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German pope becomes an embarrassment in homeland
Reuters ^ | February 3, 2009 | Madeline Chambers

Posted on 02/04/2009 7:06:59 AM PST by Ravnagora

BERLIN (Reuters) - Nearly four years after a rare outburst of national pride over the election of a German pope, Germans are falling out of love with Pope Benedict because of his rehabilitation of a bishop who denies the Holocaust.

Prominent Catholics, politicians and newspaper commentators in Joseph Ratzinger's homeland are pulling no punches in their criticism of his lifting of the excommunications of four bishops, including one who denies the extent of the Holocaust.

Chancellor Angela Merkel also criticized him, prompting a sharp response from the Vatican.

"Worldwide criticism of the Pope," read the front page of top-selling daily Bild. It was a contrast to the jubilant "We are the pope!" headline in April 2005 to celebrate his election.

"The pope has made a serious mistake. That he is a German pope makes the matter especially bad," read its editorial.

"Pope Benedict XVI is inflicting great damage on Germany ... The pope must correct his mistake, reverse his decision and excuse himself," it said, in comments echoed by other papers.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benedict; catholic; germany; holocaust; popebenedict; reutersspin
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1 posted on 02/04/2009 7:06:59 AM PST by Ravnagora
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To: Ravnagora

The liberals in the European Chuch are raising this storm, because he threatens their whole life’s work.


2 posted on 02/04/2009 7:10:45 AM PST by RobbyS (ECCE homo)
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To: Ravnagora

I haven’t been following this story too closely. What was the rationale behind supporting this Bishop?


3 posted on 02/04/2009 7:10:50 AM PST by allmost
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To: Ravnagora
Listen. I'm a Baptist, but this Catholic-bashing in the press is making me ill. The Pope DID NOT "rehabilitate a bishop. The man never was and is not now a bishop in the Catholic Church. He's a screwball who is a bishop in his own mind. The Pope merely ruled that he could receive communion. Period.
4 posted on 02/04/2009 7:15:04 AM PST by cookcounty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built, also." ---Governor Sarah Palin)
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To: allmost

I notice this article seems a little biased. You might want to read some other sources to get a fair opinion.


5 posted on 02/04/2009 7:17:05 AM PST by Radl (rtr)
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To: allmost
It isn't ‘support’ - the Pope lifted the excommunication of an organization of which this Bishop (an Anglican convert) is a member. SSPX (The Society of Saint Pius X) was a schismatic group that left the Church following the implementation of some Vatican II reforms. They consecrated Bishops without the permission of Rome. Many of them are traditional Catholics, and the lifting of the excommunication is a step towards bringing them back into the folds of the Church. The process isn't complete, and it had nothing to do with this nut's Holocaust denials. Media merely fanning the flames of which it knows nothing about.
6 posted on 02/04/2009 7:17:22 AM PST by thefrankbaum (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam)
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To: cookcounty

SOmething that people also overlook is that, until this bishop is in full communion with the Church again, there is absolutely nothing the Pope can do about him. He’s part of a schismatic group over which, obviously, the Pope has no authority. Once the group reconciles, which is what the Pope is trying to achieve, then the Pope can deal with this and all other matters involving them.


7 posted on 02/04/2009 7:18:07 AM PST by livius
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To: thefrankbaum
Media merely fanning the flames of which it knows nothing about.
End of story.
8 posted on 02/04/2009 7:20:29 AM PST by eastsider
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To: thefrankbaum

That makes more sense than the article.


9 posted on 02/04/2009 7:23:33 AM PST by allmost
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To: allmost
The whole story is much bigger than the nutburger bishop.

In the late 1980s, The head of a traditionalist order of priests ordained four men as bishops, despite having been forbidden to do so by then Pope John Paul II. This action resulted in the head of the order along with all four illicit bishops being excommunicated. The leader has long since died. The four illicit bishops have many followers, who claim to be Catholic (and many of them want to be), but exist in a strange, illicit, parallel hierarchy.

