[Mrs. Don-o]

"In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorised as something fully in conformity with man and even with children,” the Pope said."

That's true. In 1973 the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association voted to remove homosexuality as a disorder category from the DSM, a decision ratified by a majority (58%) of the general APA. Here the Pope isn't adopting or endorsing that view, he's just reporting it: twisted men seeking sexual gratification with men and even with children was "theorized" (by the secular therapeutic community) as being in the normal range.

Conributing to sensible people's growing suspicion that Psychiatrists are often morally deranged.

Nothing here says the Pope agreed with the secular shrinks.

In the face of the coming wave of tendentious and inaccurate reporting on all things Papal, my advice to fellow FReepers is to perk up your ears when the reporter has a well-earned reputation for honesty, experience, and knowledge, like:

• Ross Douthat at the New York Times
• John Allen at National Catholic Reporter,
• William McGurn at the Wall Street Journal and
• Phil Lawler at Catholic World News.

  All willing to dig up the facts, all willing to nail the perps.

  • Don’t waste your time with:
  • Laurie Goodstein at the New York Times,
  • Maureen Dowd at Some Strange Place In Her Own Head, or
  • tabloid-content papers like the Belfast Telegraph. I hope FReeper readers will take note.

    BTW, I'm all for making the penalties against child molesting swift, sevre, and certain--- and I know most Catholics and certainly most Catholic FRewepers, are in solid agreement on that.

    It does help if you correctly vet your sources.

[RummyChick]

“Angry abuse victims in America last night said that while some Church officials have blamed the liberalism of the 1960s for the Church’s sex abuse scandals and cover-up catastrophes, Pope Benedict had come up with a new theory of blaming the 1970s.

“Catholics should be embarrassed to hear their Pope talk again and again about abuse while doing little or nothing to stop it and to mischaracterise this heinous crisis,” said Barbara Blaine, the head of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,”

[RummyChick]

btw, since you are always defending Ratzinger...I would like to hear your response to this question:

“Here is a really simple question.

A child molester Priest pleads no contest to charges of lewd conduct for tying up and molesting two young boys in a San Francisco rectory.

He asks to leave the priesthood. His request is backed by the Diocese.

WHY WOULD YOU KEEP HIM AS A PRIEST AND LET HIM BE AROUND CHILDREN????”