Should The Pope Resign?

[The Happy Humanist]

OK, so Joey Ratzinger gets elevated to "Pope Ratzo I", despite having been in the Hitler Youth, and despite having turned a blind eye to the philanderings of several clerics on his watch. I mean, think about just this one story...
A priest (!) raped (!!) 200 (!!!) deaf (!!!!) boys(!!!!!)
Can we take it, from Ratzo's inaction (and continuation in the Shoes of the Fisherman), that the Catholic Church is OK with homosexuality, priests violating their oath of celibacy, and the serial rape of handicapped children? What other conclusion can we come to?

[Flashpoint]

I voted yes because I have always felt that those in positions of authority have an ethical obligation to ensure that the people acting within that authority do not abuse their positions. This just goes to show that religious people are not at all morally superior to non-religious people.

[The Happy Humanist]

Nice Avatar Photo, flash!

[McCulloch]

I am not sure that his resignation would do any good. In order to restore any confidence that society has in the integrity of the Roman Catholic Church a number of steps need to happen:

1. The current pontiff has to make full and open disclosure about all of his activities and knowledge of activities done by anyone in the Roman Catholic Church to protect pedophiles from investigation and civil prosecution. In order for this disclosure to be convincing, it should contain details that have yet to be suspected or come to light.
2. The Roman Catholic Church will fully and willingly cooperate with all investigations into pedophile activities among their own. There will be nothing hidden, nothing sacred. All of the books, all of the files and all relevant documents will be open to legal secular authorities. Search warrants will not be required.
3. The Pontiff will announce, ex cathedra, that absolution for pedophile offenses by all members of all clerical orders cannot be granted without repentance and that repentance is not genuine unless the offender turns himself in to secular authorities. This measure will include anyone who has assisted in protecting pedophiles from investigation and prosecution.
4. The Pontiff will, himself, assist in any civil prosecution against himself that may be merited.
5. The Roman Catholic church will fund an appropriate level of counseling and assistance for its victims.
6. The Roman Catholic Church will undertake to gain a fuller understanding of what causes and contributes to both pedophile behavior and the motivation to cover up. Measures will be taken to seriously address both issues. In the first, the principle of clerical celibacy should be re-evaluated. In the second, the church really needs to embrace its own version of Glasnost.

The Church has lost a lot of moral ground, but I do not believe that it is impossible for it to regain it. The changes needed are drastic and strong, but absolutely necessary.

[Lux]

I voted YES. I agree with McCulloch's list of actions that should be taken by the Catholic Church, but I'd leave those for the next pope.
A person who has overlooked, or permitted to continue the rape of innocent, helpless children should never ever be looked up to as a moral authority. There should be no masses cheering him, no one kissing his ring.

[Flail]

OK, so Joey Ratzinger gets elevated to "Pope Ratzo I", despite having been in the Hitler Youth, and despite having turned a blind eye to the philanderings of several clerics on his watch. I mean, think about just this one story...
A priest (!) raped (!!) 200 (!!!) deaf (!!!!) boys(!!!!!)
Can we take it, from Ratzo's inaction (and continuation in the Shoes of the Fisherman), that the Catholic Church is OK with homosexuality, priests violating their oath of celibacy, and the serial rape of handicapped children? What other conclusion can we come to?

The Priests are ill; the institution they support is evil.

[fredonly]

I am honestly astounded that so many people say the Pope should resign immediately, not waiting for more information. This strikes me as a lynching based on superficial media reports. I certainly acknowledge that the worst may be true, but this is far from being proven at this point. But help me understand, what is the specific crime that you are so thoroughly convinced he committed that leads you to vote "resign now."?

[The Happy Humanist]

I am honestly astounded that so many people say the Pope should resign immediately, not waiting for more information. This strikes me as a lynching based on superficial media reports. I certainly acknowledge that the worst may be true, but this is far from being proven at this point. But help me understand, what is the specific crime that you are so thoroughly convinced he committed that leads you to vote "resign now."?

The crime of doing nothing.

[McCulloch]

I am honestly astounded that so many people say the Pope should resign immediately, not waiting for more information. This strikes me as a lynching based on superficial media reports. I certainly acknowledge that the worst may be true, but this is far from being proven at this point. But help me understand, what is the specific crime that you are so thoroughly convinced he committed that leads you to vote "resign now."?

For most leaders in governments and industry, the level of suspicion and accusations now being leveled at the pontiff would lead them to resign at least until their name has been properly cleared.



And this does not count the ones who were shuffled about and hushed up within their own country.

Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Bishop Roger Joseph Vangheluwe of Bruges, Belgium who is 73 and steps down two years before the normal resignation age of 75, after he admitted to abusing a young man decades ago. So this self-confessed criminal faces the humiliation of having his sins known and gets to retire two years early. He should be behind bars.

Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals called the scandal, petty gossip of the moment.

In a related story, Benedict also lifted the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson, a Holocaust-denying bishop in 2009. He also decided to revive a Good Friday prayer for the conversion of Jews. Earlier in April, the pontiff's personal preacher compared the attacks on the church to anti-Semitism, though the priest later apologized.

Benedict last year said that condom distribution "increases the problem" of AIDS during his first papal trip to Africa.

[Goat]

OK, so Joey Ratzinger gets elevated to "Pope Ratzo I", despite having been in the Hitler Youth, and despite having turned a blind eye to the philanderings of several clerics on his watch. I mean, think about just this one story...
A priest (!) raped (!!) 200 (!!!) deaf (!!!!) boys(!!!!!)
Can we take it, from Ratzo's inaction (and continuation in the Shoes of the Fisherman), that the Catholic Church is OK with homosexuality, priests violating their oath of celibacy, and the serial rape of handicapped children? What other conclusion can we come to?

The Priests are ill; the institution they support is evil.

Not all priests are ill. Their institution needs a big does of reality, and to understand it is not 'too big' to fall because of improper behavior. It remains to be seen if it can make that transformation.

I much prefer the RCC followers than some from of the more 'fundamentalist' denominations.