[Forest Keeper]

I would say the author of this article has "Abandon[ed] any sense of editorial balance, journalistic integrity, or even elementary logic". LOL! This is getting pathetically surreal.

You said it. In order to save Ratzinger this guy throws the whole rest of the Vatican under the bus. I loved this part:

During the 1980s and 1990s, as some bishops were complaining about the confusion at the Vatican, bishops in the US and Ireland, Germany and Austria, Canada and Italy were systematically covering up evidence of sexual abuse, and transferring predator-priests to new parish assignments to hide them from scrutiny. The revelations of the past decade have shown a gross dereliction of duty on the part of diocesan bishops. Indeed the ugly track record has shown that a number of diocesan bishops were themselves abusing children during those years.

So we have gross dereliction of duty and sexual abuse by the bishops and confusion at the Vatican. But Ratzinger was OK because it wasn't his job to care about child abuse in the 80's and 90's?! What an indictment of the whole Church!!! Just for kicks I found this from Lumen Gentium (Vatican II):

"22. ...... The pope's power of primacy over all, both pastors and faithful, remains whole and intact. In virtue of his office, that is as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme and universal power over the Church. And he is always free to exercise this power. The order of bishops, which succeeds to the college of apostles and gives this apostolic body continued existence, is also the subject of supreme and full power over the universal Church, provided we understand this body together with its head the Roman Pontiff and never without this head.(27*) This power can be exercised only with the consent of the Roman Pontiff. ......" (emphasis added)

With authority comes responsibility, and from this there doesn't seem to be any escape for the Vatican. "It's not my job" doesn't cut it. It's hilarious and sad that in order to defend Ratzinger this Catholic writer winds up savaging the whole Vatican (e.g. including Cardinal Bishops) along with whoever is Pope, including Ratzinger today given all these new stories in the news recently.

From the thread from the other day I hope the plaintiff's lawyers are quoting from this Lumen Gentium to blow the independent contractor theory out of the water.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

From the thread from the other day I hope the plaintiff's lawyers are quoting from this Lumen Gentium to blow the independent contractor theory out of the water.

And what would it mean if they don't use it? Would it mean there is a systematic cover-up of the sins of Rome that pollutes journalism and politics, as well as religion?

Seems likely.

[wmfights]

So we have gross dereliction of duty and sexual abuse by the bishops and confusion at the Vatican. But Ratzinger was OK because it wasn't his job to care about child abuse in the 80's and 90's?! What an indictment of the whole Church!!!

They are so lost they think defending their church no matter what is more important than doing the right thing. This mindset only exists where those that protect the evil are rewarded and those that would see the evil punished are marginalized. For a church that goes on ad nauseum about works we sure do them by theirs.

[annalex]

“bishops in the US and Ireland, Germany and Austria, Canada and Italy were systematically covering up evidence of sexual abuse, and transferring predator-priests to new parish assignments to hide them from scrutiny” is an accurate statement. It surely indicts these bishops. No one is arguing otherwise.

Pope Benedict, however, in his role then, did nothing wrong, and an honest newspaper, which NYT is not, would acknowledge that.