Should Catholics demand that Pope Benedict step down and be replaced?

Question

the present Pope Benedict when he was then Cardinal Ratzinger in 2001 was responsible for a directive sent out to every Catholic Bishop in the world that any abuse reports must be covered up and that any abuse victims must be silenced by the threat of excommunication, presently the Vatican is harbouring at least 7 pederast priests who are repeat abusers and whom the US want to extradite but whom the Vatican is protecting. The Vatican and that means the Pope continues to thwart the efforts of the civil authorities to investigate abuse reports and refuses to cooperate with them. There is no concern shown for the victims of abuse by pederast priests and all Vatican policy is directed at containing scandal and protecting only the reputation of the church.
Cardinal Ratzinger was directly responsible for this policy in 2001, now this same man is Pope. (according to a BBC1 Panorama program aired 1st October 2006)

Reply to Lt. Crumple:
I need to point out to you that the abuse we are talking about here is Pederasty... the abuse of minors of either sex by adults in positions of authority of them.
Whereas homosexuality typically occurs between consenting adults and is not what we are discussing here.

Reply to imacathol...:
I did provide BBC information here is another link:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=407808&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source

here's a different link:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1469055,00.html

Answer 1

Mr. Ratzinger is developing quite a reputation. He is single-handedly driving away Catholics on all seven continents, especially North America and Europe.

I fervently hope he comes to the US soon, and that some good prosecutor like Patrick Fitzgerald arrests him and holds him in lieu of the pederast clerics who should be extradicted. I think former Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston should be brought back to this country in chains instead of holding a position which allows him to choose bishops.

Answer 2

"...before we judge anyone, let's walk in their shoes..."
Cool - Prada for everyone!

I still believe the Pope owes CATHOLICS an apology for his comments about Islam (check out the 360 blog for the logic if you like), but certainly, the catholic Church has suffered by its insistence over the years that the overall hierarchy is "more important" than "isolated incidents" of harm done to children, even when these "incidents" are in fact many, repeated and hideous.

You'd think the Cardinals would pause for thought before electing a man responsible for this elevation of the structure of the church above the price of human suffering to a position of ultimate eminence, from which their own rules say he can't legally be deposed. Apparently though, this has not been done. The only redress believers appear to have is to quit the church in massive numbers in protest at the idea that a man with so evidently odious a mindset could be their god's representative on Earth. The historical precedent for which isn't encouraging, but might force the cardinals' hands to remember what allegedly happened to Pope John Paul I...After all, a pope is pope only while he's alive...

Answer 3

I would hardly listen to anything the BBC had to say......they can twist things up to make things look 120 degrees different than what is reality....no, our current Pope is a man who speaks the truth. Before we judge someone, let us live in their shoes. Non Catholics have no idea the awful life that a pope in this day and age lives. They are hated by the very people that surround them in the Vatican....it's not the pope you wanna be mad at, it's the modernists Bishops that started all the garbage of allowing homosexual priests in the seminaries in the first place. Read Fr. Malachi Martin's book, Windswept House. That book was written in the 1990's way before anyone knew about the pedophile priests....and he exposes them way back then!

Answer 4

Catholics should not and cannot "demand that Pope Benedict step down and be replaced". He was chosen by the Holy Spirit to be the Successor of Peter. One does not presume to be more intelligent or more wise than the Holy Spirit. To make such a claim would be sheer folly.

(By the way, your "facts" are more than a little bit biased. Perhaps you should present them in a more neutral -- and truthful -- way if you wish to have an honest dialogue with others).

Answer 5

this has been heard from ONE source and not a very reputable one at that. unfortunately these children have been harmed - it does't matter how they are helped and i can't see how takng it to the press would help the child. the only people that want to condemn are those that have issues with religion as a whole. harbouring 7 priests out of what - 70,000 world wide? i don't believe they are harboring anyone. they have taken them away from priestly duties thta involve children while their cases are being researched and the children and families are being repaired.
so i ask - what's more important the welfare of the child, money, or vengence that may not even be deserved.

Answer 6

I don't believe he's actualy trying to cover any abuse up rather to me I think he'd take over his predessor pope John paul the second and go after them, the vatican has their own invedtigations into things and their checks and balances it's like a small nation unto itself. I haven't heard of anything in the news as to any more abuse by bishops and priests and the news media usually has a hey day with it. Wait and see what happens down the road, he just got into things last year through now after Pope John Paul the 2nd died..

Answer 7

Here's a better question:

Out of the millions of Catholics in the world, only 123 old men got to vote Pope Benedict in. So I ask you, given that Catholicism isn't exactly a representative democracy, would it do any good for Catholics to demand he step down? I mean, an honest polling of Catholics would likely show views on birth control and abortion that are way out of tune with the Church's official position. And the Church isn't budging on that. So why expect the Church to capitulate in other matters?

Answer 8

Pope Palpatine

Answer 9

Catholic priests have a long history perhaps from the Churches inception of harboring Homosexuals. They foster and provide shelter for pedophiles and the very prey they require for their unholy appetites. This is common knowledge.

As for demanding the Pope to step down would be tantamount to asking Slick Willy Clinton to admit his legacy of sick dastardly abuse of women and admit to the reality that his legacy of Presidential service will be best remembered for his insertion of "Cigars into Monica Lewinsky's vagina and twirling".

Not likely ... anytime soon, anyway it may not be necessary he may be killed as he reaches out to those peace loving enlightened folks better known as ... Muslims!

Answer 10

I think you should cite the documents or provide links to these charges so that the rest of us can properly research your claims.

I live in the United States and do not have access to a BBC program.

With love in Christ.