Ireland & Bulgaria appoint new ambassador to the Holy See...to do what exactly...with a few hundred GAY homosexual residents of the smallest country, Vatican?

Updated August 8, 2012

The Vatican’s refusal to accept the new Bulgarian ambassador today because he wrote something about GAYS in one of his novels is total hypocrisy.  The Vatican’s hatred and condemnation against GAYS is unacceptable by the 21^st century moral standards but as long as it is recognized as a “country” by the United Nations, those countries are condoning the Vatican’s amorality and hypocrisy.  The Vatican Titanic is sinking in moral bankruptcy, read about it here ncaa-penn-state-more-moral-than-vatican.html  Bulgaria should learn from Ireland and shut down its embassy likewise.  What does a Bulgarian ambassador to the Vatican do exactly and how many times within a year does he get to meet the Pope that warrants the millions of dollars for his salary and staff who live outside the “Vatican country” anyway?  Those millions of dollars could be better spent building water wells all over Africa rather than worshipping the Idle Opus Dei Golden Cow Pope Benedict XVI who has committed crimes against humanity http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/03/benedict-ratzinger-marcial-maciel-are-2.html.  There's 555.56 miles or 894.06 Km between Sofia, Bulgaria and Rome, Italy, it is much cheaper to just fly-in the ambassador for the rare encounters he has with the Pope.  So when does the Bulgarian ambassador get to see the Pope:  For the midnight Mass when he dons on his ambassadorial uniform? When he presents his credentials?  To pray the Rosary with the Pope? When else, oh, is he there to serve both God and Mammom, the most important mission he has is to present millionaires investors to the Catholic Mammon SECRET Vatican Swiss Bank and their photo-ops with the Pope!  The Vatican has proven itself to be amoral for more than half of the 20th century in that it refused to defend its most vulnerable members, those hundreds of thousands of little boys sexually abused by the JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army.  Why have a relation with a fake country that is amoral and refused to protect its own members especially children and women?    The Vatican is wasting its last tyrannnical breath – as it is sinking in moral bankruptcy – by defending either the unborn or the dead -- by hollering against abortion or worshipping the dead as in the fastest tracking saint Opus Dei Golden Cow John Paul II and by canonizing criminals, read John Paul II canonized a Franciscan rapist that outraged the gigantic country of China http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2007/09/john-paul-ii-canonised-rapist-in-china.html  )

Read news updates about the rejected Bulgarian ambassador below and our related articles:

Ireland leads nations to close Vatican Embassy…beginning the end of the Holy See! Vatican Bank cannot buy souls of SECULAR government officials http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2011/11/ireland-leads-nations-to-close-vatican.html

It is time for the French Revolution at the Vatican: Benedict XVI must resign, Cardinal Bernard Law et al must resign …Shut-down the Vatican  http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/03/it-is-time-for-french-revolution-at.html

Irish Law versus Canon Law on seal of Confession: A compilation. Sacrament of Confession protects criminals and ignores their victims http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/irish-law-versus-canon-law-on-seal-of.html

Benedict XVI and Georg his GAY Private Secretary are GAYS.!. http://pope-ratz.blogspot.ca/2007/06/benedict-xvis-handsome-private.html

Benedict XVI in Google Video - SEX CRIMES AND THE VATICAN http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

Benedict XVI and his infallible powers http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

John Paul II portrait by Danish artist http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2007/10/john-paul-ii-portrait-by-danish-artist.html

Rome's 3 GAY priests caught in video at gay clubs and having casual flings' http://jp2army.blogspot.com/2010/07/romes-3-gay-priests-caught-in-video-at.html

Rosary could not defeat JP2 Army John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in the 20th Century ... unlike the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th Century http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/

From Fatima, Jacinta would throw the first stone at John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army

‏ to defend her little brothers and sisters http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2010/04/from-fatima-jacinta-would-throw-first.html

The narcissism and grandiosity of John Paul II, Cardinal Bernard Law, Benedict XVI, and Bishop Roger Vangheluwe are nauseating and despicable http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/04/narcissism-and-grandiosity-of-john-paul.html

John Paul II 4 million,Ayatollah Khomeini 9 million people at funeral! Cardinal Pell, fanatics cannot beatify the Pope of Pedophiles and Pederasts http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-paul-ii-4-millionayatollah.html

Holy Heist! John Paul II WYD had no role with Arab youths who liberated Egypt from Mubarak who stole then deposited billions into Vatican Swiss Banks http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/02/holy-heist-john-paul-ii-wyd-had-no-role.html

Opus Dei Patron Saint of Pedophiles, Pederasts and Rapists : Prayer to Saint John Paul II = Opus Dei Pope #1.... Benedict XVI is Opus Dei Pope #2 http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/2011/04/john-paul-ii-saint-of-pedophiles-and.html

Hypocrite Benedict silenced Fr. Tony Flannery, Brian D'Arcy – A compilation… but he does not silence Cardinal Bernard Law and JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/hypocrite-benedict-silenced-outspoken.html

NCAA & Penn State more moral than Vatican. Sports is more moral than John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Vatican Titanic sinking in moral bankruptcy http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/ncaa-penn-state-more-moral-than-vatican.html

 

Melinda Gates versus Benedict XVI: who’s more “like Christ”? Melinda Gates saves lives of 200 million women while Benedict XVI sits in out-of-touch-with-reality Vatican Throne http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/vatican-titanic-hit-by-melinda-gates.html

JUSTICE RENDERED by SECULAR WOMAN! LYNN to JAIL for 6 YEARS! GUILTY VERDICT! Trial of William Lynn: A compilation. Philadelphia JP2 Army - John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/trial-of-willaim-lynn-compilation.html

Ireland appoints new ambassador to the Holy See...to do what exactly...with a few hundred GAY homosexual residents of the smallest country, Vatican?
Updated February 5, 2012

Distance from Ireland to Italy is: 1180.2 Miles (1899.3 Kilometers / 1024.9 Nautical Miles) Approximate flight duration time from Dublin, Ireland to Rome, Italy is 2 hrs, 38 mins. Time difference between Italy and Ireland is: -1:0 hrs. Current date and local time in Rome, Italy is: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:46 PM. Current date and local time in Dublin, Ireland is: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:46 PM. If an Irish ambassador need to meet with the Pope at the Vatican, it should not be that expensive to fly him in and out within the same day - from Dublin to Rome. After all, how often must he speak with the Pope and what does the Pope got to say to the Irish nation from his out-of-touch-with-reality medieval only GAY homosexual men palace?

International law requires that a “state” have four attributes: territory, a permanent population, a functioning government and the ability to engage in international relations... To say that Vatican City possesses a permanent population of the sort envisioned by international law is even more of a stretch. Most residents are simply members of the church hierarchy, a body composed solely of men. They number less than the student bodies of many high schools — about 800. As to the Catholics of the world, they are already represented by the governments of other nations -- from where they live and they also have religious freedom and the freedom of worship of the sorcery of the Eucharist and they are well represented in the Vatican through their Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Monsignors, priests to whom they give billions of dollars for a taste of the flesh-of-Christ, read more here Is the Vatican a state or country? It is only one building and one public square but it is a country like the vast USA, Russia, China??? http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/05/is-vatican-state-or-country-it-is-only.html and OC Diocese buys Crystal Cathedral as flesh-factory of Christ... for wealthy God-flesh-eating Catholics http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/oc-diocese-buys-crystal-cathedral-as.html

Will the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore please explain all in detail -- and how much they cost - what exactly would an Irish ambassador to the Holy See do in Italy -- while at the same time he resides within the city of Rome - precisely outside the "county of the Vatican"? What would the ambassador's staff do all day and all year long with -- a group of homosexual old men like the Pope and Cardinals - who do nothing but sit all day in the lap of luxury and write out-of-touch dictums to the rest of the world from the ivory tower of the Vatican Palace? What does the Pope and his GAY homosexual men do to generate revenue for Ireland? The the sale of saints and ‘Holy Mass tourism’ makes the Vatican the wealthiest empire on earth, read the Vatican Billions here http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/vatican-billions-holy-mass-tourism-for.html The sale of rosaries and statues and religious trinkets - even these are all 'Made in China'. There are no factories inside the country of the Vatican except for the 9-seconds transubstantiation and sorcery and witchcraft of cloning the flesh-and-blood of Christ in the Eucharist (which is done by all priests worldwide anyway, read about the sorcery of the Mass here http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/oc-diocese-buys-crystal-cathedral-as.html

How can the Vatican be a country when it forbids women and children to reside within its walls?

