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 ...
Paragraphs are our friends.
Would love to read your text.
Most folks tend to avoid masses of text.
For my eyes, it’s almost painful.
Would love to read it. Please ping me if you reformat it into short paragraphs . . .
With white-space for micro-resting the eyes . . .
Sister Lucia of Fatima said (or it may have been the Blessed Mother herself) that the entire world would fall to communism for a period of three years, including the U.S.
Wasn’t it St Malachy or some such?
Thanks.
What’s the official Vatican perspective on his predictions?
It is not one prophecy. My post was a summary of prophecies made by saints and via approved apparitions over the past 2000 years.
Where did you get this stuff from? The Pope occupies the Chair of the Fisherman- St. Peter.
When John Paul II was pope my dad said the same thing. That it was supposed to be the pope after him, so I am confused.
He's not supposed to be in touch with the real world, he's supposed to be in touch with God.
That is a far cry from a scientific study that condoms have reduced infection rates. The former possibility would certainly have a far greater effect than the latter. Wouldn't you agree?
As condoms do not provide immunity to becoming infected, it is dangerous to leave the impression that they do. To compare this to Russian Roulette, would it be smart to suggest to people that it would be safe if they would increase the number of pistols by a factor of ten, while only keeping only one bullet in one gun? Well, there is no doubt that one person playing one time would be much safer, but if they are lulled into thinking that it is safe, they will be just as dead in a short period of time.
It's a news story about the scientific study that was complete by "The Lancet" and The University of Toronto. Furthermore, there have been countless other studies about other parts of the worlds that validate this belief.
As for your firearms analogy, I'd say this. Protective armor doesn't guarantee you won't be killed by bullets or shrapnel. But, it's an illogical conclusion to draw that protective armor isn't a good idea. And just like no Captain or General guarantees 100% effectiveness with protective armor, I've never seen a responsible health care worker ever claim that condoms were 100% effective in preventing any STD or pregnancy.
Prophylactic or preventative measures are always a good idea even if the prevention rate isn't 100%.
I expect there will be some great conflict between traditionalists and liberals in the Catholic church at the highest level. It might take place out of sight, it might be going on right now, but I think eventually you’ll see a liberal pope put in place and then the rank and file will be forced to make a choice themselves.
Big difference. People don't put on protective armor so that they can walk around in a hail of bullets. They put it on so that they can survive the rare bullet that may hit them. Most people who put it on never need it.
If a man in Africa has sex with a prostitute once a year and he wears a condom, then his odds are much better. If he has sex with a prostitute and condom twice a week, then he is only postponing his infection.
Hear, Hear !! Well said, Dear Lady, well said !!
Popes have been getting the shaft for 2000 years.
So let me see if I’ve got this straight there are apparently millions of people who are perfectly happy to ignore the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding sex only within the context of a monogamous marriage but suddenly adopt the Church’s teacing with regard to not wearing condoms while doing so?
Have I got that right? And therefore the Catholic Church is to blame for the rise of AIDS.
Hmmm, not sure that I’m getting the logic of that one.
I doubt there is one, yea or nay.
Are you referencing St. Malachi’s prophecy on the Popes? This one is the Olive branch one and his ties to the Olivetans was an interesting tie in.
Sounds also similar to some of the Marian Apparitions.
Time to buckle the planet’s seatbelts.
I am not Catholic but I love the Pope. I gained respect for him when 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!
It’s been surreal for almost a decade now.
2-3 decades for some of us . . . it being surreal.
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