I am disgusted

[soaps]

Pope John Paul II.This man presided over a clerical abuse coverup and contributed to an AIDS epidemic. And now they want to make him a saint?

[soaps]

It makes me shamed to be a Catholic'how dare they do this! It now makes me Question the "real Saints"

[wildwood]

Perhaps you could convey your disgust to your priest. If enough people do this it might filter up to Ye pompous olde phartes in VC.

[Ankou]

"It makes me shamed to be a Catholic'how dare they do this! It now makes me Question the "real Saints""

really...? wasn't ....

"a clerical abuse coverup and contributed to an AIDS epidemic"

enough to do that? that has been going on for decades.

as said, pointless quibbling about it here since most people agree. see your priest or write to the pope, then denounce catholicism. job done.

[Huderon]

I'm going to get lambasted for this ...

With regard to the abuse cover up, I agree with everyone else that it should never have happened. But in what way did he contribute to an AIDS epidemic ?

[ummmm]

By not backing down on the use of condoms.

[Huderon]

ummmm the church's teaching amounts to don't do sex before marriage, don't do sex with anyone other than your wife/husband and (until recently anyway) if you are gay, don't do sex. How does that contribute to the spread of AIDS ?

[ummmm]

Of course...but it's pretty obvious that people all over the world do not stick to that rule. So, in saying that they cannot use condoms it helped the spread of aids.

[naomi24]

Huderon, the church's expectation demands that people deny their humanity and their sexuality.

[mollykins]

No offensive to yourself and other good willed catholics, but the whole system makes disgusted and espeically some of it's rules.

[Huderon]

I knew I shouldn't had done this, especially as I have to go to work :-(

The church recognised that homosexuality existed a long time ago, so no denying of your sexuality there. The don't do sex bit follows on from the don't do sex outside of marriage. Back when I was young that was called exercising a degree of self control.

[weecalf]

Why would the actions of others make you question your faith .Religion is gods gift from man not gods gift to man.

[Huderon]

That's fine Mollykins, but there are a fair few people around who do believe and follow the rules

[naomi24]

Huderon, the church recognises that homosexuality exists, but it denies the right of people to practice it, so yes it does deny them the freedom of their own sexuality. As for sex before marriage, if two consenting adults want to have sex, why shouldn't they? I detest the way religion makes sex so taboo. It's not only inhuman - it's positively unhealthy!

[Sqad]

Huderon

<<<<The don't do sex bit follows on from the don't do sex outside of marriage. Back when I was young that was called exercising a degree of self control.<<<<

Does the above also apply to members of the clergy?

[murraymints]

Back in the day Sqad...when we were alive.... .

[Davethedog]

Isn't this then a case of the catholic church failing to com into the 20th(21st) century.

After all any sin can be washed away in the confessional. So banning it is one thing but not understanding that people fail and sin is another after all its what the church is about, isn't it.

Remembering of course that the ban on contraception that the idea is to get as many "new" catholics into the world as possible, it appears that its ok to catch an incurable disease.

Should also be noted that sexual contact is not the only way to get aids.

[Sqad]

Dave.......I would agree.....but sexual contact in the absence of a condom is by far the commonest way and in answer to Huderon, the Pope aided the spread of AIDS by condemning the use of the condom and saying that it did not inhibit the spread of AIDS.

[ummmm]

Was that Pope John Paul?

[Ric.ror]

Well Clerics should not have sex either but we have to recognise they do because the high ideals are hard to follow and are a daily struggle - that does not mean we should not try and try and try again - and this relates to all areas of life not just sexual