Jody Corcoran's article "Closing Vatican embassy to cut costs doesn't add up " is very deceptive when she says that "But how much more important can it be than to have a man in the Vatican, the ultimate listening post at a time when the Catholic Church has one billion adherents around the world?" She is a Vatican Pied Piper because that is far from the truth. No way is "the Vatican, the ultimate listening post " to Catholics. If we add up all the minutes that Benedict XVI has spent "listening" to abuse victims of his B16 Army - Benedict XVI Pedophile Priests Army, they would not even add up to 60 minutes. He spent a few minutes here and there in Washington and in Malta and showed a few drops of crocodile tears and he went on his merry way dressing up for his meetings with millionaires and billionaires for the corrupt Vatican Bank. He even refused to meet and listen to Italian victims who walked across Italy to the doorstep of the Vatican, read about it here http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2011/10/benedict-refuses-to-meet-italian.html

In Jody Corcoran's article "Closing Vatican embassy to cut costs doesn't add up " she also pointed out (and compared the tiny one-building Vatican to) these very complex organizations:
Take the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, of which Ireland has been given the chair. It is based in Vienna, Austria. But we already have an existing ambassador in Vienna.

We also have an ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development based in Paris, a permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, and, of course, an ambassador to France -- operating from the same address.

We have an ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, and also an ambassador to the UN in New York (with attendant offices); while in New York we also have a consul general and staff operating a completely separate mission, and we have an ambassador to Switzerland, in Berne.

The United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, UNESCO, Switzerland and France are different countries and are very complex organisations that one ambassador couldn't focus on each and everyone of them at the same time. So as a Vatican Pied Piper, her examples are not valid and are very misleading. UNESCO and the UN cover the whole world while the Vatican and the Pope sit and fool the world from the Ivory Tower of the museum of the Vatican. The Vatican is made up of only 800 GAY homosexual men and they do not qualify to be a "country". How many staff do the UN and UNESCO have all over the world and they are actvely working for world peace. The Vatican only contribute to wars and the rape of women and children through its "holy" Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops worldwide who use the name of God in vain through the preaching of the Gospel and the sale of the most expensive meat (not sirloin steak) of the flesh of Christ.

The Vatican must not be considered equally a country like the vast USA, or China or Russia, when its old men are simply praying and performing the sorcery of the flesh of God and concocting lies and Vatican deceptions. It is time for the United Nations to end the "country" status of the Vatican for the sake and the liberation of poor countries and the suppression and rape of women and children. John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger in their longest papacy together did nothing to stop pedophile priests because the Vatican is so corrupt to its core that John Paul Ii and Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal Bernard Law and a litany of them all were callous hearted and their consciences immoral to the plight of tens of thousands of children, read our related article Amnesty International Report Vatican “Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment” on tens of thousands of children sexually abused by priests in Ireland http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/09/amnesty-international-report-vatican.html .

Jody Corcoran FYI -- read our related articles:

Ireland leads nations to close Vatican Embassy…beginning the end of the Holy See! Vatican Bank cannot buy souls of SECULAR government officials http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/ireland-leads-nations-to-close-vatican.html

The Hague: Full text Criminal Charges against Dr. Joseph Ratzinger, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/05/full-text-of-criminal-charges-against.html

Benedict XVI must first be tried at The Hague and face true justice, or else, Gregorian Conference is only a PR campaign and more Vatican deceptions http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/02/benedict-xvi-must-first-be-tried-at.html

John L.Allen Jr.the Pied Piper fooling people again...when will Catholics ever learn to give their money to Red Cross and not to the Vatican Mammon http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/02/john-l-allen-jr-pied-piper-fooling.html

SO WHAT, new 22 Cardinals and Pellini. FOCUS:Benedict's crimes against humanity,Vatican violation of human rights. Again,no new Jesuit voting Cardinal http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/01/benedict-appoints-22-new-cardinal.html

For those who pray the rosary to try to dissuade the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore , read this, Rosary could not defeat JP2 Army John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in the 20th Century ... unlike the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th Century http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/10/rosary-could-not-defeat-jp2-army-john_06.html

Benedict XVI must first be tried at The Hague and face true justice, or else, Gregorian Conference is only a PR campaign and more Vatican deceptions http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/02/benedict-xvi-must-first-be-tried-at.html

See news updates for February 5 below.

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Updated January 26, 2012

The knack of Vatican Pied Pipers can only match the flair of the Devil who swiftly fooled Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with his Pied Piper words that promptly deceived them and led them to their fatal fall…and we are still paying for that Original Sin today. History repeats itself and the Garden of Eden is repeating itself at the Vatican and the entire Roman Catholic Church as tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of children are still paying for one of the worst Vatican Sins in the 20th century, the Priestly Sodomy of Biblical Proportions committed by the JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army named aptly after the longest reigning pope in history who SAID NOTHING and DID NOTHING to stop it. In fact he elevated the disgraced Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston to the glories of Rome after Law resigned and confessed that he transferred from one parish to another in Boston 80 pedophile priests-- thus feeding them with countless little boys to satiate their bestial sexual lust. And John Paul II is supposed to be a “saint”? John Paul II as a saint for children is one of the worst lies since the Devil in the Garden of Eden! John Paul II is the biggest Golden Cow created by Opus Dei, read Heil Satanas JP2 Patron Saint of Pedophiles, Pederasts Rapists-Priests! John Paul II is the same yesterday and today-- he cannot protect children http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html Opus Dei should simply worship in private their own Golden Cows John Paul II and Benedict XVI and stop rubbing wounds on victims of the JP2 Army - also known as B16 Army Benedict XVI Pedophile Priests Army because they all together covered up this Vatican Evil for 27 years, that’s over a quarter of a century, read the JP2 Army here http://jp2army.blogspot.com/.

