Catholic Stories

[47of74]

6 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

Yes, unfortunately marriages of that duration are not as common these days. On the other hand, we are so blessed to have Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, and Rudy Giuliani as shining examples of long-term fidelity and marital bliss. 

Yeah I don't know why the fuck people keep saying gay marriage will ruin the institution.  Straight people have been doing that for a long time, especially reich wing clowns like the giant orange tapeworm of destruction and Blowhole O'Really.

[December]

1 hour ago, 47of74 said:

Yeah I don't know why the fuck people keep saying gay marriage will ruin the institution.

Not to mention that it presumes there is some single standard of what "the institution" of marriage involves, and it's conveniently always their standard. There's, what, 300 million people in this country? But we magically have a consensus on civil marriage of all things? 

[LadyCrow1313]

On 6/26/2017 at 11:27 AM, louisa05 said:

For those nearing death, they are typically given the opportunity to receive penance at the time that a priest comes to do Anointing of the Sick. This is kind of why the Sacrament of Anointing has been viewed as preparation for death. The Sacrament is often done in conjunction with giving the Eucharist as well. But the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick does not require confession or receiving Eucharist (both of those are actually different sacraments).

My mother passed away two months ago, & she was given Last Rites while in the hospital. I've never personally seen anything like it before, but it was kinda what I expected it to be. I'm not Christian myself (but Mom was), so even though I freely admit to not being fully mentally there (for obvious reasons), I had no problem w/participating in it.

ps: I giggled when I saw the Bishop's name, & immediately thought of Pop Rocks. Henceforth, his name shall now be known as Bishop Poprocks. 

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by Coconut Flan
Snipping quote.

[smittykins]

I'm sorry for your loss, @LadyCrow1313.

[47of74]

1 hour ago, LadyCrow1313 said:

My mother passed away two months ago, & she was given Last Rites while in the hospital. I've never personally seen anything like it before, but it was kinda what I expected it to be. I'm not Christian myself (but Mom was), so even though I freely admit to not being fully mentally there (for obvious reasons), I had no problem w/participating in it.

ps: I giggled when I saw the Bishop's name, & immediately thought of Pop Rocks. Henceforth, his name shall now be known as Bishop Poprocks. 

 

Sorry for your loss @LadyCrow1313

Yes, I like your suggestion.  It's his from now on.

Let's do this formally.

A very mean and stupid Bishop you will become Mr. Paprocki!  Henceforth, you shall be known as Bishop....Poprocks!

[PennySycamore]

I am so sorry for your loss, @LadyCrow1313.  

[nokidsmom]

@LadyCrow1313 My condolences on the loss of your mom.  

Love the new name for the bishop.   I agree that henceforth this should be his name.

[Beermeet]

On 6/26/2017 at 11:29 AM, Destiny said:

Thank you. I honestly didn't know. It seems like refusing to allow those for same sex couples is a SEVERELY dick move. :/

I'm horrified.

It really is.  I grew up Catholic and really enjoyed the services and sacraments.   They are comforting and ancient.

I no longer attend regularly but would and have if I feel like it.

It's the priests molesting boys while say,  judging and being dicks to gay people I will never get over.  F that.

 

[louisa05]

On the other hand, some bishops have a very different take: 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/propernomenclature/san-jose-bishop-do-not-deny-sacraments-lgbt/

It is always useful to remember that even though it can seem to be, the Catholic Church is not monolithic. 

[47of74]

Francis replaces Cardinal Muller with deputy Ladaria as head of doctrinal congregation

Spoiler

Pope Francis has decided not to renew the expiring term of Vatican doctrinal chief Cardinal Gerhard Muller, choosing instead to replace the German prelate with his deputy, a Spanish Jesuit theologian known for keeping a relatively low public profile.

The pontiff has appointed Archbishop Luis Ladaria, 73, as the new prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He had previously served as the office's secretary.

Can't wait for the whining from the reich wing of the church.

 

[louisa05]

We are likely going to see a totally new direction with a Jesuit in the position. 

[47of74]

Police Broke Up a Drug-Fueled Vatican Priest Orgy

Quote

The Pope is reportedly "fuming" after cops allegedly busted up a Vatican based, drug fueled, gay sex orgy in the apartment of a high-ranking priest.

As first reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano, Police raided the apartment after the neighbours complained of odd behaviour and the "comings and goings" of the people into the apartment. Once in the home they reportedly found a drug-fueled gay-sex orgy.

The organizer of the shindig was a 50-year-old aide to Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio—the president of many congregations including the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts—named Luigi Capozzi. Coccopalmerio is a heavy hitter in the church being one of the Pope's key advisors—he was appointed by Pope Benedict in 2007.

The apartment where it took place was owned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—sometimes called the Palace of Holy Office—and its typical dweller was Coccopalmerio. Capozzi, who is a Monsignor, was arrested at the broken up orgy but charges have not been laid nor is it known if they are forthcoming. Capozzi was also reportedly taken to the hospital to detox from the drugs he had consumed.

