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The Pope exposed

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
After over a thousand years, one would hope not.

Yet after over a thousand years, some people still actually think that they're a moral authority and official representatives of god, so...well... :shrug:

The world needs to stop pretending that they deserve respect and reverence and start slapping the ridiculous hats right off their heads.
 

Bob Dixon

>implying
Yet after over a thousand years, some people still actually think that they're a moral authority and official representatives of god, so...well... :shrug:

The world needs to stop pretending that they deserve respect and reverence and start slapping the ridiculous hats right off their heads.

Or they need to start acting like what they claim to be. How can a moral authority be less moral than the people it's trying to instruct?
The Church needs another overhaul. It should become dynamic. There's no easier way for it to go down than for it to say, right now, "we'll never change".
 

Godwilling

Organic, kinetic learner
Or they need to start acting like what they claim to be. How can a moral authority be less moral than the people it's trying to instruct?
The Church needs another overhaul. It should become dynamic. There's no easier way for it to go down than for it to say, right now, "we'll never change".

It depends how you look at it. The Catholic Church premises have been for over 1500 years that it is the Holy See and that the Pope is infallible. An admission of wrong doing and changing to correct errors would be an admission that its premises are wrong.

That admission would lead to the disillusionment of the many unwavering faithful who might find religious replacement or abandon religion.

On the other hand, as I think you are saying, changing would probably strengthen the loyalties of moderate Catholics who may view the claims of infallibility as not literal.

In spite of its difficulties in the 80s with the ties of Banco Ambrosiano, Banco Vaticano, and arm deals (possibly related to the case connected to Oliver North) the Catholic Church was able to shake the negative attention off and continue business as usual. In spite of the more recent and ongoing cases of pedophilia, and the current Vatileaks, the Catholic Church continues to be the most powerful religious organization and a strong political force.

I don't think an admission of guilt and a promise of change would be necessary for the Catholic Church to maintain its powerful position in the world. It would amount to reinvention while the original formula is still working.
 

sojourner

Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
The Catholic Church premises have been for over 1500 years that it is the Holy See and that the Pope is infallible.
The dogma of the pope speaking ex cathedra has only been in force since the 1800s. and it has only been invoked on 3 or 4 occasions -- all of them revolving around Marian issues: The Immaculate Conception, being one of them.
 
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