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.