It doesn’t need a potentially suggestive tweet from Catherine Deveny anymore to make jokes about the Catholic Church and sexual abuse of minors work, or even for merely establishing the connection, all it takes even for a heavily stacked audience is a sentence like this from Archbishop Pell, in a recent Q & A, on the “preparation of young English boys” :
Even the mainly Catholic audience got that one, no punchline needed, and the awkwardness of the moment was palpable. So I am a bit confused as to the motive of Archbishop Pell threatening legal action against Twitter (edited) over a tweet now (the content of which we don’t know because it was taken down), when the likes of him and his fellow obscurantists in the Catholic hierarchy have already managed to sway public opinion in such a way that the connection between Catholic clergy and any kind of atrocity, from sexual abuse of minors to stealing newborns, is well established in the public’s mind.
Of course we must protect individuals from unfounded allegations like that of being a pedophile, but if the last decade with its almost daily discoveries of more Catholic abuse stories has done anything, then it is that we now must consider every single Catholic priest a potential danger to the welfare of children. It is estimated that 4% of all Catholic clergy are or were abusers, that is not by any means a trivial number. Since Deveny didn’t say outright that Pell is a Pedophile, and as we have seen above, the connection is in people’s mind these days whether Pell likes it or not, I really don’t see any basis for a lawsuit.
Cardinal Pell should refrain from wasting the diocese’s money to go on such a campaign. This tweet would have been redistributed and read in agreement by a great number of people. He should instead use the money to campaign for compensation of his church’s abuse victims and their families, that would be doing something useful.
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08/05/12: (I’ve edited a couple of sentences since the threat of a lawsuit seems merely directed at Twitter at this stage.)
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And yet another update : Cardinal Pell is not threatening legal action against Twitter or Deveny anymore, according to the SMH.
Yet another example, as if we needed any more, of the hypocrisy at the top of the Catholic Church.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
- Matthew 5:38-44
Way to lead by example, Pell.
That is, I’m sure Jebus would turn the other tweet. If he existed. And was here right now. And knew how to use a computer.
Did anyone else read the the story of a boy who was abused and remembers the young priest was called Big George. Wake up, Mr Abbott!
I would love to get hold of Big George’s computer ….
One more thing. I read in the International Express some time ago that the age of consent in Vatican City is 12 years old ,,,,, do you think God might have had a hand in that? Can anyone explain? No-one seems to know.
I also hope there are no more appearances on Q&A or anywhere else where the audience or hosts are forbidden from raising issues which are the ‘elephants in the room. I particularly feel this way after reading “A Safe Heaven For Paedophiles”. Please have a look at it. The only word that comes to mind is “haven”.
Sorry, I have to say it. After reading “A Safe Heaven for Paedo..”, I would suggest 94% would be closer to the mark rather than 4% of clergy being paedophiles. Don’t forget these files are only the victims who have come forward and many, many more have been silently paid off. There were 1500 priests in the City of Boston who were prosecuted yet there are still those who are too traumatised, absent, intimidated after being threatened with ex-communication or dead. I have a lot more I’d like to say but I’ll leave it for now. The ship has sailed, indeed.
That’s the age of consent in Italy. The Vatican is merely conforming to the local law.