Jun 18, 2010 -- 11:40PM, jane2 wrote:

Benedict's address last week to priests in Rome to close out the Year of the Priest contaqined a reference to the devil being responsible for all the new revelations about abusing priests during this year. Knocked me off my pins.

An introduction to an article at www.ncronline.org :

The Pope’s Bedevilment

Jun. 18, 2010

By Richard W. Kropf

  It is hard to believe that someone as theologically sophisticated as Pope Benedict would resort to blaming the devil for the church’s present problems, but his allusion to “the enemy” in a speech given to a large group of priests last week (where he bemoaned and apologized again for the sins of some of the clergy) leaves one puzzled to say the least.

I haven't heard such thinking since my early teens, including during my 4 years in private Catholic high school and 4 more in a private Catholic college.

Does the devil figure into to your Faith experince?

From The Tablet (UK)

Pope blames ‘enemy’ for unveiling clerical sex abuse

18 June 2010
Pope Benedict XVI has brought the Year for Priests to a close by begging forgiveness from God and the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. But at a final Mass on 11 June in St Peter’s Square he blamed the devil for making sure these crimes would be revealed during the priestly jubilee “so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world”. He did not mention the role the bishops have played in covering up the crimes of priests in the past.

Jun 20, 2010 -- 2:27PM, jane2 wrote:

Jun 19, 2010 -- 11:07PM, WaveringCC wrote:

Jun 18, 2010 -- 11:40PM, jane2 wrote:

Benedict's address last week to priests in Rome to close out the Year of the Priest contaqined a reference to the devil being responsible for all the new revelations about abusing priests during this year. Knocked me off my pins.

An introduction to an article at www.ncronline.org :

The Pope’s Bedevilment

Jun. 18, 2010

By Richard W. Kropf

  It is hard to believe that someone as theologically sophisticated as Pope Benedict would resort to blaming the devil for the church’s present problems, but his allusion to “the enemy” in a speech given to a large group of priests last week (where he bemoaned and apologized again for the sins of some of the clergy) leaves one puzzled to say the least.

I haven't heard such thinking since my early teens, including during my 4 years in private Catholic high school and 4 more in a private Catholic college.

Does the devil figure into to your Faith experince?

From The Tablet (UK)

Pope blames ‘enemy’ for unveiling clerical sex abuse

18 June 2010
Pope Benedict XVI has brought the Year for Priests to a close by begging forgiveness from God and the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. But at a final Mass on 11 June in St Peter’s Square he blamed the devil for making sure these crimes would be revealed during the priestly jubilee “so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world”. He did not mention the role the bishops have played in covering up the crimes of priests in the past.

Thanks Wavering

Did the devil make the priests commit abuse or the bishops cover it up? Or did the "enemy" just spoil Benedict's Year of the Priest? Talk about clericalism !!

I read two or three news stories on this, and it seems that he is mostly upset at the "devil" spoiling the "Year of the Priest."

Clericalism doesn't begin to describe it!

I believe all evil is from one or more of the unholy trinity - The flesh, the world or the devil.  The bible speaks of him.

Do you deny the existence of the devil?  What is your reasoning for the evils that go on, if not for the world, the flesh, or the devil?

Jun 21, 2010 -- 7:10PM, Thomas A Quinas wrote:

Perhaps we're overlooking one very important aspect: the Pope asked forgiveness for the scandal.  It stands to reason he wasn't asking forgiveness for the Devil himself.  One doesn't typically ask for forgiveness if one doesn't maintain at least partial responsibility for something (shazaam, shazaam, Gomer Pile!!!)

 

 

 

...and so, yes, his attributing the Devil was in regard to trying to destroy the Church, not abdicating all responsibility for the scandal to the Devil.  I know many of us hate the Pope, but let us not get too hasty in condemning him in every conceivable manner.  Try to maintain everything in its proper context.

 

 

 

Kyrie eleison!

I don't hate Benedict. I think he is caught in a time warp.