Up Confirmed

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 3 comments

In important scientific news that may answer crucial questions about existence:

GENEVA — The search is all but over for a subatomic particle that is a crucial building block of the universe.

Physicists announced Thursday they believe they have discovered the subatomic particle predicted nearly a half-century ago, which will go a long way toward explaining what gives electrons and all matter in the universe size and shape.

Opus Dei accused of lobbying to prevent Irish abortion reform

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 3 comments

The Guardian reports:
Leading doctor and politician John Crown says secret Catholic sect is trying to prevent limited abortion being made legal

Public support for abortion reform has grown in Ireland since Savita Halappanavar died from blood poisoning after a Galway hospital refused to terminate her pregnancy. Photograph: Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images
The secret ultra-conservative Catholic sect Opus Dei is mobilising within the Irish professions to stop the republic reforming its abortion laws, one of the country’s most prominent doctors has warned.
John Crown, a leading cancer specialist and member of parliament, accused the powerful organisation of trying to exercise influence on the medical profession and politicians to prevent limited abortion being made legal for the first time in Ireland.

“Kicked upstairs” and killing the fight against poverty – Vatican for “punishment for paedophiles”…

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 11 comments

Beth, over at SIN’s Incongruous Elements, recently posted on the Vatican approach to sex abuse (that being cover it up or sweep it under the carpet):

Fifteen years before the clergy sex abuse scandal came to light, Archbishop Roger M. Mahony and a top advisor plotted to conceal child molestation by priests from law enforcement, including keeping them out of California to avoid prosecution, according to internal Catholic church records released Monday.

The archdiocese’s failure to purge pedophile clergy and reluctance to cooperate with law enforcement has previously been known.

The disgrace of papal blessing for Ugandan homophobia

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • No comments

Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI joined Twitter in an effort to galvanize the faithful and modernize the Catholic Church for a younger, increasingly secular generation, making him the last person after your grandpa to join the social networking site. The Vatican also hired a former Fox News correspondent to bring their communications strategy into the 21st century, since that network did such an impressive job during the 2012 US presidential election.

Stand up comedians launch UK’s first atheist church in Islington

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 2 comments

Stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans will bring together a godless congregation in the Nave in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury for services – with wedding ceremonies and funerals for non-believers even on the cards.

The first atheist church in the country is set to open in Islington at the start of the new year.

Stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans will bring together a godless congregation in the Nave in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury for services – with wedding ceremonies and funerals for non-believers even on the cards.

Guns and Violence – Vatican Bank is the main shareholder in ‘Pietro Beretta’ arms company…

By Jonathan MS Pearce • • 31 comments

Perhaps few people know that Pietro Beretta arms factory Ltd. (the largest arms industry in the world) and is controlled by the Holding SpA Beretta and the majority shareholder of theBeretta Holding SpA after Gussalli Ugo Beretta, is the IOR(Institute for Works of Religion [commonly known as the Vatican Bank]) private institutionfounded in 1942 by Pope Pius XII and headquartered in Vatican City.