Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Vatican insiders declare the Pope a 'disaster'
The Telegraph ^ | 3/19/2009 | Nick Squires in Rome

Posted on 03/19/2009 5:06:17 PM PDT by bruinbirdman

Pope Benedict's repeated gaffes and the Vatican's inability to manage his message in the internet era are threatening to undermine his papacy, Vatican insiders have said.

The Holy See is struggling to contain international anger over the Pope's claim on his first official visit to Africa that Aids "cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".

The Pope's remarks about condoms, and a recent furore over his lifting of the 20-year excommunication of a British bishop who has questioned the Holocaust, has left him looking isolated and out of touch, prompting calls for a radical shake-up of the way the Holy See delivers its message.

The Pope is isolated and fails to adequately consult his advisers, said a Vatican source with 20 years' knowledge of the Holy See.

Another Vatican insider described Pope Benedict's four-year-old papacy as "a disaster", recalling the pontiff's previous inflammatory remarks on Islam and homosexuality.

"He's out of touch with the real world," the Italian insider said. "On the condom issue, for example, there are priests and bishops in Africa who accept that condoms are a key part of the fight against Aids, and yet the pope adheres to this very conservative line that they encourage promiscuity. The Vatican is far removed from the reality on the ground."

The Vatican's traditional culture of secrecy has made it ill-equipped to communicate its message in the internet age.

The Holy See claimed that the Pope had no idea that British bishop Richard Williamson had denied the extent of the Holocaust, but critics have pointed out that a simple Google search would have uncovered the maverick's anti-Semitic views.

"Until recently the Vatican was secretive and their way of controlling the message of the Church was to release information slowly and highly

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: africa; bxvi; catholic; catholicbashing; hitpiece; popebenedict; unnamedsources; vatican
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 201-203 next last
To: Petronski

Probably reasonable given all the givens.


81 posted on 03/19/2009 7:12:58 PM PDT by Quix (POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 2 presnt: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: PotatoHeadMick

Speaking for me, I am not concerned with the catholic teachings, but am just saying that Pope Benedict is right in saying that condom distribution makes the problem worse, not better. As I remember the honest studies bear that out.


82 posted on 03/19/2009 7:13:28 PM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: workerbee

That’s one scary photo. Thanks for ruining my evening.


83 posted on 03/19/2009 7:19:12 PM PDT by vortigern (Watch this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBX8sz3tO8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: bruinbirdman

Nick Squires is a jerk. And the Brits, much as I love them, tend to be anti-Catholic bigots.

On the matter of condoms and AIDS, Pope Benedict agrees exactly with Pope JP II, who agreed with all of his predecessors since the condom was invented and since AIDS was discovered. Nothing new about it.

As it happens, the Pope also has statistical evidence on his side. Wherever condoms have been widely distributed in Africa, AIDS is the worst. Where they have been kept out and faithfulness and abstinence has been taught, AIDS is much less common. So the Pope has both religion and science on his side.

As for these “insiders,” even the Vatican has its share of rats. And they are definitely rats.


84 posted on 03/19/2009 7:23:59 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClarenceThomasfan

Actually, I would have preferred he ex-communicate her for her views..


85 posted on 03/19/2009 7:26:17 PM PDT by jstolzen (All it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: jstolzen

INDEED . . . along with Scuba Teddy et al


86 posted on 03/19/2009 7:32:33 PM PDT by Quix (POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 2 presnt: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: bruinbirdman

Yeah, like a Catholic-hating paper like the Telegraph has any real “insiders” in the Vatican.


87 posted on 03/19/2009 7:35:13 PM PDT by Antoninus (So now "change" is defined as "more of the same, but worse"?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DB
After the year 1900, toward the middle of the 20th century,

A fifth century prophet wouldn't have dated anything Anno Domini, as that did not come into fashion until much later. FWIW, these "prophecies" are often attributed to 'Pseudo-Nilus' because of the myriad of problems associated with it.

