May 20, 2009

Honorary degree for a criminal.....

So it turns out the archbishop Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, who has no problem stating that atheists are less than human was given an honorary doctorate in Christian letters by our local Catholic University. Nice. Try replacing "atheist" with "black" or "Jewish" and see how that works out for you Cardinal. He's a bigot plain and simple.

The University said that “Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor has worked with patient resolve and charity to heal longstanding divisions in the Church in Britain and around the world,” said Father Terence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University. “He has also consistently reminded Christians not only in Britain, but throughout Europe, of the pivotal importance of faith as the basis of all culture and urged them to bring their faith into public debates as the only true means of achieving the common good. Franciscan University is proud to honor Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor for his exemplary service to the Church and society.”

It took me a total of ten seconds and the use of google to find that in addition to being a bigot, he once decided that moving a pedophile priest to a different Parrish and continue giving him access to children was a fine idea. Doctors and therapists told O'Connor that the priest would molest again, but O'Connor decided that the power of Jesus would triumph and the molesting priest would be just FINE around more kid. Sick.

He also once fired a staffer for being gay, and said that condoms in Africa cause Aids.

If the Church had truly cared about the pedophile problem that it so clearly has, there would not be a priest working today that had a history of covering up the rape of children. But something tells me, that would leave a rather large number of positions to be filled around the globe.

So instead, we award them degrees and move them up the ladder of success.

And I'm the one that's less than human. Amazing.

11 comments:

Randal Graves said...

Then there's this story.

But, as in all things, we should begin the healing process and not look towards the past, yabba dabba doo.

Justine said...

You seem to want to persist in your belief that he said you are less than human, but that is not true.

If a blind person refused to believe those who told him there was a visual dimension to life, some might say to him that he was missing something of the human experience--that there was MORE to human life than he was aware of.

In a similar way (not a perfect analogy here) those of us who have experienced the spiritual dimension of life, who know for a fact that it exists and are trying to make others aware of it, say to you that there is MORE to human life than you are aware of.

NOT that you any less human.

Lemmy Caution said...

His exact words

If you leave that out (being made by/believing in god) then you are NOT FULLY HUMAN. I know you are trying to reason it out. I realize the approach you are taking.

But replace non-believer with any other descriptive adjective and you will see how offensive the statement is.

Of course, not nearly as offensive as covering up for the rape and molestation of children.....I will give you that THAT is way worse.

He really should be behind bars.

Justine said...

If the cardinal believes that all human life is sacred, from the unborn baby, to the mentally handicapped, to the elderly who have lost their mind--all individuals who are physically incapable of believing the way he does, why would he believe that YOU are not fully human? The way you are interpreting that statement is inconsistent with his known beliefs.

I'm saying that you are taking ONE sound bite from ONE conversation out of context. It is very possible that you are similarly not 100% clear every time you open your mouth. I know I'm not.

Lemmy Caution said...

You seem to assume to know what his "real" beliefs actually are.

He protected a child rapist and made it possible for the man to rape again.

I wouldn't even begin to GUESS what his real beliefs are.

I just know I do not share them in any way, shape, or form.

Sherry Pasquarello said...

he makes me sick to my stomach.

Sherry Pasquarello said...

i heard his statement. you can not take it any other way.

not all that wear the robes are good people.

Justine said...

Hate the cardinal, if you insist.

But what do you say to me when I say that you do not understand what it means to be fully human? That you are missing more than if you were blind and deaf? Do you hate me for trying to make you aware of that?

Justine said...

"Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor told BBC News 24 he "regretted exceedingly what happened" ...But the archbishop said he had been acting on advice from professionals at a time when the behaviour of child abusers was not as well understood as at present."

It has been proven that alcoholics can straighten out, kleptomaniacs can quit, wife beaters can stop, etc., and MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, not Church leaders, assured us at one time that pedophiles could also be rehabilitated.

We have now come to the conclusion that this is NOT true. Don't point your finger just at the bishop here. His area of expertise is not psychology. He was given very bad information by others, and it is a huge shame that he did not see how wrong their recommendations were.

Lemmy Caution said...

But what do you say to me when I say that you do not understand what it means to be fully human? That you are missing more than if you were blind and deaf? Do you hate me for trying to make you aware of that?
Yes, I understand what you mean. I know you feel I am "missing out" on something. I could say the same thing to you. Come at it from the perspective that you are less than human because you are devoting a good part of your life to something that doesn't exist. It could go both ways. No hate here!

Justine said...

Ah, you are such good brother/neighbor to me.