Look at how cunningly the Vatican Pied Piper, the Vatican Insider, just like the Devil crafted his one liner in Eden, in its title today "Ireland: “Catholic pride” deals a blow to the Government "(read article below) This title immediately misleads people as if it was the majority of the Irish population who have "Catholic pride" and who "deals a blow to the Government". The fact is 100,000 is barely 1% one percent of the entire Irish population -- as we exposed it in our update of this article on January 20, 2012, read below our article. 100,000 fanatic Catholics do not represent the population of Ireland. Even if they each gave 1 euro, it would not cover the cost of the staff and building and the salary of an ambassador to do what exactly with a secluded GAY homosexual hierarchy at the Holy See, read our related article Is the Vatican a state or country? It is only one building and one public square but it is a country like the vast USA, Russia, China??? http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/05/is-vatican-state-or-country-it-is-only.html

This Vatican Insider title would like to appear and sound intimidating to the Irish politicians whose souls the Vatican is trying to buy, read our related article Ireland leads nations to close Vatican Embassy…beginning the end of the Holy See! Vatican Bank cannot buy souls of SECULAR government officials http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/ireland-leads-nations-to-close-vatican.html

Read also our related article on the Vatican Insider - by the same author - Giacomo Galeazzi - who outrageously lie by writing " The "zero tolerance" rule imposed by Benedict XVI came down like an ax in areas of the episcopate". The fact is Benedict XVI has not ax any Bishop or Cardinals guilty of aiding and abetting pedophile priests and Cardinal Bernard Law is the poster boy among them, read our related article Boston 10th anniversary and Bernie Law is still cloning Jesus in the Eucharist http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/01/boston-10th-anniversary-and-bernie-law.html Therefore Giacomo Galeazzi is a Pied Piper par excellence, read more about him in our related article Benedict XVI the Master Manipulator of the Media wherein he mocks all victims of the B16 Army – Benedict XVI Pedophile Priests Army http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/benedict-xvi-master-manipulator-of.html.

These Vatican Pied Pipers are very cunning like the Devil in shooting out one-liner subliminal titles in their articles to deceive the 1.2 billion Catholics and the world over and over again, generation after generation. Yes, it’s always in the title just like John L. Allen Jr. brilliantly does all the time in his column All Things Catholic, read more about him here http://jp2army.blogspot.com/

Read the article of the Vatican Insider at the bottom of this post "Ireland: “Catholic pride” deals a blow to the Government " and see the subliminal deceitful messages in between his Pied Piper words.

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Updated January 20, 2012

96,000 postcards were sent to Ireland’s prime minister protesting the closing of country’s Embassy to the Holy See…so what? Will these same fanatic Catholics be willing to pay out of their own wallets the 1.25 million euro to maintain an Irish Embassy in Rome? Or are they going to force Irish secular people to pay for it ? According to Wikipedia, the population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland. therefore 96,000 is barely 1% of the population.

The Taoiseach, Prime Minister Edna must keep his words as a man of integrity when he officially declared within the chambers of the Irish Parliament and before the world - that "the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism....the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day.

The rape and torture of children were downplayed or 'managed' to uphold instead, the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and 'reputation'.

Read the full speech with bold emphasis and watch the video here Irish PM Enda Kenny speech on Cloyne Report: VIDEOS http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/07/irish-pm-enda-kenny-speech-on-cloyne.html

To re-open an Irish Embassy to the Holy See is to feed the same dysfunction, disconnection, elitism....narcissism of the Vatican beast all over again and which the Irish Prime Minister condemned in the first place

Read our related articles Ireland leads nations to close Vatican Embassy…beginning the end of the Holy See! Vatican Bank cannot buy souls of SECULAR government officials http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/ireland-leads-nations-to-close-vatican.html

Irish PM blasts ‘narcissism’ of Vatican. The narcissism of John Paul II and the Vatican are one and the same http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/07/irish-pm-blasts-narcissism-of-vatican.html

Catholics are already well represented to the Holy See or Vatican through their Cardinals from each country, Archbishops and Bishops from each state or province, and many Monsignors from each city or town, and then there are those priests. They do not need a politician to represent them again. They are already paying those Cardinals and Bishops with tons of billions of dollars because they want to have a taste of the flesh of Chriost each Sunday.

Catholics are out-of-touch with reality in the world today

Those Irish Catholics are out-of-touch with reality; they should look at what is happening today as the moral bankruptcy of the Holy See or Vatican is being revealed like a tsunami around the world. The Vatican is the wealthiest country (albeit smallest) in the world but it is morally bankrupt because it is worshipping Mammon more than God and it is using God’s name to hoard more mammon, read our related article SO WHAT new 22 Cardinals and Pellini. FOCUS:Benedict's crimes against humanity,Vatican violation of human rights. Again,no new Jesuit voting Cardinal http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/01/benedict-appoints-22-new-cardinal.html

8 life sentences were given to a repeat pedophile in San Antonio Texas today (read news below) but what jail time have those repeat priest pedophiles served? None! All because those fanatic Catholics continue to worship them as Opus Dei Golden Cows who have powers to reincarnate God when they cannot reincarnate dead cats and dogs. And they want a Catholic exclusive embassy in Rome from every country in the world to perpetuate their Catholic power and Vatican Evils and Pope Crimes. Catholics smell Devil’s Bowels like roses with their incenses and rosaries and Latin Masses, read our related article OC Diocese buys Crystal Cathedral as flesh-factory of Christ... for wealthy God-flesh-eating Catholics http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/oc-diocese-buys-crystal-cathedral-as.html

In Hawaii today, the Governor and politicians attended an annual Red Mass and protesters said "Shame on the politicians for attending the Red Mass and listening to the moral teachings of a morally bankrupt organization like the Catholic church." (see news below) Read our related article Pope rides ‘high horse’ with Christmas ‘glitter’ as he preaches Urbi et Orbi Pied Piper messages http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/12/pope-rides-high-horse-with-christmas.html

In the United Kingdom today, there is a call for the Roman Catholic Church to open its “secret archives” on child abuse (see news below).

In Iceland today, there are 17 people who are accusing the Catholic Church of Sex Abuse, s(ee news below)

In Belgium today, again there is the “Operation Chalice” raiding Bishops' offices to investigate pedophile priests files (see news below)

And those hypocritice Irish Catholics want to re-open an Embassy to the Vatican who has covered-up thousands of pedophile priests in every Catholic country on earth?

The Catholic Church is morally bankrupt as exemplified by Cardinal Bernard Law still a Cardinal after aiding and abetting 80 pedophile priests who continue to be priests today, crimes punishable by secular law, read our related article, Boston 10th anniversary and Bernie Law is still cloning Jesus in the Eucharist http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2012/01/boston-10th-anniversary-and-bernie-law.html

How many pedophile priests continue to reincarnate God as they sodomize again and again little boys (and girls)? That is why the tens of thousands of pedophile priests are named aptly after John Paul II because he had the longest papacy and he SAID NOTHING and DID NOTHING to stop them. Rosary could not defeat JP2 Army John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in the 20th Century ... unlike the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th Century http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/10/rosary-could-not-defeat-jp2-army-john_06.html

Catholics are complicit to the crimes against humanity of Benedict XVI and of the Vatican generation after generation. Catholics are cold-blooded God-flesh eating cannibals who care only about their own piety and salvation from Hell – at the cost of others suffering a LIVING HELL from the hands of their Opus Dei Golden Cows John Paul II and Benedict XVI Cardinal Ratzinger who for more than a quarter of a century covered-up thousands of pedophile priests who sexually abused tens of thousands of little boys and girls.

One pedophile priest = 280 victims

Cardinal Bernard Law is the poster boy of Cardinals in red robe and red hat who aided and abetted 80 pedophile priests. A German pedophile priests recently revealed 280 victims (see news below). 80 pedophile priests times 280 victims equal 22,400 victims in Boston alone. But that is a small number because most victims do not come out in fear of shame for themselves and their own families.

Catholics better be taught a lesson that their sorcery of the Eucharist should not dictate the countries they live in whether it is Ireland or the United States of America. Harry Potter has grossed more than 5 billion dollars. Mankind need magic and fantasy and the Catholics have the greatest fantasy and magic of all – the reincarnation of God into millions of pieces by priests and the Pope – only to be eaten and defecated by Catholics only. Why should God want to be eaten in the first place when he or she has supplied mankind abundantly with vegetables and animals to eat? God allowed Adam and Eve to eat everything except one tree. This proves that mankind are not to suppose to eat everything—including God himself or herself.

Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Fruit of Knowledge so that they would become like God. Likewise, Satan has tempted Catholics to eat the flesh of Christ so that they would be like-Christ. Priests and the Pope cannot create anything and they cannot reincarnate mummies or dead cats and dogs and therefore they cannot reincarnate God or Jesus Christ.

It is time that the Catholics stop ruling the world through their Pope and homosexual GAY men at the Vatican who create fantasies like Harry Potter in the Eucharist and use God’s name in vain to maintain the Vatican Billions.


Just like fanatic Catholic Bully Bill Donohue

Those Irish Catholics petitioning to reopen the Irish Embassy to the Holy See are cold-hearted bullies like Bill Donohue, Catholic League’s one-man 25 million dollar basher against victims and their supporters, read more here insane KC STAR CAMPAIGN HITS by Catholic League fanatic Bill Donohue propagating... Bishop Finn make Devil's Bowels smell like roses in KC, Missouri http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/bishop-finn-makes-devils-bowels-smell.html

The Catholics already enjoy their own religious privileges in every country they live in, and in fact, Opus Dei control most of the Supreme Court judges and legislators, so what more do they want ? Read our related articles Opus Dei control USA SUBPRIME COURT & Koch Brothers...Occupy the Koch Brothers and Stop the American Nightmare ! http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/opus-dei-control-usa-subprime-court.html

It is time that the Vatican cease as a “country” because it is only a few hundred homosexual men who live there. Besides those “ambassadors to the Holy” do not and cannot even live within the “country” of the Vatican. They have to reside OUTSIDE the COUNTRYÈ of the VATICAN, in the city of Rome. So why send two ambassadors to Italy?

During these economic dire straits, every country should close their embassy to the Holy See and maintain only one embassy for the country of Italy.

The Vatican only exist to be the diplomatic immunity conduit of wealth of billionaires who hoard money and deprive people and carry out the WORLD DOMINATION AGENDA of the Opus Dei and the Vatican Evil Empire.

Pope rides ‘high horse’ with Christmas ‘glitter’ as he preaches Urbi et Orbi Pied Piper messages http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html

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December 24, 2011

Notice what the Vatican Insider say about the new non-resident Irish ambassador to the Vatican. “Cooney is Secretary-General to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and, as such, Ireland’s top diplomat. He will retain that post whilst also serving as ambassador to the Holy See, and will commute between Dublin and Rome in fulfilment of his duties.”

How often does an ambassador need to see the Pope anyway - to pray with him? To don on his ambassadorial uniform to go to the Vatican to attend Mass and have photo-op once a year with the Pope? Any weatlhy Catholic can go to the Vatican to have photo-op with the Pope, read about them here including Murdoch - Rupert Murdoch a supporter of paedophilia within our churches? He donated $10 Million for New LA Cathedral, buys Beliefnet religion site http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/07/rupert-murdoch-supporter-of-paedophilia.html

What is the Pope doing all day and throughout the year anyway besides planning with his papal tailor on what to wear when he meets with royalties and billionnaires? So the Pope will only meet with "top diplomats" and not with the common ordinary laity Catholic? The Pope should be praying and leading his flock but instead he does not even time to meet with victims of the JP2 Army - John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army who walked all the way within Italy to the doorstep of the Vatican? Read about them here http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2011/10/benedict-refuses-to-meet-italian.html

Cooney is Secretary-General to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and therefore has already all the contacts with other "trade" agents likewise with diplomatic immunity from other countries. This is what we have been saying all along that ambassadors to the Vatican are conduit of private wealth, of millionaires and billionaires, and with their diplomatic immunity they bring despots ill-gotten wealth to the Vatican Bank and to the secret Vatican Swiss Banks. That is why poor countries and poor peoples especially poor children and women will always be raped and oppressed.

It cost tens of millions of dollars to maintain the pompous ceremonies of the Pope and he is using the sorcery and witchcraft of the Eucharist to maintain his self-proclaimed infallible but deceptive powers. Catholics are complicit to the crimes against humanity committed by Cardinal Ratzinger - Benedict XVI read the details here http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/05/full-text-of-criminal-charges-against.html

It is time that the UN United Nations end the status of the Vatican as a nation or as a country because women and children are forbidden to reside within its Vatican medieval palace. A country should freely include women and children and as such the Vatican is only one old medieval building for male only or a secluded boys club.

Why should a few hundred only-male hierarchy enjoy such diplomatic status when they deny rights of children and women and the laity? Women will always be raped in poor countries because the Vatican hoard their despots' wealth, those same despots who continue to oppress and keep those poor women and children poor and are therefore much easier to subjugate. Read our related article on how women are raped and children are soldiers to feed the diamond appetite of Mother Angelica here Diamond bride Mother Angelica’s EWTN acquires Fr. Marcial Maciel’s National Catholic Register: same God and Mammon, same hypocrisy http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/01/diamond-bride-mother-angelicas-ewtn.html

...unless Pope Benedict XVI can divest himself of the beguilements of statehood and devotion to obsolescent canon law, the Vatican will remain a serious enemy to the advance of human rights. http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/book-pope-benedict-xvi-is-guilty-of.html

Read our related articles

Holy Heist! John Paul II WYD had no role with Arab youths who liberated Egypt from Mubarak who stole then deposited billions into Vatican Swiss Banks http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/02/holy-heist-john-paul-ii-wyd-had-no-role.html

The fantastic wealth of Irish Catholic religious orders revealed http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/07/fantastic-wealth-of-irish-catholic.html

Amnesty International names Vatican in 2011 report on human rights violations - it's time the UN end the Vatican status as a "secular" state http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2011/05/amnesty-international-names-vatican-in.html.

Ireland leads nations to close Vatican Embassy…beginning the end of the Holy See! Vatican Bank cannot buy souls of SECULAR government officials http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/ireland-leads-nations-to-close-vatican.html

INTEGER & Vatican Swiss Banks accounts: Fr. Marcial Maciel and the Legion of Christ secret Vatican wealth http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/integer-vatican-swiss-banks-accounts-fr.html

OC Diocese buys Crystal Cathedral as flesh-factory of Christ... for wealthy God-flesh-eating Catholics http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/11/oc-diocese-buys-crystal-cathedral-as.html

Boston hosted former Swiss Guard’s seminar -based on the new “Vatican Trinity”.. Swiss Guards are the financial Navy Seals of the Vatican Bank http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/boston-to-host-former-swiss-guards.html

The Vatican Billions and their sources: Holy Mass Tourism for Each Generation. Miracles, Portents and Wonder for Sale http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/vatican-billions-holy-mass-tourism-for.html

John Paul "the Great" and his crime syndicate: Part I, Fr. Maciel http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/john-paul-and-his-crime-syndicate-part.html

Eucharist feeds “dysfunction, disconnection, elitism...narcissim” of Benedict XVI, therefore, Ireland must not “invite” Pope to Eucharistic Congress http://popecrimes.blogspot.com/2011/12/eucharist-feeds-dysfunction.html

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS AND FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD!!!


The Holy See or Vatican, the smallest country on earth


Ireland appoints top diplomat as new ambassador to the Holy See

VATICAN CITY/IRELAND
Vatican Insider

The new Irish ambassador to the Holy See, David John Cooney, has previous experience of the Vatican having served as Secretary at Ireland’s Embassy to the Holy See from 1981 to 1985.

Gerard O'Connell
Rome

Ireland’s top diplomat, David John Cooney, will be the country’s first non-resident ambassador to the Holy See.