Pope Benedict sees "traditionalism" and unity as being in some ways vital to the renewal of the Church. He has done several things to foster traditionalism ... the latest being the lifting of the excommunication on the four illicit bishops.

1) These four men have NEVER held any legitimate office within the Church as a Bishop.

2) ONE of them (Williamson, an Englishman) has made some idiotic remarks regarding the Nazi genocide.

3) Pope Benedict has publicly condemned Williamson's remarks.

4) Williamson's leader (Fellay, a Frenchman) told Williamson to shut up.

5) Williamson has apologized for his remarks, and promised to shut up about it.

6) MSM don't want you to know 1-5.

7) The Church's enemies wish to delay or derail Pope Benedict's efforts to renew the Church.

10 posted on 02/04/2009 7:26:20 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Ravnagora

11 posted on 02/04/2009 7:26:49 AM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: A.A. Cunningham

ROFL!!!!


12 posted on 02/04/2009 7:27:55 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Ravnagora
The degenerate western liberals who are trying to destroy America from within as they have destroyed western Europe are apparently at “it” again, the “it” being distorting facts to undermine Christian churches which are Orthodox on matters of faith and morals.

This self-destruction is why Islam is making such inroads in the west.

Despite what the atheists and liberals claim, there is an inherent recognition in most human beings of the existence of God and the need for a moral order. The vacuum these liberals are creating is generating fruitfull soil for the hate filled fanatics who follow Mohammad.

13 posted on 02/04/2009 7:32:03 AM PST by ZULU ( God, guts and guns made America great. Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

Excellent!


14 posted on 02/04/2009 7:32:37 AM PST by RobbyS (ECCE homo)
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To: Ravnagora

The media/world opinion of this has nothing to do with SSPX; however, it does have everything to do with the liberals trying to remove the greatest threat to their moral existence in a very long time. Simply put, they hate Pope Benedict with a passion and will use any excuse to try and “remove” him.


15 posted on 02/04/2009 7:33:24 AM PST by Aggie Mama
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To: cookcounty

The same here. The more they bash the more compassion I have.


16 posted on 02/04/2009 7:33:29 AM PST by Radl (rtr)
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To: ZULU

Meanwhile the Muslims are trying to re-do the Holocaust but against Jews with guns in their hands. Not so easy.


17 posted on 02/04/2009 7:34:29 AM PST by RobbyS (ECCE homo)
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To: ArrogantBustard
1) These four men have NEVER held any legitimate office within the Church as a Bishop.

So the Pope lifted the excommunication. Is this order to be included as a legitimate branch of Catholicism? There wouldn't seem to be many options if they are not considered heretical. I don't know much about this like I said in post #3. Please don't flame me I'm just curious. :)
18 posted on 02/04/2009 7:35:21 AM PST by allmost
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To: allmost
In theory, they're not heretical ... in practice, some individuals involved in traditionalism (IMO) flirt with some heresies. But the movement in general is militantly orthodox. One particular traditionalist group, called the "Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)" got itself in trouble.

The real problem is that SSPX original leader (the late Marcel LeFevbre) forgot that John Paul was Pope, and he was not, and committed an act which might be likened to mutiny. Pope Benedict is offering them an open door to return to the Church ... if they want it.

Full disclosure:

I am not a member of SSPX (only clergy are actual members), nor do I associate with them. While I have considerable sympathy toward traditionalism in general, I rather dislike SSPX. Those who like, or associate with, SSPX will doubtless spin the historical facts a little differently from me.

19 posted on 02/04/2009 7:48:02 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: thefrankbaum

>> the Pope lifted the excommunication of an organization of which this Bishop (an Anglican convert) is a member.

Oh, great - don’t us short-nosed, small “c” catholics (Anglicans) have enough problems already? First Bishops Pike and Spong, then Vickie Gene.


20 posted on 02/04/2009 7:51:21 AM PST by QBFimi (When gunpowder speaks, beasts listen.)
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