Holy Facepalm, Batman!

[Howl]

Hoo boy.  That's hard to explain away! 

[EmiGirl]

I've never heard of vice. Is it a legitimate source?

[Cleopatra7]

9 hours ago, EmiGirl said:

I've never heard of vice. Is it a legitimate source?

Yes. Vice has done some really good investigative work on a variety of topics, although the name would have you believe it's some kind of tacky men's website. Their YouTube channel has many interesting documentaries.

As to the OP, I can't say I'm surprised by this, because history recounts that such dealings have been going on for thousands of years. The only surprising thing is that the police are involved rather than looking the other way. Conservative and traditionalist Catholics will no doubt explain it away by pointing to the "lavender mafia" in the Church and by defaming Pope Francis's character. 

[LadyCrow1313]

Wow. For a second I was sad that Florida Man wasn't up to his usual shenanigans, but this is a decent substitute.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

Nothing new under the sun, except that this time it made the international news.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

I thought to create a thread to put together the different conversations about the RCC responsibilities about many situations that would otherwise be disseminated in sparse posts around the board.

George Pell, Australian cardinal named Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy by pope Francis in 2014 even if his name came up repeatedly in stories of abuses cover ups heard by the Australian Royal Commission into Child Abuse, has been charged by Australian police with historical sexual assault offences. More in the article linked. This is especially concerning because cardinal Pell  is in the third most important role in Vatican hierarchy. Should the allegations be substantiated and proved in court I expect a full explanation of how the fuck it is possible that a person so tied to historical child sex abuse scandals made to the third most important position in Vatican, in a Vatican where people keep talking about condemning pedophilia with the strongest possible terms. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

Sorry for the back to back posts but this is a different situation.

El Salvador has some of the most oppressive laws regarding abortion. The current laws were the result of successful lobbying by groups of conservative Catholics such as Opus Dei. In the overwhelmingly Catholic country cultural opposition yo abortion and women's reproductive rights is very strong and it is ascribable to ideas spread and reinforced by the RCC.

El Salvador teen rape victim sentenced to 30 years in prison after stillbirth

Spoiler

Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz, 19, from a small rural community in Cuscatlán, eastern El Salvador, was convicted on the grounds that failing to seek antenatal care amounted to murder.

Hernandez, a high school student, gave birth into the toilet in April 2016 after falling ill with acute back and stomach pain.

Hernandez, who at the time was 18, was in her third trimester, but hadn’t realised that she was pregnant. She had been repeatedly raped by a gang member over several months as part of a forced sexual relationship.

Medical experts were unable to ascertain whether the foetus died in utero or in the moments after delivery.

The female judge accepted the prosecutor’s claims that Hernandez failed to seek antenatal care because she did not want the baby, and threw him into the toilet intending to kill him.

In sentencing, the judge went further and suggested that Hernandez could not have acted alone and that her mother may also be criminally responsible.

According to Morena Herrera, executive director of the Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion, the verdict was based on prejudices held by the prosecutor and judge.

“The judgment sentencing Evelyn to 30 years in prison shows how in El Salvador justice is applied without direct proof, without sufficient evidence that clarifies what a woman has done,” Herrera said.

El Salvador – one of five countries where abortion is illegal in all circumstances – has imprisoned dozens of mainly poor young women for murder after they suffered obstetric complications.

Abortion was criminalised in El Salvador 20 years ago, after legislators from across the political spectrum voted to strip women of their reproductive rights without any public debate or medical consultation about the consequences. The 1997 reform was passed after a shadowy campaign by a small group of powerful anti-choice groups linked to the Catholic church.

Hopes had been raised that the ban would be relaxed amid a groundswell of public and medical support for a parliamentary bill proposing to allow abortion in cases of rape or human trafficking; when the foetus is unviable; or to protect the pregnant woman’s health or life.

But four months after the parliamentary hearings ended, the bill remains in the hands of the legislative committee. The nine cross-party deputies have yet to decide whether the bill should be sent to the legislative assembly for a vote.

El Salvador: where women are thrown into jail for losing a baby

Spoiler

“It’s hard to talk about,” says Mirna Ramírez softly as she begins to explain why she spent 12 and a half years in prison. “I was put in jail because I had a premature birth and they accused me of an abortion.”

The 48-year-old mother, from San Salvador, has been free for a year. But she is still scarred by what she feels is the injustice of arguably the most draconian anti-abortion law in the world.

Ramírez was 34 years old and seven months pregnant when she felt a pain and went to the bathroom. “That’s when it [the baby] came out,” she says, recalling how a neighbour came to help her before wrongly denouncing her to the authorities. “She said I wanted to kill my baby. I thought she was my friend and she’d tell the truth and help me, but it was the opposite.”

An hour later, the police arrived and took her to a detention centre. “I was still bleeding,” she recalls. “It’s a miracle I’m alive. I received no medical attention. It was like a nightmare. I never imagined I’d go to prison.”

