[Peach]

Not to be argumentative with you, Smogger, but while I will not in the future attribute such shoddy pity for Saddam to the entire Vatican, I maintain that they certainly have it within their power to soften the blows delivered by this particular Bishop. They have not done so and I expect they will not.

Just as the Church looked the other way for decades when young children were being sexually abused in the church by our priests, they will not act now to apologize for one of their own pitying a madman who murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The pity that Bishop expressed for Hussein yesterday is more pity than he or most member of the Church hierarchy have expressed for those innocent Iraqis.

As a Christian, I find such behavior shameful.

[TBall]

Well put!

[Smogger]

As a Christian, I find such behavior shameful.

Whatever.

[Coop]

Just as the Church looked the other way for decades when young children were being sexually abused in the church by our priests

Oh, come on! The Church did what was recommended by "experts" back then, who thought pedophiles could be rehabilitated.

As a Christian, I find such behavior shameful.

I feel the same way about deliberately misrepresenting a situation.

[samtheman]

Just as the Church looked the other way for decades when young children were being sexually abused in the church by our priests, they will not act now to apologize for one of their own pitying a madman who murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The pity that Bishop expressed for Hussein yesterday is more pity than he or most member of the Church hierarchy have expressed for those innocent Iraqis.

The Bishop's remarks are so bad that the church has to come out publicly and disavow them. Either that, or they have to accept the Bishop as their official spokesperson (which he is) and his words as their official position (if they stand uncorrected).