Pope Bendedict Argues Catholic Church 'Purified' Indigenous Peoples

from The Black Commentator, via AlterNet:


Pope Bendedict Argues Catholic Church 'Purified' Indigenous Peoples

By David A. Love, The Black Commentator. Posted June 18, 2007.



During his recent trip to Latin America, Pope Benedict XVI offended millions when he arrogantly suggested that Catholicism had purified indigenous populations, and called the resurgence of indigenous religions a step backward.

During his recent trip to Latin America, Pope Benedict XVI offended millions when he arrogantly suggested that Catholicism had purified indigenous populations, and called the resurgence of indigenous religions a step backward. He also said the native populations were longing for Christianity, and had welcomed the Catholic priests at the time of European conquest.

He tried to clean it up afterwards by noting the, "sufferings and injustices inflicted by the colonizers on the indigenous populations whose human and basic rights often were trampled," but the damage was done.

The Pope seems to have selective amnesia when it comes to the Church and its horrendous history of human rights disasters against people of color. This happens at a time when Catholicism is becoming an increasingly southern religion and an increasingly brown religion. Roughly half of Catholics are in Latin America. Not only is the Pope out of step with the needs and everyday realities of the Third World, he is not speaking their language, and not owning up to the sins of the past.

Religious institutions have excused, aided and abetted crimes throughout history. Indeed, the church has much to atone for. There are three bulls (edicts, or executive orders, if you will) issued by the Papacy with which we should concern ourselves. The Dum Diversas, issued by Pope Nicholas V in 1452, authorized King Alfonso V of Portugal to reduce any "Saracens (Muslims) and pagans and any other unbelievers" to perpetual slavery, thereby ushering in the West African slave trade.

The Romanus Pontifex, also issued by Pope Nicholas V in 1455, sanctioned the seizure of non-Christian lands, and encouraged the enslavement of non-Christian people in Africa and the Americas. Specifically, it gave the green light to "invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed," all for profit, and in the name of Jesus Christ.

...(snip)...

Despite the changing color of the church, there has been no pope from outside Europe in centuries, since the days of the African popes. And today, the current pope seems to want to perpetuate the paternalism and the racism of the past. The church is behind the times and out of step with the modern world and the needs of the poor. Its unhealthy view toward sexuality has destroyed the innocence of youth, through child abuse scandals. Its homophobia is callous and hypocritical. And its condemnation of reproductive freedom and contraception -- stemming from a vow of celibacy for priests and nuns that had more to do with preventing clergy from having heirs who would inherit church property, and less to do with spirituality -- is irresponsible, in light of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, home to the lion's share of AIDS cases. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/54407/

Self-serving hypocrisy for almost 2000 years.

Ratzinger has never strayed far from the roots of his Nazi Youth...

This is not a slam on Catholicism at all. As one who once counted themselves among the proud, Ratzinger will never be accepted as Pope. He is not a good man and is destroying the church, IMO.

Murky Nazi ties, incredible ignorance, stupidity and passiveness, unlimited capacity for destruction, death and mayhem. No moral compass, but ambition far beyond their talents...rather eiree, when you think about it.

Millions died because of the catholic church, one of the bloodiest, deadliest, and richest political enterprises ever seen in the world. The the amount of blood on the Vatican's hand is almost unthinkable.

witches were purified by burning them to death. Heretics were purified by torture and execution. Traitors were purified by hanging, drawing and quartering, a particularly grisly execution that even the Romans didn't think of.

Excuse me if I reject the church's idea that anyone in the world needs "purification."

I reject savagery. I reject the church.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/061507WA.shtml

A senior Vatican cardinal said yesterday that Catholics should stop donating to human rights group Amnesty International because of its new policy advocating abortion rights for women if they had been raped, were a victim of incest or faced health risks.

Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, accused Amnesty of turning its back on its mission to defend human rights.

"The inevitable consequence of this decision, according to the cardinal, will be the suspension of any financing to Amnesty on the part of Catholic organisations and also individual Catholics," said a statement from Cardinal Martino's office yesterday.