Bigot of the Year 2012 Resigns

[unloadonme]

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the UK, has resigned today. He was named "Bigot of the Year" last year by Stonewall, mainly for his strident opposition to gay marriage.

The reason for his resignation? Allegations (which he denies of course) of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards (male) priests some years ago. Who'd have thought it!

Who do you think will be "Bigot of the Year" in 2013?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21572724
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...obrien-resigns

[animalius]

If you look at history, since when has the catholic church ever had the moral high ground on any issue? It always lags behind other institutions on moral issues.

[LeicsDom]

It's OK.
He will do 10 hail mary's, be obsolved and everyone will forget about it.
That is the usual way for Catholics to deal with moral dilemmas

[loki81]

at "least" this was just good old sexual harassment and hypocrisy, not rape/molestation.

I think there's definitely something to say for ending the vow of celibacy for priests.

[Vitamin]

If you look at history, since when has the catholic church ever had the moral high ground on any issue? It always lags behind other institutions on moral issues.

But, but, the Church is the only religon to ban da contraceptives!!! That means it must be tru, yo.

I've seriously been in debates with Catholics like this before. They're crazy.

[PreTTy PeTe]

another catholic leader resigns.

damn it's as if they are human after all.

[umjreon88]

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the UK, has resigned today. He was named "Bigot of the Year" last year by Stonewall, mainly for his strident opposition to gay marriage.

The reason for his resignation? Allegations (which he denies of course) of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards (male) priests some years ago. Who'd have thought it!

Who do you think will be "Bigot of the Year" in 2013?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21572724
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...obrien-resigns

He needs to be investigated and put in jail coz of his hypocrisy and the damage to the abused!

Then peace can be restored, finally!

[sixthson]

at "least" this was just good old sexual harassment and hypocrisy, not rape/molestation.

I think there's definitely something to say for ending the vow of celibacy for priests.

That might attract more straight men to the priesthood if they knew they were free to marry, but it wouldn't do much for the fact that the priesthood seems to attract closeted gay men.

[unloadonme]

He needs to be investigated and put in jail coz of his hypocrisy and the damage to the abused! Then peace can be restored, finally!

Somewhat unusually, this isn't a case of an Archbishop covering up abuse of minors by the clergy under his control (although I suppose he may have done that too), but of an Archbishop personally accused of inappropriate behaviour with adults. That's not illegal, so I don't think prison is at issue, but I agree that it shows what a hypocrite he is.

[unloadonme]

So finally Cardinal O'Brien has come clean and admitted that his sexual conduct has "fallen beneath the standards expected of me".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21649475

[Sausy]

Yet being gay is treated as a disease, and few church leaders speak of welcoming gays as equals.... I'm not expecting the next pope to be a wild eyed reformer but please choose one who doesn't harp on same sex issues like a banshee in full rage. Anyone heard of the situation where the ex-pope will be shacking up with a very , very close" friend"... some German archbishop with a VERY stylish fashion sense? Wouldn't shock me for all his own anti- gay talk ex-pope Benedict XVI prefers the company of cock.

[LeicsDom]

Yet being gay is treated as a disease, and few church leaders speak of welcoming gays as equals.... I'm not expecting the next pope to be a wild eyed reformer but please choose one who doesn't harp on same sex issues like a banshee in full rage.

Don't hold your breath. The front runners are a couple of very right wing Africans

[Sausy]

Don't hold your breath. The front runners are a couple of very right wing Africans

Arinze s at least old..80. Turkson is 64 and not only anti gay but he is really considered toxic to improved Islamic-Christian relations. Having a non Caucasian with the same attitudes as those in charge now would be a disaster. Better to have a relatively non offensive Italian, which there are a couple.

[BENDERBOY]

One more cunt gone.

[unloadonme]

Looks like the Vatican will be sending in the Spanish Inquisition.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21651568

[PreTTy PeTe]

Looks like the Vatican will be sending in the Spanish Inquisition.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-21651568

for fucks sake are they not all perverts?

and the uk will not have rep during the conclave?

[unloadonme]

and the uk will not have rep during the conclave?

Sad, isn't it!

[PreTTy PeTe]

Sad, isn't it!

the sad part is that the twats who are being in the conclave are so clueless of life that they will choose a leader that might be worse then the current pope.

I'm not religious at all but this is one of the most important things to happen.

Hope this next pope is progressive

[unloadonme]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think there's a single Cardinal who could be remotely described as progressive. Some are more conservative than others, but that's about it.

[pat grimshaw]

I'm not a Catholic. And I'm wary of Catholics— especially the millions of bitter Lapsed Catholics who, all too often, turn to the secular PC Religion.

So I don't know why some of you are complaining and wanting a 'progressive' Pope'. Popes aren't supposed to be 'progressive'; they're supposed to be a bastion against 'progressiveness'. Their job is to keep alive the ancient philosophies of Moses and Jesus and his fellows.

I personally hope that—

1. The Catholic Church will die off and/or move to Africa.
2. Their tax-exemption status be taken from them while ensuring all their good charity/welfare works be properly acknowledged and funded.
3. All those millions of Lapsed Catholics get some psychological help to recover from all their years of brain-washing.

[T-Rexx]

If you look at history, since when has the catholic church ever had the moral high ground on any issue? It always lags behind other institutions on moral issues.

Actually, there have historically been a number of times when the Catholic Church was morally progressive, and even helpful in doing good.

In the nineteenth century (long before the American Civil War), American Protestant denominations tended to be pro-slavery, especially in the south, of course. They found ample biblical evidence that slavery was God's plan for mankind, and taught that any attempt at abolition was anti-Christian heresy. The papacy at this time was persistently anti-slavery, however, and fairly aggressive at getting this message across, especially as it related to the New World. In 1839, Gregory XVI issued a bull condemning slavery (particularly as it was being practiced in the New World). The bull prohibited Catholics even from speaking in favor of slavery.

Then, again, in the twentieth century, the church was a staunch advocate and promoter of the civil rights movement in America.

It is sad that the church has descended into the promotion of hatred and bigotry that we have seen in recent decades; and this is not the first time by any means that it has lost the moral high ground. But there have been times, in the past, when it was actually a force for good in the world.

To be perfectly honest, I don't think there's a single Cardinal who could be remotely described as progressive. Some are more conservative than others, but that's about it.

This is why I am so pessimistic about the future of the church. They're about to elect a young, homophobic bigot who will perpetuate the current failure mode of the church for several more decades.

Benedict XVI was a disaster who did much damage to the church. His successor has yet to be elected, and already I can tell you he will be even worse.

[FanofFiction]

I was born Catholic and still consider myself Christian but not Catholic. The Catholic church needs an overhaul. Straight up renovation of its structure, practices, and attitude towards gays. It won't survive another century if it stays on the path its on.