The Holy See gave its agreement to his nomination at the end of last week, Vatican Insider has learned from informed sources. The Irish Government is expected to make the formal announcement soon.

Ireland established diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1929 and, since then, has always had a resident ambassador in Rome.

Cooney, the first non-resident ambassador, succeeds Noel J. Fahey, the country’s last resident ambassador to the Holy See, who retired in June after a distinguished career in the diplomatic service.

His appointment comes after the Government, on November 3, decided to close the Embassy to the Holy See and appoint a non-resident ambassador. It did so for economic reasons, it said, but most observers believe the main rationale was political. The decision came in the wake of strong tensions between the two sides over the role played by the Vatican in the abuse of minors by priests’ scandal in Ireland.

Cooney is Secretary-General to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and, as such, Ireland’s top diplomat. He will retain that post whilst also serving as ambassador to the Holy See, and will commute between Dublin and Rome in fulfilment of his duties.

“It is the best that the Holy See could have hoped for in terms of a non-resident ambassador since he will be working from Iveagh House (the Foreign Ministry) and not from a third country”, an informed diplomatic source told Vatican Insider.

Born in London on 29 April 1954, to Irish immigrant parents, Cooney graduated from the University of Keele, England, with an honours degree in Politics and History, and then joined the Irish Civil Service.

Married to Geraldine O’Kelly (they have four grown-up children), Cooney is a practising Catholic and comes to his new post with the highest professional credentials and an impressive career history.

He began his service to the Irish Republic in 1974 as an official in the Department for Agriculture, and five years later moved to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Significantly, he comes with previous experience of the Vatican, having served as Secretary at Ireland’s Embassy to the Holy See from 1981 to 1985. It was his first diplomatic posting.

Over the years he has served in Irish diplomatic missions to Austria, France, the OECD, and the European Union in Brussels.

While working in the Department for Foreign Affairs, he made an important contribution to the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement which opened the path to peace in Northern Ireland, so much so that US Senator George Mitchell described him as one of the two “unsung heroes of the peace process.”

From the year 2000, he served as Political Director in Foreign Affairs, and thus the key foreign policy adviser to the Government, before going to New York as Ireland’s Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the United Nations. In 2007, the Irish Government appointed him as Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and in December 2008 nominated him as Secretary-General to the Department for Foreign Affairs, a post he still holds.

Described as “a straight arrow” by those who know him, the 57 year-old Cooney is a man who likes to talk straight and work with transparency and integrity.

He will present his Letters of Credence to Pope Benedict XVI in the New Year.

==========

Update news for January 20, 2012

Irish Catholic group puts pressure on government to reopen embassy to the Holy See
I
RELAND
Vatican Insider

One-third of the members of the Irish parliament attend meeting in Dublin organized by a group that wants the Government to re-open its Embassy to the Holy See
Gerard O'Connell
Rome

The Irish Government is coming under pressure from a broadly based Catholic lay group, with support from members of different political parties, to re-open its Embassy to the Holy See.

On January 18, more than a hundred members of the Group, known as Ireland Stand Up, met for five hours with one-third of the members of the Irish parliament. 50 of the 166 members of parliament’s lower house (the Dail) and 25 of the 60 members of its upper house (the Seanad) were present.

Even more significant was the presence of the Junior Minister of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Lucinda Creighton, together with representatives of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and several other ministers, as well as Ireland’s new ambassador to the Holy See, David Cooney, who is also Secretary General of the DFA.

“Ireland Stand Up”
IRELAND
Catholic World Report

96,000 postcards have been sent to Ireland’s prime minister protesting the closing of country’s Embassy to the Holy See.

By Michael Kelly

Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny at a news conference following a meeting of European leaders in Brussels in June 2011. (CNS photo/Reuters)
The Irish Government is coming under increased pressure to reverse a controversial decision to close the country’s Embassy to the Holy See.

Dozens of parliamentarians – including many from the Fine Gael and Labour coalition parties - attended a meeting in Dublin January 18 called to highlight opposition to the closure and some 96,000 postcards have been sent to Prime Minister Enda Kenny by members of several different lay initiatives and individual Catholics protesting the move.

8 life sentences for repeat child predator
TEXAS
San Antonio Express-News

By Craig Kapitan

A registered sex offender who has already served a seven-year sentence for molesting a young girl from his church congregation was sentenced again Thursday — this time for targeting a new victim.

David Fino, 57, asked the judge for the death penalty. He got eight life sentences, two of them stacked and without the possibility of parole.

A jury found him guilty Friday of super aggravated sexual assault of a child younger than 6, continuous sexual abuse of a child and six other first-degree felony molestation charges involving the same girl.

Prayers, Protesters Mix At Red Mass
HAWAII
KITV
Jill Kuramoto KITV 4 News Reporter
HONOLULU -- Governor Neil Abercrombie and state lawmakers gathered for Mass Thursday as part of a tradition in Hawaii for more than half a century.
But this year, the annual Red Mass was met by protesters angry over the church's teachings and actions.
"Shame on the politicians for attending the Red Mass and listening to the moral teachings of a morally bankrupt organization like the Catholic church," said protester Holly Huber.

Belgian police in hot pursuit of Church child sex cover-up
BELGIUM
Expatica

Belgian magistrates have re-launched a high-profile probe into child sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, this time seeking to show the Church hierarchy engaged in a cover-up.

Federal police pounced Wednesday on "personal files" held by senior Church figures in the dioceses of Liege, Namur and Tournai after hitting Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Hasselt and Mechelen since Monday.

The seizures are based on testimony from some 200 alleged victims and in 87 judicial complaints.

Federal magistrate and spokeswoman for national prosecutors Lieve Pellens said the purpose of this new "key phase" in a Belgian investigation is different from that of dramatic June 2010 raids on Church headquarters that angered Pope Benedict XVI.
Spending public money on proposed Catholic jamboree in London will be vigorously protested

UNITED KINGDOM
National Secular Society

A priest in the Diocese of Westminster has begun a campaign for London to host the Vatican's World Youth Day in 2016. Fr Stephen Wang set up a Facebook group, "World Youth Day London 2016", to test whether there is popular interest in the idea.
He said that the English Church could "put forward a fantastic proposal" and that, after the event had been staged in Spain, France, Italy and Germany in recent years, "the United Kingdom is the next obvious one".

He added: "It wouldn't just be a London event but a national event, we could even include Ireland, all the different dioceses and cities doing all these amazing things. But there is nowhere like London, in terms of the space, the infrastructure, the transport, food outlets, the venues, the parks and commons, and we have this unusual situation of three dioceses converging on one city. It is the biggest youth event in the world and London would be the ideal city."
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "The last time the Pope came to this country, the resentment he sparked about the amount of public money wasted on the trip was immense. Despite the Church's attempts to talk up the 'success' of the visit, its own research showed that it was actually a dismal failure.

Unlock The Secret abuse files - Calderdale lawyer’s fight over church sex scandals
UNITED KINGDOM
Halifax Courier
Published on Wednesday 18 January 2012

A CALDERDALE lawyer is leading a campaign demanding the Roman Catholic Church open its “secret archives” on child abuse.
Richard Scorer, who lives in Hebden Bridge, is a senior solicitor with Manchester-based legal firm Pannone.
He is now heading a team of the country’s top lawyers in the field of child abuse, which this week has asked the Government to order a public inquiry to force the Catholic Church to open up its archives to scrutiny.
If successful, the Church will be forced to make public its closely guarded files which for centuries have remained under lock and key and for the eyes only of Catholic Church leaders.

Time for the Catholic Church to Open its Secret Archives

UNITED KINGDOM
Huffington Post UK
Richard Scorer

Before the child abuse scandal of the last decade, Catholic priests held influential and highly respected roles within the community. They enjoyed the trust of the public and unquestioned access to children. We know that created extensive opportunities for sexual abuse.

What we don't know is the true scale of that abuse. Child abuse is accompanied by fear and shame, and most victims never come forward. Only around 10% of sexual abuse allegations result in criminal convictions. And there's a further reason, which is that for many decades the Catholic Church persistently ignored and in many cases covered up complaints of abuse. As a lawyer acting for victims, I've seen evidence of cover ups on many of my cases - victims warned against taking their complaints to the police, priests transferred away from parishes suddenly until complaints die down.
The Catholic church now maintains that it abhors child abuse and that it wants to root it out. If the Catholic church is serious about this - and I've no doubt that there are at least some in the church hierarchy who are determined to confront the problem - then in my view it has a responsibility to come clean about past abuse. And there's a simple way for the Catholic church to do this - open its secret archives to the police.

La bombe pédophile
t'emoignage Chretien (France)
Par Hendro Munsterman

T¬out commence en février 2010, lorsque deux journalistes néerlandais attirent l’attention sur un cas d’abus sexuel sur enfant dans un ancien internat de salésiens de Don Bosco dans les années 1950.

Cette révélation, qui en suivait d’autres en Allemagne, en Irlande et aux États-Unis, fait remonter les souvenirs dans le pays. Évêques et responsables de congrégations et d’ordres religieux se voient alors obligés de demander à un homme politique protestant, l’ancien maire de La Haye Wim Deetman, de former et de présider une commission indépendante constituée de lui-même et cinq autres membres, tous universitaires.

Seventeen People Accuse Catholic Church of Abuse
ICELAND
Iceland Review

Seventeen people have come forward as victims under their own names to the investigative commission of the Catholic Church in Iceland, responsible for uncovering abuse which is said to have taken place under the church’s veil a few decades ago.

Other alleged victims who preferred to remain anonymous have also contacted the commission. All of these people are now adults. However, no teacher, parent or relative have reported abuse to the commission, Fréttablaðið reports.

All these people were either students at the Catholic Church’s school, Landakotsskóli, or attendees of the summer camp Riftún in Ölfus, south Iceland, operated by the church.

Solicitors say Catholic Church is incapable of stopping abuse and must be called to account

UNITED KINGDOM

National Secular Society
Posted: Tue, 17 Jan 2012

A group of solicitors representing victims of child abuse by clergy have written a letter to The Times (17 January) saying that the Church is still covering up crimes by priests and is incapable of policing itself. They call for a full public enquiry not only into the Catholic Church but also into the Church of England. The Times is paywalled so we are reproducing this letter here because we consider it too important to be overlooked:

"As lawyers working on behalf of children and vulnerable adults who have suffered sexual and physical abuse in institutional care, we write to call for a public inquiry into abuse within church organisations in England and Wales.

Officials of church organisations hold influential and highly respected roles within the community; historically they have enjoyed both the trust of the public and unquestioned access to children. This has undoubtedly created extensive opportunities for abuse. From cases we are handling currently, we are aware of some 41 Catholic priests who have been convicted of serious sexual offences in the recent past. Yet these very same organisations, particularly in the Catholic Church, have persistently ignored and in many cases covered up complaints of abuse.

==========

Update news for January 26, 2012

Ireland: “Catholic pride” deals a blow to the Government

IRELAND
Vatican Insider
Postcards, petitions, and protests - many citizens want their country’s representative to stay at the Holy See

Giacomo Galeazzi
Vatican City

A Catholic wave has come crashing down on the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. In Dublin, 100,000 postcards were sent to the head of government in protest at the closure of the Irish Embassy to the Holy See. Two months ago, Ireland downgraded its representation in the Holy See from resident to non-resident.

The website of the international movement "We Are Church" reported a statement made by the Jesuit essayist, Fr. Brian Lennon, published in the Italian Jesuit monthly magazine Popoli. Fr. Lennon warned that “the government has got the time frame wrong: it was in 1998 that Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, head of the Congregation for the Clergy, told the Irish bishops that the Vatican’s policy was to protect priests when they were accused.” According to the Government, this occurred within the last three years. “While it is a regrettable inaccuracy in such an important statement by the government, the minister’s words probably reflect the general indignation aroused by the revelations of the Cloyne Report,” Fr. Brian Lennon observed.

“The government’s decision to close its embassy in the Vatican is a symptom of the profound change in relations between Ireland and the Holy See. In the past, the Church had great influence in Irish society. Bishops and priests were treated with respect and could influence legislation on moral issues. Since the publication of the Reports on the abuse, clerical collars are frowned upon by many and wearers are sometimes insulted in the street.”

A problem that has emerged from this crisis is that many priests and religious persons feel guilty for what happened, “even if they are innocent, because they did not abuse anyone and never held positions of authority.” This, according to Fr. Lennon, “raises the question of collegial relationships: to what extent should innocent members of the Church take a share of responsibility for the actions of the organization they belong to? It is a regular matter of civil law and conflict situations: for example, whether or not young Germans born after 1945 should be asked to pay taxes to contribute to compensation for the people of Israel by the German state for the Holocaust, even though they were not born during the Second World War?”

A second issue raised by the crisis regards the structures governing the Church today. “The Bishop of Cloyne had been able to ignore the Framework Document of 1996 because it was a document from the Irish Conference of Bishops,” the Jesuit emphasized. “Individual bishops are not obligated to respond to the bishops’ conferences, nor are they accountable to any layman. They are accountable only to the Pope.

“Thus, the Conference of Bishops could not impose the Framework Document on the individual bishops, and this is a weakness in Church governance. However, it should also be remembered that the situation has improved since 1996: it was the priest in charge of the protection of children, acting for the Irish Conference of Bishops, who alerted the civil authorities so that they could take care of the protection of children in Cloyne. So, even if he did not have direct authority according to ecclesiastical law, he was still able to have a positive influence. It is a ray of light in an ugly situation.”

The decision to close the embassy in the Vatican was announced with a note from the Irish Foreign Ministry to the effect that the reasons were purely economic - so much so that in addition to the embassy at the Holy See, they are also closing embassies in Iran and East Timor. It is as if to say that for the very Catholic Ireland, representatives in Persia and in the former Portuguese colony have the same weight of office as in the capital of Christendom. That choice ended up not too far from the decision of the Holy See to withdraw its ambassador from Ireland after the decisive attack directed at the Vatican by Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny (one year after the publication of the Report on sexual abuse in the Church of Ireland) for the “distant, elitist, and narcissistic” management of abuse cases. “Although the Embassy at the Holy See is one of the oldest missions of Ireland,” the statement reads, “it does not produce economic returns.” So, the Irish government believes that “the interests of Ireland with the Holy See are sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador.” There was no official controversy, and no reference to paedophilia cases. The Vatican reply follows along the same lines: “The Holy See notes the decision to close the Embassy of Ireland in Rome at the Holy See,” writes Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican Press Office. He continues: “Any State which has diplomatic relations with the Holy See is free to decide, according to its abilities and interests, whether to have an ambassador at the Holy See living in Rome or as a resident of another country.” Thus, they are not questioning “the diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Ireland.”

Nevertheless, Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, has expressed “deep disappointment” at the Irish Government’s decision to close the Dublin embassy to the Holy See. Prior to the closure of the Irish Embassy at the Vatican, the tone was less peaceful. An Irish government commission had published its latest report on sexual abuse by Irish priests in the diocese of Cloyne - a document that has triggered a controversy between the two diplomacies. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has bluntly criticized the shortcomings of the Holy See, which have existed, in his opinion, until the recent past.

