"Cardinal Ratzinger devoted his Vatican career to rooting out any hint of what he considered deviance. The problem is, he was obsessed with enforcing doctrinal orthodoxy and somehow missed the graver danger to the most vulnerable members of the flock. The sin-crazed “Rottweiler” was so consumed with sexual mores — issuing constant instructions on chastity, contraception, abortion — that he didn’t make time for curbing sexual abuse by priests who were supposed to pray with, not prey on, their young charges. American bishops have gotten politically militant in recent years, opposing the health care bill because its language on abortion wasn’t vehement enough, and punishing Catholic politicians who favor abortion rights and stem cell research. They should spend as much time guarding the kids already under their care as they do championing the rights of those who aren’t yet born. Decade after decade, the church hid its sordid crimes, enabling the collared perpetrators instead of letting the police collar them. In the case of the infamous German priest, one diocese official hinted that his problem could be fixed by transferring him to teach at a girls’ school. Either they figured that he would not be tempted by the female sex, or worse, the church was even less concerned about putting little girls at risk. The nuns have historically cleaned up the messes of priests. And this is a historic mess. Benedict should go home to Bavaria. And the cardinals should send the white smoke up the chimney, proclaiming “Habemus Mama.”
Maureen Dowd
Aren´t we in the middle of a second wave of feminism? I hope so. The first one was to bring equal rights to women. This one is for establishing what female capacity is superior. It is a lot: The third world will not develop if women won´t be getting to power in family, business and politics. Religions (not only Islam) won´t be civilized if women will remaining outside. To be continued….
ReplyDeleteHabemus mama, this is a very strong and convincing slogan!
Take the time reading Maureen´s complete report:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28dowd.html
Has Freud's remark, that any system of wisdom recommends to base happyness not on sex, become out-dated?
ReplyDeleteI felt sorry, when Maidoff was on the front pages during the unrolling of the crises, and I feel sorry for the disgusting things this Pope has to cope with while the western culture is experiencing limitation.
ReplyDeleteAmerica, the jews and the catholic church at the moment seem to be the most hated entities.
I recommend to cheer never ever in front of emblematic stereotypes.
Maureen Dowd's schadenfreude is silly and out of place in a situation where porns are traded at the stock exchange and the catholic church is the only important western institution, which strenuously affirms that sexuality has got too much meaning in every day life. The hope, that this last bastion will break, sink into mood and capitulate, at the moment seems to live an exciting experience of fulfillment and even moral triumph over an obsolete, suffocating, false-faced and ridiculous circus of spirituality.
But the situation is very similar to that which MK has lamented on the other blog concerning entertainment. Maureen Dowd's article get's for sure the consense of people who like to laugh, but it is tell-tale too. The attitude which her remarks reveal unfortunatly is a very common attitude of our time: relentlessly one can make viperish mocky remarks on ancient institutions, traditions and creeds, because these enjoy contempt by anyone who considers him- or herself a "progressive" spouse of Zeitgeist and beyond timelessly appearing themes which former or later always return in a metamorphic timely feature. This attitude has become so common that even those whose heart still clings to the old furniture often howl with the wolves in order to show that they are cute.
@cs
I agree on what concerns Mohamed Yusuf and I regret that in this moment in Italy doesn't exist at all a figure like Madeleine Albright.
One can see the feminisation following the diffusion of electrical white goods and the becoming of service providing societies. Sometimes one could have the impression of "something new under the sun" coming up.
But the idea that female collaborativeness will improve the world, if only enough females get into commanding positions...
I presume, the more this will happen, the more arrogant women will become and cause a new assessment around Yin and Yang. I forgot to tell you, I once have met a beautiful, jolly, charming, atheist woman who is a female Gerry Adams.