88 posted on 03/19/2009 7:41:11 PM PDT by TradicalRC (Conservatism is primarily a Christian movement.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...

Thanks Perdogg. You may be thinking of the prophecies of St Malachy? I don’t plan to come back to this thread, which is probably already a sectarian bloodbath (didn’t look past message 1) but “his lifting of the 20-year excommunication of a British bishop who has questioned the Holocaust” wasn’t too bright without contrition by the denier.

Pope Tells Muslims That Religion Rejects Violence
townhall.com/AP News | March 19, 2009 | staff
Posted on 03/19/2009 7:43:26 AM PDT by kellynla
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209904/posts


89 posted on 03/19/2009 7:45:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: John W
“He’s out of touch with the real world,”

That's the Vatican insider's problem he doesn't know which world is real.

90 posted on 03/19/2009 7:50:56 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (control the teleprompter, control the world)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: TradicalRC

The dating was from the web authors who posted this information.


91 posted on 03/19/2009 7:57:04 PM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: jstolzen
That would have been priceless.

Imagine Nancy being interviewed by the press when she returned home -

Reporters: So, did you have a positive meeting with the Pope?
Nancy: Um...well...

92 posted on 03/19/2009 7:59:07 PM PDT by warsaw44
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: TradicalRC

Sorry I misunderstood what you were saying the first time.

Yes, agreed. I believe St. Malachy still stands though.


93 posted on 03/19/2009 8:09:15 PM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: ClarenceThomasfan
"I heard he refused to take a picture with Nancy Pelosi and he gave her a tongue lashing over her pro-abortion stance. I would have love to have been a fly on that wall! "

The perp! An expert at the destruction of individuals and groups. Also intrigue, duplicity, planting false rumors, insider trading.

yitbos

94 posted on 03/19/2009 8:48:29 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: bruinbirdman
Does the Vatican now have authority over the Pope?

Let the man speak for him self.

(Goodgrief!)

</protestant>
95 posted on 03/19/2009 9:09:53 PM PDT by Fichori (The only bailout I'm interested in is the one where the entire Democrat party leaves the county)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg

I’ve heard that, too. And St Malachy had some papal predictions, as well. The media has been working overtime to paint Catholics and all Christians in the worst light possible, especially the last several years. And it seems there’s a few leftie Catholics in the Vatican who would like to see a different Pope running the show. Pope Benedict surely needs our prayers, he’s besieged inside the Vatican and out.


96 posted on 03/19/2009 9:12:28 PM PDT by fortunecookie (Please pray for Anna, age 7, who waits for a new kidney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Canticle_of_Deborah

3/4 of world population, or 3/4 of the “church” population...meaning catholics?


97 posted on 03/19/2009 9:17:35 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Dutch Boy

He made a prediction regarding number of future popes before the end? The name doesn’t sound familiar.


98 posted on 03/19/2009 9:19:40 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: fortunecookie; Alamo-Girl; airborne; auggy; backhoe; bearsgirl90; BigBadWolf; Blogger; ...

imho . . .

it has to be more than a few.

I can’t imagine that the globalist oligarchy wants to do their ultimate thing without having the Vatican firmly under their control.

And, in fact . . . they may have had it under control for some decades:

1967 - March 26: Pope Paul VI writes Populorum Progressio and states: “Who can fail to see the need and importance of thus gradually coming to the establishment of a world authority capable of taking effective action on the juridical and political planes? Delegates to international organizations, public officials, gentlemen of the press, teachers and educators—all of you must realize that you have your part to play in the construction of a new world order.

Doesn’t sound a great deal different than Z Bresenski; H Kissenger; Rockefeller; Nixon; Bush SR or Othuga on that score. Sadly.


99 posted on 03/19/2009 9:21:43 PM PDT by Quix (POL Ldrs quotes fm1900 2 presnt: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2130557/posts?page=81#81)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: Quix

Quit your bellyaching, crybaby. exercise your eyes once in awhile, they might toughen up a bit.


100 posted on 03/19/2009 9:24:35 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 201-203 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson