Yes, this is a good start.

courageous guy IMO

I knew it would take time to even begin to make some significant steps.

It seems that when someone gets the power position in such a large organization that they find out that applying the ideals and the power to implement is not easy.

Lets just put it this way ..... the catholic organization is a little bit better that it was before him.    That does in no way say it is great or good..... just a tad less bad than it was....

Do I care? .... yes ..... I have family and friends that are catholic and there are many of them in my town.   They are my neighbours too ......

Regards

Rita

Good.

In Huffington Post today it says Francis delivered a homily after the Vatican was blasted by the UN for the sex abuse scandals...but I read the whole article and I see no mention of sex abuse scandals. Just 'scandals'- it's clear when he mentions money scandals, but that's about it. So, it is vague. Maybe he'll get to that more directly as his next move. I really don't think it's that he doesn't want to do anything about it, but the place is probably so mired in age old corruption that he's just learning about (the details anyway), that he has to tread carefully as to how he proceeds (maybe even for his own safety). That's what I think might br happening, anyway. Like, if a benevolent new 'boss' wanted to transform the oldest mafia family- which it is in several ways- into the peace corps (I am not talking about Catholics generally, just the Vatican inner circle) they'd have to be a little careful how they went about it- I would think! He has to deal with it well, but carefully.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4612881/

Hi Kimmio:

"The oldest mafia," I like that!

On your Huffington Post link there is a quote by Radio Vatican about the "shame of the church." This collective "shame" is mentioned repeatedly, and apperantly deeply felt by Pope Francis.

I too feel such a deep collective shame. I am deeply ashamed of my German culture for having commited the Nazi atrocities. I think the feeling of shame is the beginning of any genuine repentance. Post-war Germany has done a lot, but perhaps not enough, to make up for the wrongs committed by the Nazi regime. I would like the RCC to come at least as clean as Germany after WWII. This means investigating and admitting past wrongs, prosecuting the worst offenders, apologizing to the victims and their families, and compensating them as much as possible.

Me, I feel ashamed for being a citizen of a country led by Stephen Harper.

Gotta watch sentiments like that, spiritbear, in the context of Arm's post. You're going to get a lot of agreement in these parts about not liking the policies of Stephen Harper, but following Arm's post and in a thread about the crimes against children committed by the Catholic Church....it pales in comparison and just looks like hyperbole.

Kimmio - I don't think your analogy which compares the "inner circle" of the Vatican to the mafia is a good one. The mafia exists solely for the profit of its own members, without regard to how its wealth is amassed. To say that the cardinals have aspired to their positions out of a wish to become wealthy is quite a stretch. I am more inclined to favour the view that "power corrupts" - and that would apply to myself and yourself just as well. To avoid that sometimes takes superhuman effort, especially when dealing with conflicting priorities - and how far to extend forgiveness or trust will put even the most well-intentioned on the thin edge of the moral razor.  One is tempted to conclude that the only antidote is for no one to have power - but that's an illusion that only helps the strong to abuse the weak.  We need to hold the powerful to account in their responsibilities, but in the same way, we need to hold ourselves to the same standard. Too often we avoid those standards by avoiding our own responsibilities.

So are all Catholics accountable for not standing up to it? All Christians sympathetic of Catholics? In a way, yes, everyone is. I don't want to see anti Catholic ire raised, that's all- and not while Francis is working on raising the peace ethic and trying to help transform hearts and minds. I want to see it handled as well as can be. I agree with you and Arm. There should be no special protection for abusers like there has been for so long. But no witch hunts of Catholics either.

Why stop at Catholics? Are all Christians accountable? Why stop there? Is not all humanity accountable for how we treat each other?  If we are not, then all humanitarian aid should probably be stopped immediately.  There's a lot of "holier-than-thou" in all of this - people in glass houses throwing a lot of stones. People quick to condemn yet having skeletons in their own closet. As a Canadian (and a white one at that) am I accountable for the abysmal treatment of the native population of this country? Are you? Or Chansen? Probably, although that doesn't necessarily mean any of us are in a position to single-handedly do a lot about it.

I agree. Did you know that of all the countries that ratified the UN treaty on the rights of the child- the US is not one of them? Canada is- and we have far too many kids going hungry.

Did you happen to see this story?

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/ap-pope-defrocked-nearly-400-priests-for-molesting-kids-1.1644229

Worth a look ....

Also the story about the UN Commission that questioned the Catholic Church

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/world/europe/un-vatican-sexual-abuse/?hpt=wo_c1

Makes one wonder what else is going on behind the scenes.

Regards

Rita