Ex-pope Benedict blames gays for child abuse

This video says about itself:

Gay kiss protest near the pope in Barcelona – no comment

8 November 2010

Gay couples kiss in protest over discrimination against gay people as Pope Benedict left Barcelona’s archbishopric in his Popemobile.

Translated from Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad today:

Pope Benedict XVI has retired, but he is now the center of a riot in the Catholic Church. The German has published an essay in conservative German media in which he blames sexual abuse within the Catholic Church on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and … church laws that protected gay priests.

Critics think his analysis is totally irresponsible, even catastrophic, because he is obstructing his successor. Pope Francis tries to lead the church out of the abuse crisis.

,,Why did pedophilia reach such proportions? Ultimately, the reason for this is the absence of God”, writes Benedict

Dear ex-pope Benedict: Of course, not only some believers in various religious organisations abuse children; some atheists do as well. However, unlike with child abusing conservative Dutch bishop Gijsen, if an atheist abuses a child from an atheist family, then there will be no fear of burning in hell forever as punishment for denouncing the perpetrator as that perpetrator is supposedly ‘a man of God‘. And there will be no atheist hierarchy covering up the culprit’s crimes.

in the 6,000-word essay published today in the German monthly magazine Klerusblatt, the Catholic News Agency, and other conservative media. According to Benedict, the germ of the abuse lies in the early 1960s. … Benedict saw the formation of homosexual cliques” in seminars “that acted more or less openly and significantly changed the climate”. …

Penance

When he retired in 2013, Benedict wanted to devote the rest of his life to penance and prayer.

There is plenty about which Pope Ratzinger should do penance. Eg, his abuse of Christmas for a homophobic attack. But I doubt whether he means that.

His successor, Francis, would be given every opportunity to lead the church. …

Church historian Christopher Bellitto wonders if Benedict, who will turn 92 next week, is being manipulated by others. The essay lacks conclusions that the Roman church already drew earlier after the abuse summit in February: the abuse also took place before the sexual revolution in the 1960s; and homosexuality has nothing to do with pedophilia. “The essay essentially ignores what we have learned there.”

The essay is welcomed by some on the right. …

Caricature

Massimo Faggioli, theologian at Villanova University, argues that Benedict’s analysis is meager because he actually attributes the abuse to the sexual revolution and ignores major issues before that time. “It’s a caricature of what happened.”

Eg, the ex-pope’s essay, at least the synopsis by the NOS of it, ‘forgets’ the abuse of hundreds of boys in a religious children’s choir, led by Pope Ratzinger’s own brother.

From Spain, 3 April 2019:

The Bishop of Alcalá de Henares is under investigation after it emerged that conversion therapy courses which told homosexuals to “pray away the gay” were being held in his diocese.

These pseudo-therapies practised also on minors, have allegedly taken place since 2009 when Juan Antonio Reig Pla became the city’s bishop.

Catholic school sex abuse case goes to trial in Barcelona: here.

Spanish victims of sex abuse priests speak out: here.