On 29 October, the Vatican published a clarification note from the Secretary of State. The Irish Government replied, thanking him for the clarification and asking for “full cooperation” in the future, but reiterated the criticisms and spoke of the “anger” of the Irish population. Meanwhile, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, who was called back to Rome in protest, was then appointed representative of the Holy See in the Czech Republic.

On 3 November, Dublin’s government announced that the headquarters of the ambassador to the Holy See, which had been vacant for months, would be closed. The Pope had intervened directly on the scandal of paedophilia in Ireland, with a letter to the Irish faithful, an apostolic visit, and the resignation of several bishops. Benedict XVI’s “zero tolerance” rule was introduced during a roundtable hosted by the Senate and the Maltese Prelate Charles J. Scicluna, promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith: “The complaint of abuse may be hampered by mistaken considerations and inappropriate loyalty and solidarity.” The Catholic Church, says the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy See, knows that every time one of its ministers (whether it be a bishop, a priest, a deacon, or a lay pastoral agent) sexually abuses a child, a tragic injury is inflicted on the community, subordinated to the indescribably repugnant damage caused to the child.”

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/world-news/detail/articolo/irlanda-ireland-chiesa-church-iglesia-11962/

========

News update for February 3, 2012

Ireland may reopen ‘modest’ Vatican embassy in future, says Gilmore

IRELAND
The Journal

IRELAND MAY RE-OPEN an embassy in the Vatican whenever the public finances recover, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.

Gilmore has acknowledged that the closure of the Holy See embassy – which the government estimates will save it €845,000 a year – could be reversed whenever the State can afford to reopen such an embassy.

“The government will continue to review our diplomatic network and it may be that, as public finances recover, we will at some time in the future be able to reopen a modest resident embassy to the Holy See,” Gilmore told FG backbencher Pat Deering.


===

Diplomacy needed in Vatican row

IRELAND
Irish Independent

Tuesday January 31 2012

The Doctrine of Infallibility is not something a Labour leader can invoke to dismiss an argument.

In the row over the closure of Ireland's Vatican embassy, Eamon Gilmore, must envy Pope Benedict when it comes to fending off the protests by Fine Gael backbenchers pressing him to reverse the decision.

One wonders why they are not turning the screws on the Taoiseach, Mr Kenny, who has been the most severe critic of the church in recent history.

Do they regard Mr Gilmore as a softer touch?

===

Papal nuncio to Ireland arrives today

IRELAND

The Irish Times
DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN, Political Correspondent

THE NEW papal nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Charles John Brown, is expected to arrive in the country today and will present his credentials to President Michael D Higgins in mid-February.

The Manhattan-born former monsignor has worked at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 1994 and was ordained as titular Archbishop of Aquileia by Pope Benedict XVI on January 6th.

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has issued an invitation to Pope Benedict to visit Ireland on the occasion of the International Eucharistic Congress later this year, and it is understood this is under consideration.
===

Reinstate our man in the Vatican, say FG TDs

IRELAND
Irish Independent

By Michael Brennan Deputy Political Editor

Tuesday January 31 2012

FINE Gael backbenchers are increasing the pressure on Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore to reverse his decision to shut Ireland's Vatican embassy.

It comes as the Pope's new representative to Ireland, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles J Brown, is due to arrive in Dublin today.

Archbishop Brown is filling the position left vacant after the previous Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, was recalled to Rome last summer in response to Taoiseach Enda Kenny's criticism of the Vatican's approach in dealing with clerical sexual abuse.


=============

News updates for Febraury 5, 2012

Gilmore's 'not an inch on Vatican' sparks crisis

Rosary beads at FG meeting as Noonan says 'Enda is a better Catholic than me'


Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore


By DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter and jOHN DRENNAN

Sunday February 05 2012

THE Government has been plunged into its first crisis after Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore yesterday categorically rejected Fine Gael calls to reverse the decision to close the Irish embassy to the Vatican.


The astonishing row over the Vatican embassy comes on the heels of a series of spats between the coalition over cuts in the Budget, which have led to a significant deterioration of relations between FG and Labour in recent weeks.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, the Labour leader has delivered an unequivocal rejection to his coalition partners, saying "no, the decision will not be reversed. It was a government decision".

"I have set out the position as to why it was necessary to do so. It was one of three embassies we closed. Like everyone else, the Department of Foreign Affairs had to cut its cloth to measure."

Mr Gilmore's rejection of the demands from within Fine Gael puts him at odds with reported commitments from Taoiseach Enda Kenny to review the embassy closure. Junior FG minister Lucinda Creighton yesterday said the embassy could be re-opened within two years.

Discontent about the Vatican embassy closure led to a series of dramatic, and sometimes farcical, clashes at a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting last week. During the meeting, over half the TDs called for the re-opening of the embassy.

One of the most surreal moments saw TD Peter Mathews brandish a set of rosary beads at the "secularist members of the party". The meeting became so heated that senior ministers Michael Noonan and James Reilly had to intervene to calm the mood.

Mr Noonan stressed "Enda's credentials as a sound Catholic" and at one point claimed that "he is a better Catholic than myself".

Fine Gael figures were united in the demand that the Vatican embassy would be re-opened and soon.

The clash of ideologies between the parties has intensified since Budget day, and with such strong division lines being drawn between the parties on "non-critical" issues like the Vatican embassy, several senior ministers have now begun to question the ability of the Government to last the full term.

Yesterday a senior Fine Gael figure told the Sunday Independent: "I can see us getting one more Budget through, but I can't see us getting a third one through such is the feuding and in-fighting going on at the moment."

Speaking yesterday, Mr Gilmore as Foreign Minister in the eye of the storm made it clear that despite the Fine Gael calls, the decision to close the Vatican embassy is final.

"We have appointed a secretary-general in my department as ambassador as a non-resident. He will service it from Dublin. The decision to close the embassy and not to have an ambassador in residence is not going to be reversed," he added.

And Mr Gilmore is not alone in his opposition to such a review. Labour Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin has this weekend also ruled out any reversal of the decision.

Mr Gilmore denied that the decision to close the embassy was related to his Government's criticism -- a criticism led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny -- of the Vatican's role in the Cloyne Report into child sexual abuse or that it was part of any "anti-Catholic" agenda within his own party.

He also said that if the Vatican relaxed its rules to allow countries to use their embassies to Italy to also facilitate their relations with the Holy See, then the matter could be re-examined.

"The other issue that comes into play here is the refusal of the Vatican to allow countries to use their embassy to Italy as their embassy to the Vatican. So we have had to maintain two residences, two staffs. If the Vatican relaxes its view on that then we can relook at the arrangements then."

In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Mr Howlin also rejected any suggestion of reversing the decision to close the embassy. "It was a government decision, taken by all of Government in the context of the Budget, so it doesn't arise."

The closure of the Vatican embassy, cuts to small rural schools and cuts to various welfare benefits are the central issues in the war between the two coalition partners.

At the heated Fine Gael meeting on Wednesday, Mr Kenny reassured Fine Gael backbenchers that the decision to close down Ireland's Vatican embassy would be reviewed.

Mr Kenny told the meeting of his personal good relations with the Catholic Church.

"The real threat to the Government is that rows between the alternative sets of back-benchers will spark a political crisis that can only be resolved by an election," one minister said of the dispute.

Dublin Labour TD Aodhan O Riordain yesterday apologised for his apparent support of a proposal that senior public servants be screened to ensure they do not show "inappropriate deference to the Catholic Church".

