Pope alludes to Holocaust controversy

The name 'Pope" is a form of the word Papa, Father. As all you who are dads know, the job is difficult. Sometimes the kids need a kick in the rear end, sometimes they need a hug. Pope Benedict has done both in the last couple of days.

I am glad that Benedict offered such beautiful words, as he often does, but his actions just seem, well, out of synch with those words. On so many issues, what he does and what he says are so at odds. It's upsetting that a man who is capable of writing about love in such ways is able to act so divisively at the same time.

Also, what is the deal with this picture?

Funny. He can revoke the excommunications of those who make such comments about the holocaust. NOT excommunicate those who molest children, but continue to excommunicate those that ordaine women as priests.
Holy cow...thank goodness I jummped ship of this nonsense when I was old enough to know better....

ok, I'll take MJO's bait; what is the deal with this photo?

1. This lion cub was trying to attack the Pope, and the Swiss Guard on the right 'wrestled him to the ground.'
2. This is the Lion of Judah, who was irritated with the Pope for rehabbing the nutty no-Holocaust bishop.
3. The lion cub is yawning, like many do at Mass and other services.

This pope is slowly peeling away the progress made by John Paul II (who I totally miss) with regards to Catholic-Jewish relations. I don't trust this hard line old timer for a minute. Thankfully he is old and won't be around for too many years to cause more damage.

I was raised Catholic and let me tell you, I have never seen an organization that has caused so much suffering, pain and anguish to the world. They are out of touch with the world. They are hypocrites, theives and liars, all in the name of God!
They are the richest religion in the world and yet all they do is take, take and take some more! I am ashamed that I was a Catholic once!

Re Katie:

Certainly the violations enacted by child molesters is a despicable sin, but excommunication has a very clear theological appropriation. It is not a mechanism for punishing sins. It serves to purify the body of the church from "schismatic" theological ideology. Nearly 2000 years of canonical law and curial methodology may appear nonsensical to the lay person, but it is most definitely not nonsense.

Re Vintage97:

As much as we all love JPII, there is hardly any discontinuity between his perspectives on theology and those of Benedict XVI. His election was guaranteed by his elevation to head of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith by JPII.
While we may not be a fan of Benedict's nature as a "hardliner", JPII's charismatic personality merely drew attention away from his own conservativeness.

The conflagration of two controversial topics: holocaust denial and reversing ex-communication have unfortunately placed the pope in a very difficult political and ecumenical situation. Nevertheless, the pope must always act in the interest of his own church, before the interest of any other religious group. Ignorance and confusion have hindered the pope's attempt to rejoin a large fallen away segment of the Catholic Church. This process has nothing to do with anti-semitism or Catholic-Jewish relations and should not be misconstrued in such a way.

Tired,

Sorry, but your comments indicate you were never a Catholic, although you may have been baptized as such. You comment on many (but not all) of the externals, but show no knowledge of the Church as being the loving family, the fellowship of disciples, of Jesus Christ--yes, warts and all.

excommunication has a very clear theological appropriation. It is not a mechanism for punishing sins.

This is a highly effective argument, if used with people who spent every European history class doing bong hits. The moderately conscious among us, however, remember quite differently.

The Vatican claims it was unaware of the anti-Semitic views it welcomed back to the fold. Given the consistent and repeated public pronouncements of Holocaust denial, whoever made that claim is either a drool bucket idiot or a liar.

What a joke.
Woman who get ordained get excommunicated but John Geoghan who raped over 135 little boys gets a Catholic funeral mass.
Its one big freak show
The Pope has about as much moral credibility as Ted Haggard.

Colin - Hmmm... Not sure how reinstituting the Tridentine Mass which includes a prayer for the conversion of Jews, "from darkness to Catholicism" has the best interest of the Catholic Church at heart. I'd like to hear the rationale for this. This is an insidious piece of the mass that was finally removed back in the 60's under Vatican II! And now it's back. Sorry - still don't trust the scary looking old man.