Archbishop Dolan of New York's assertion that Pope Benedict is like Jesus should be considered miraculous. What else could possibly explain the transformation of one person from Hitler Youth to the King of the Jews?

Alright, that's an unfair joke. He was only 16 years old when he went into military service for the Nazi's. Clearly that doesn't count. Just like my Uncle Vinny who lied about his age and joined the US Navy at the age of 16. He was there when they captured the only German submarine in WWII, the U-505. That doesn't count either.

I can understand the Church's unease with discussions around Nazi's as Pope Pius XII reputation and record during that period is a little suspect. In particular, letting the likes of Dr. Josef Mengele to escape justice by fleeing Europe down the ratline, which went through the Vatican.

That's not good for PR. Although all of this bad press does keep the likes of Catholic League President Bill Donohue employed. As silly as he sometimes may be. Like his response that Cardinal Ratzinger may have seen a memo about the transfer of pedophile priest Peter Hullermann.

Donohue said "So what? Wasn't that what he expected to happen?” Yes, but he wasn't supposed to get caught transferring him.

It is actually called the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. They spend their time fighting against those who suppress their civil rights, like Larry David, while minimizing sexual abuse by priests by blaming the parents.

Now that's not very civil, is it? Who would he blame for the escape of Mengele? Defending Genocide might be a little more difficult for him.

And that may be next. According to a column by Martin Kimani in the Guardian UK:

"To you, Catholic survivor of genocide in Rwanda, the Vatican says that those priests, those bishops, those nuns, those archbishops who planned and killed were not acting under the instruction of the church. But moral responsibility changes dramatically if you are a European or US Catholic. To the priests of the Irish church who abused children, the pope has this to say: "You must answer for it before almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres."

"The losses of Rwanda had received no such consideration. Some of the nuns and priests who have been convicted by Belgian courts and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, respectively, enjoyed refuge in Catholic churches in Europe while on the run from prosecutors."

Hey, it worked with Mengele.

I'm coming to understand why they call the Vatican the Holy See. Because no matter how hard they might try to compare themselves to Jesus, the only thing I See are Holes.

In spite of the recent bad publicity, the Catholic Church is still flexing it's moral muscle. No not that one. Apparently the US Bishops are telling the faithful to press their Congressmen to vote against the Senate Health Care bill because of Federal Funding of abortions. It's nice that the church wants to use a woman's Constitutional Right as a bargaining chip. 

Why do we call it a Constitutional Right anyway? Does that make it less somehow? Like it isn't inalienable but a right that can only be granted by the government. Women, apparently, aren't born with certain rights.

Speaking of born...

If the church believes that life begins at conception, then why do they teach we are "born" with original sin and not conceived with it? They seem to be making some distinction between the two themselves. It's as if they are making this up as they go along.

Speaking of making things up...

It looks like the Vatican sent out a form letter of apology to Ireland yesterday. In it the Vatican apologized to the Irish, but in a statement said it could be read as applying to other countries. It's their new green policy. Saving trees and money. They are going to need it for legal fees.

In the letter the Pope describes the Bishops' response to the abuse as "botched." Obviously. They got caught. Just like he botched things in Germany.

It should be clear to everyone now that the Bishops worldwide used the same MO with the abusers. Keep them in ministry, move them to another parish and don't report the crime to authorities. They could not have been acting individually and independently from each other. They were behaving as directed.

From people like the Pope.

So, with all of this, the church still thinks it has the moral authority to tell our representatives how to vote. That is just plain silly.

Giving the church any moral authority at all now, would be like publishing a cook book by Jeffrey Dahmer.

Today's New York Times has an article by Nicholas Kulish and Rachel Donadio titled Abuse Scandal in Germany Edges Closer to Pope. It begins:

BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop.

The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.

And somehow people are shocked. Not Captain Louis Renault shocked, but actually shocked.

I'm beginning to understand the last thirty seconds of Congressman Patrick Kennedy's recent rant directed at the media. Prompting this response as reported in the Boston Herald:

...Larry Sabato, director of the center for politics at the University of Virginia, said Patrick’s outburst was ill-conceived, no matter the motivation. “You can understand and sympathize with someone, but that doesn’t justify the behavior,” he said. “It was a temper tantrum.”

Sometimes ill-conceived outbursts can make a lot of money. Just ask Joe Wilson who raised 4 million dollars after calling President Obama a liar. But Mr. Sabato won't mention that, because his Center for Politics received over seven million dollars in earmarked money from Republican Congressman Virgil Goode.

That's a nice little cottage industry. So few opinion makers and so much money.

I once wrote a haiku:

Glen Beck, Michael Moore
With Moral Indignation
Fuck Off and Go Home

Two very rich men who know what is best for you. Please. They have created two of the most successful cottage industries - themselves - and will do anything to promote and protect it.

Which brings me back to the mainstream media and the Catholic Church. Remember them? That's what I was writing about. And it is one hell of a successful cottage industry. The Granddaddy of them all.

No one in the mainstream media is connetcing the dots with the worldwide sexual abuse scandal. It's to the point where Anderson Cooper actually interviews a priest on the adoption scandal in Haiti.

What, was he looking for advice as to the proper way to exploit children?

They all reported on Cardinal Law. The Globe even won a Pulitzer. But they've kind of glossed over the Murphy Report, which lays out the horrific abuse in Ireland. It is quite a read. It even explains how a crucifix can be used as a sex toy.

Which makes me wonder, does the Bishop consider it foreplay when you kiss his ring?

Now we have the stories from Germany. The Pope's homeland. And cover-ups.

Why am I not surprised? Let's connect some dots. As I have written in a previous blog, in 1962, "Crimen Solicitationis," a confidential document from the Vatican was sent to every Bishop in the world instructing them how to cover up clergy sexual abuse.

I know, I'm quoting myself, but hey, it worked for Norman Mailer didn't it?

Which means Archbishop Ratzinger's job was to folow the rule of that document. We are now finding out, he obviously did. But he went beyond that. In 2001, while Cardinal Ratzinger was Pope John Paul II's right hand man...John Paul II, remember him? They are going to make him a Saint...Ratzinger sent a letter to all of the Bishops and Cardinals, reminding them of Crimen Solicitationis and even went beyond its scope in covering up these crimes against children.

Pope Benedict is the author of the modern day cover-up. So today's story comes as no surprise.

And those within the walls of the Vatican know it. Just ask Father Gabriele Amorth, the Holy See's chief exorcist. He says, according to the Times UK, that the sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican"

Yes, and he wears Prada.