Maybe the Pope finally gets it. In his traditional end of the year address, held on December 21st - The Winter Solstice - Benedict said revelations of abuse in 2010 reached "an unimaginable dimension" that required the church to accept the "humiliation" as a call for renewal. 
It is about time. He continued.
"In the 1970s, pedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children," the pope said. "It was maintained — even within the realm of Catholic theology — that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a 'better than' and a 'worse than.' Nothing is good or bad in itself."
What? 
In the realm of Catholic Theology, in the 1970's the church believed that pedophilia was normal?
Why am I not surprised? 
Maybe because they have believed that behavior was normal for quite some time. Sister Mary MacKillop, from Australia who was excommunicated from the church in 1871 after making charges against a pedophile priest. I guess protecting the pedophiles has been the policy of the church for a very long time.
And why not? According to the theology of the church, as the Pope said, it is normal behavior.
Unless the  Pope misspoke and meant to say the 1870s it was considered normal and not the 1970s. 
Not that 100 years makes a huge difference to the church. It took them over 350 years to officially pardon Galileo.
But I digress. Still I'm baffled at how the church could come to this conclusion. 
In Mark 9:42 Jesus says:
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea"
Translation: Don't screw around with kids. Literally.
Which makes me wonder, who the heck is in charge of PR at the Holy See. Seriously.
Why would you encourage the Pope to say it was "normal" publicly?
Just recently released from the PR department, the Pope said it was okay for male prostitutes to use condoms to prevent the spread of aids.
And why not?
I'm imagining that if the church believed - as late as the 1970s - that it was okay for a man to have sex with a child, that it isn't too much of a leap to believe it is okay for two consenting adults to have sex without the risk of spreading disease.
Unless, of course, they are the same sex, then it is evil.  
Unlike pedophilia in the 1970s. And earlier.


The Catholic Church, the gift that keeps.
Merry Christmas Folks. Thanks for reading.
I will leave you with a Holiday Celebration from the Vatican.