In historic speech, Pope urges Italians to have more children to reverse declining birth rate

Associated Press ^ | 11-14-02 | NICOLE WINFIELD

[Oldeconomybuyer]

ROME (AP) --

[Gophack]

I don't know where you got your information, but it is not accurate. The overwhelming majority of incidents were with teen-age boys and with homosexually tended priests, NOT with young children. And, there is a very small percentage, the latest information is 2.3% of priests. While even one abuser is too many, it's not a widespread epidemic the press and liberals would like us to believe.

You obviously have much hostility against the Catholic Church. I will pray for you. God bless.

[Land of the Irish]

Both of you approach Catholic Doctrine as though you were Protestants.

Well, then, I guess all my Catholic ancestors were also Protestants. I assist at the same Mass, now available in only limited parts of the world, at limited times and only on certain Sundays that they had the good fortune of assisting on a daily basis. I hear the same Canon of the Holy Mass that they did; in the same language that they heard it. I receive Holy Communion in the same manner as they: on my knees. My Catholic ancestors did not have prayer rugs, nor did they kiss the Koran. I do not protest Catholic faith and tradition. What I do protest is novelties.

[Catholicguy]

<> If your ancestors severed one or more of the Bonds of Unity then you are indeed like them.<>

[karlamayne]

And, don't forget, the birthrate in this country would not be over the replacement level (2.1) if we did not have the benefit of many women over 35 having children and the (still) relatively high birthrate among Mexican-Americans.

[Deep_6]

re:
"...The necessity of not letting ppl starve is a veery differenr issue. I make
 the demonstration that at the end it only makes the poor poorer and it 
destroys our societies from inside..."

I would agree, but it's mostly liberal brainwashing that permits the "fix"
as you see it now. There's an old [religion based] adage that goes like this:

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll
never starve"

The "fix" shouldn't be to throw a lifeline of money, food and clothing,
but to throw a lifeline of education, equal opportunity, and confidence
for their success.

All any "minority" group wants, is equality and fairness. When it's refused,
then it must be demanded. Our Constitution requires that demand.

 

[Deep_6]

Re:
".........your information...... is not accurate..... majority of incidents were with teen-age boys and
.....homosexually tended priests, NOT with young children. And, there is a very small percentage...
.....it's not a widespread epidemic the press and liberals would like us to believe....."

Unfortunately, you are blinded by your overzealous effort to support your
religious conviction. I suggest you do some reading of cases on file and note the
age of the abused victims. It is the reason for the "pedophile" suits, "child molester"
suits and not more generic "sexual molester" suits. Age of consent in many states,
is 14 [and under].

And again, it has nothing to do with sexual orientation and more to do with
the mindset of a rapist. It's an act of violence; a show of power over a
subordinate.

To allow a child to be placed in harm's way, as the Catholic Church has done
[and continues to do by protecting the pedophilic priests], is a disgrace to
the Name of God that the Church is said to represent.

If you are not disgusted, you should be.

Thanks.

[Gophack]

First, I don't think that any teen-age boy "consents" to have sex with an adult male. They are manipulated, raped and abuse. And yes, I am disgusted and outraged that some priests have abused their holy office and that some bishops have aided in this abuse through silence, indifference, or outright lying. The guilty should be removed of holy office, defrocked, and imprisoned. They committed an evil act and need to repent spiritually, and be punished through our legal system.

HOWEVER, that does not mean that I will ever turn my back on my faith, because faith is a gift of grace from God, not of man. There have been scandals in the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, and in every other church on earth, because men and women are sinners, fallen, and are tempted by Satan. I thank God that He sent His son Jesus Christ to redeem us, because He knows we could never do it on our own.

God bless.

[Lurking2Long]

From what little I know of among my male Italian friends, I would think that a declining birthrate in Italy is not for want of trying...

(Maybe it's those tight pants they wear...?)

[Conservative til I die]

Ignore sinkspur, he's just in his normal pope-bashing mode.

[Lassiter]

They could just go back to selling indulgences. That worked for a few hundred years.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Yeah, right. On paper, the Catholic Church is a lovely institution. In practice, it has kept to those principles with the moral integrity of Enron and the steadfast efficiency of the US Postal Service. I comment on it and I'm the bad guy?

You need some introspection as to what you believe in.

[Conservative til I die]

You need some introspection as to what you believe in.

Yes, I will renounce my beliefs because you think I should. *rolls eyes*