But she did. Even though her baby survived, she was accused of attempted murder because the neighbour claimed the child had been conceived with another man during an affair. After just five minutes with her state-appointed defence lawyer, she was sentenced to 15 years.

Ramírez – whose full name is not revealed here because of the stigma associated with such cases – was not alone. Civil rights groups say 17 women in El Salvador have been wrongfully imprisoned for miscarriages. Countless more have been jailed for having abortions.

While several other countries in the region have relaxed their anti-abortion laws, El Salvador has moved backwards. In 1973, its criminal code permitted the termination of pregnancies in cases of rape, congenital foetal defects or when the mother’s life was at risk. This, though, was superseded by a revised constitution in which article one stated that human beings come into existence from the moment of conception.

As a result, abortion – or miscarriages treated as suspected abortions – can now be regarded as murder, which can carry a 40-year sentence.

More info in the links.

[Carm_88]

Those articles about women being thrown in jail because they lost their babies or the babies died after birth is just heartbreaking.  

[Grimalkin]

         Watching The Keepers really broke the last bit of faith I had in the Catholic Church. I think they have done good, and I have experienced it, and thank God every day for the care my sister gets by an Italian order of nuns. I also admit to liking Pope Francis, and being touched by some of his actions. Like everything else, too much power corrupts, people get hurt, nothing is sacred.

        I can't help but wonder if it was all a bunch of priests? At least they are just messing with each other and they all (hopefully) willing participants. How does this come about? How do they find people to join in? I assumed it was all men, but maybe there were women too. So many questions.

[kunoichi66]

On 07/07/2017 at 1:17 PM, Cleopatra7 said:

Yes. Vice has done some really good investigative work on a variety of topics, although the name would have you believe it's some kind of tacky men's website. Their YouTube channel has many interesting documentaries.

As to the OP, I can't say I'm surprised by this, because history recounts that such dealings have been going on for thousands of years. The only surprising thing is that the police are involved rather than looking the other way. Conservative and traditionalist Catholics will no doubt explain it away by pointing to the "lavender mafia" in the Church and by defaming Pope Francis's character. 

What is the lavender mafia?  It's not a term I've ever heard before.

[samurai_sarah]

1 hour ago, kunoichi66 said:

What is the lavender mafia?  It's not a term I've ever heard before.

"Lavender mafia" refers to an alleged underground gay organisation within the Catholic church. They are responsible for all the scandals, and everything that rocked the Catholic church, since the dinosaurs died out (although you can probably find at least one traditional Catholic who holds them responsible for that one too).

Personally, I think that while there is no denying that some priests and nuns are gay, and some are outspoken about it, the "Lavender mafia" is most likely a fictional excuse to blame "the ebil gayz" for all that goes wrong. I'm fairly convinced that there are secret networks for gay people amongst the clergy, just like there are networks for the secret children of clergy. But I very personally think that "the Lavender Mafia" is a distraction from the real issues. It's a vague scapegoat.

/getting off my soap-box

[nastyhobbitses]

I mean, I feel like if you're going to have an orgy, the Vatican's probably the best location to have one. Go big or go home.

The drugs I can take or leave, but as long as everyone in the orgy wanted to be there and was an adult, plow away. I know that the Church isn't into it, but were I the Pope/the Swiss Guards, I think I'd be more impressed than angry.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

1 hour ago, nastyhobbitses said:

I mean, I feel like if you're going to have an orgy, the Vatican's probably the best location to have one. Go big or go home.

The drugs I can take or leave, but as long as everyone in the orgy wanted to be there and was an adult, plow away. I know that the Church isn't into it, but were I the Pope/the Swiss Guards, I think I'd be more impressed than angry.

My problem with their behaviour is the hypocrisy with which they preach against pre-marital sex, against abortion, against the use of condoms and any contraceptives especially in those parts of the world where people would benefit even more greatly from family planning and protection from STDs. The damages their preaching do is concrete and tangible (I talked in another thread about the situation in El Salvador). But some of them feel like behind closed doors the morals they preach don't apply to themselves.

@samurai_sarah I hear you, the lavender mafia is pure idiocy. The asshole priest who was caught some months ago near Padua after a parishioner accused him of sexual assault wasn't gay. But he was involved with prostitution, in his capacity stole money from the local retirement home and allegedly abused minors too. Our former and now deceased bishop, the one who confirmed me, was a known alcoholic good for nothing except getting rich, have a villa built to his name and accept emoluments from industrialists in exchange for favors. And yet it seems that only gay priests are a problem.

Unfortunately pope Francis seem to have repeatedly given credit to such rumors. It's very disappointing that in his declarations about the problems of Roman Curia the worst he could say about them was that there's a gay mafia. Not that they covered up abuse and probably still do, not that they meddled in politics and banking and things that were none of their business, no their worst sin was being gay. Absurd.

ETA the thread I referenced above if anyone is interested

 

Edited July 13, 2017 by laPapessaGiovanna
Added thought