Church abuse criticism like anti-Semitism, says Pope's personal preacher
From correspondents in the Vatican City
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/church-abuse-criticism-like-anti-semitism-says-popes-personal-preacher/story-e6frea73-1225849117454?from=public_rss (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/church-abuse-criticism-like-anti-semitism-says-popes-personal-preacher/story-e6frea73-1225849117454?from=public_rss)
POPE Benedict XVI's personal preacher has likened accusations against the Pope and the Catholic church in the sex abuse scandal to "collective violence" suffered by the Jews.
The Reverend Raniero Cantalamessa said in a Good Friday homily with the Pope listening in St Peter's Basilica that a Jewish friend wrote to him to say the accusations remind him of the "more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism".
housands of Holy Week pilgrims were in St Peter's Square as the church defends itself against accusations that Pope Benedict had a role in covering up sex abuses cases.
The "coincidence" that Passover falls in the same week as Easter celebrations, said Mr Cantalamessa, a Franciscan who offers reflections at Vatican Easter and Advent services, prompted him to think about Jews.
"They know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognise the recurring symptoms," the preacher said.
Quoting from the letter from the friend, who wasn't identified by Mr Cantalamessa, the preacher said he was following "with indignation the violent and concentric attacks against the church, the Pope and all the faithful of the whole world".
"The use of stereotypes, the passing from personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt, remind me of the more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism," Mr Cantalamessa said his friend wrote him. [Shameful aspects of anti-Semitism? Bollocks! That is a description of typical anti-White attitude adopted by non-Whites and self hating White libtards the world over - Cailen.]
Church using us as scapegoats for scandals, say atheists
By Miles Godfrey
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/church-using-us-as-scapegoats-for-scandals-say-atheists/story-e6frea73-1225849011153?from=public_rss (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/church-using-us-as-scapegoats-for-scandals-say-atheists/story-e6frea73-1225849011153?from=public_rss)
ATHEISTS have hit back at criticism by religious leaders, claiming the clergy have made non-believers a scapegoat for declining church congregations.
Several church leaders have used their Easter sermons and messages to condemn the increase in atheism, with Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen describing non-belief as an "assault on God".
His comments come a day after Sydney Catholic Archbishop Cardinal George Pell also criticised non-believers.
The Atheist Foundation of Australia said today Dr Jensen's claims were "preposterous" and condemned Christianity for a spate of child sex abuse scandals.
"He seeks out a scapegoat and attacks atheism without any understanding of what he is saying," foundation president David Nicholls said.
"To state we hate his god or are attacking his god is nonsense.
"How does one hate or attack that which does not exist?"
Dr Jensen said in his Good Friday sermon at the city's St Andrew's Cathedral that atheism was a form of idolatry.
"As we can see by the sheer passion and virulence of the atheist - they seem to hate the Christian God - we are not dealing here with cool philosophy up against faith without a brain," Dr Jensen told worshippers.
"Atheism is every bit of a religious commitment as Christianity itself.
"It represents the latest version of the human assault on God, born out of resentment that we do not in fact rule the world and that God calls on us to submit our lives to him.
"It is a form of idolatry in which we worship ourselves."
Cardinal Pell at St Mary's Cathedral delivered a similar attack on atheism in his Easter message on Thursday. He praised government organisations "paid for by the Christian majority" for helping make the Australian way of life the envy of the world before saying atheists sponsored no community services.
The new Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, in Sydney's west, Anthony Fisher, drew broader comparisons.
"Last century we tried godlessness on a grand scale and the effects were devastating: Nazism, Stalinism, Pol Pot-ery, mass murder, abortion and broken relationships - all promoted by state-imposed atheism," he said. [For any doubters, Adolf was a Catholic who often spoke of religion in the Christian sense, and the main tenets of Christinsanity are paralleled in Stalinism, Pol Pot-ery, i.e. Communism - Cailen.]
Mr Nicholls said atheists made contributions to society like any other citizen.
"Atheists are not out to Stalinise or bring Nazism into the world," he said.
A spokesman for Dr Jensen denied a coordinated attack by the churchmen. He said the remarks were likely to have been spurred by the recent Rise of Atheism conference held in Melbourne, which attracted 2500 non-believers and featured renowned figurehead Richard Dawkins.
Dr Jensen went on to say in his sermon that religion can be an "even more dangerous" form of idolatry than atheism if incorrectly interpreted.
"Here, too, religion can simply be the power game under a different guise ... Atheist or religious person - we all need to be reconciled to God and give him our lives," he added.