He claimed the proposal came from within his constituency organisation and he did not read it before submitting it for inclusion at the party's upcoming conference. His apparent support for such a proposal drew the ire of party colleagues.

- DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter and jOHN DRENNAN
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gilmores-not-an-inch-on-vatican-sparks-crisis-3010353.html?from=dailynews

Comments

The Jesuits must have done a right job on Peter Mathews if he was brandishing rosary beads at a Fine Gael party meeting like an Oliver Flanagan or Mine Bean Uí Chribín.

Who makes use of an embassy in the Vatican? How come that the Irish Embassy in Argentina also serves many of its neighbouring countries - Chile, Uruguay etc. Two embassies in Italy is a waste of money. Ambassador, secretary, office staff, Embassy, Ambassador's residence - all expenses we can't afford.

one member brandishing rosary beads and another stating who was a better Catholic...? is this really Ireland of the 21st century. ? It is an embarrasment.

===

Jody Corcoran: Closing Vatican embassy to cut costs doesn't add up

Decision to shut was taken just after Cloyne Report was published, writes Jody Corcoran

Sunday February 05 2012

The Government's stated reason for the closure of our embassy at the Vatican is questionable.


Eamon Gilmore, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the reason had to do with cost cutting, and was unrelated to a row between Ireland and the Vatican regarding co-operation with a child sex abuse inquiry.

The timing of the closure, in the immediate aftermath of the Cloyne Report, was certainly unfortunate from the Government's point of view, that is, if it expects people to accept its motivation was entirely as presented.

There are two Irish embassies in Rome, one to Italy, the other to the Vatican. The intention now is for diplomatic relations with the Vatican to be conducted from Dublin, an exercise that may well involve frequent -- and expensive -- trips to the Vatican by our man in, eh, Dublin.

But that is not the point. When Mr Gilmore cut the three embassies -- Holy See, Timor Leste and Iran -- the decision was, he said, taken purely on grounds related to the economy.

The argument is that under the old Lateran Treaty establishing the Vatican as a sovereign state, it is not possible to have an ambassador to both Italy and the Vatican and there has to be separate accreditation.

So the argument from the Department of Foreign Affairs is that once you shut the embassy to the Vatican, you cannot get the Italian ambassador to double up on the job.

But there were many other posts in the system where it would have been possible to accredit someone with an existing job to doing another, thereby making the required savings which may have saved our embassy at the Vatican.

Take the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, of which Ireland has been given the chair. It is based in Vienna, Austria. But we already have an existing ambassador in Vienna.

We also have an ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development based in Paris, a permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, and, of course, an ambassador to France -- operating from the same address.

We have an ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, and also an ambassador to the UN in New York (with attendant offices); while in New York we also have a consul general and staff operating a completely separate mission, and we have an ambassador to Switzerland, in Berne.

Ireland has effectively three ambassadors based in Brussels: the ambassador to Belgium; the ambassador (permanent representative) to the EU and the ambassador to something called the Partnership for Peace Delegation, which, I'm sure, is involved in important work.

But how much more important can it be than to have a man in the Vatican, the ultimate listening post at a time when the Catholic Church has one billion adherents around the world?

You can expect this controversy to gather momentum and, with mounting Fine Gael opposition, within a year or two, for a formula to be found to reverse what was always a questionable decision.

- Jody Corcoran

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/jody-corcoran-closing-vatican-embassy-to-cut-costs-doesnt-add-up-3010238.html

===

Pope 'considering' Irish visitIRELAND
The Irish Times

KITTY HOLLAND

Pope Benedict would visit Ireland “soon rather than later” and was “actively considering” an invitation from the Irish Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.

Dr Martin also said, however, that the Irish Church was not ready for a papal visit.

Speaking on RTÉ radio today, in advance of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress which takes place in Dublin in June, he said the pope had been invited.

“We haven’t got a response. He did say to me that he would be open to coming but he said, and this I agree with, that his coming would have to fit into the overall timetable of the renewal of the Church in Ireland.

“Short-circuiting that programme wouldn’t bring the benefits that a papal visit would bring and I am not sure that we are at that stage yet.”

He said in the wake of the sexual, emotional and physical abuse scandals in Catholic-run institutions and the subsequent fall in Mass attendances, the Church here was in need of radical renewal and reform. This process would have to be further progressed before a papal visit would be of significant benefit.

“We have to see and understand ourselves where we want to go with the Catholic Church. I think a papal visit will only have a significance when many of these issues of our past are fully addressed.”

Asked when the pope might visit, Dr Martin said he didn’t know, “but I would say soon rather than later. When Pope John Paul came to Ireland the notice was very, very limited.

Asked whether he was expecting the pope to visit for the Eucharistic Congress he said: “I have plan A and Plan B.”

The Congress will take place over eight days from 10th to 17th June with events at the RDS. Up to 25,000 people per day are expected, about half of them from overseas. The theme will be The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another .

The Congress is an international gathering which takes place every four years in different locations of the world. It was last held in Ireland in 1932.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0205/breaking17.html

=======================

Auugst 8, 2012 news updates

Bulgaria

Vatican rejects Bulgarian envoy over gay prose

VATICAN CITY
The Irish Times

PADDY AGNEW

THE HOLY See has rejected the man nominated as next Bulgarian ambassador to the Vatican because of a steamy gay scene in a best-selling novel recently written by him, it is alleged in the Rome newspaper La Repubblica.

On paper, Kiril Maritchkov (39) looks the perfect choice.

He is married to an Italian, he is the father of two children and a graduate in law and political sciences.

He not only speaks five languages but he is also an expert in post-Berlin Wall eastern Europe.

The problem is that Mr Maritchkov is also a novelist.

In his book, Clandestination, he tells the story of Ivan, a young east-European graduate in architecture, who comes to Italy, enticed by false work promises.

In a manner that accurately reflects the experience of many clandestini (clandestine immigrants, hence the book’s title), it all falls apart for Ivan in Italy.

At one point, he is so short of money that he prostitutes himself for €50 to a man he encounters casually at Valle Giulia, central Rome.

When the papal nuncio in Bulgaria, Janusz Bolonek, sent a file back to headquarters, he drew attention to this particular scene in the novel, which was first published in 2010 and which also won a nomination for the Bulgarian Book of the Year.

That particular piece of literary verve, it seems, has blocked the nomination with the Holy See rejecting Mr Maritchkov, while Bulgaria, thus far, has stuck by its man.

Asked to comment on the matter yesterday, senior Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi would only confirm that, so far, the two parties concerned had not reached an agreement on the appointment.

Fr Lombardi refused to speculate on the reasons for the three-month long diplomatic stalemate.

Incidents of this kind are not exactly new where Vatican diplomacy is concerned.

In 2008, France and the Holy See went through at least three candidates before finally agreeing to the appointment of Stanislas de Laboulaye.

The first choice was divorced, the second Protestant and the third was living in a long-term gay relationship.

In the same year, Argentina reportedly withdrew its nomination of former minister for justice Alberto Iribarne as ambassador to the Holy See.

On that occasion, the Vatican had objected to the fact that Mr Iribarne had been divorced and then remarried.

Vatican Rejects Bulgarian Envoy Over Gay Novel: Latest Imbroglio Between Holy See And Sofia

VATICAN CITY
International Business Times

By Palash R. Ghosh

August 7, 2012

The Vatican has rejected a proposed ambassador from Bulgaria, because the candidate wrote a novel that featured the themes of homosexuality and prostitution.

Kiril Marichkov’s highly successful novel, "Clandestination," offended Vatican officials, placing his nomination to the Holy See in jeopardy.

The 39-year-old attorney, who speaks five languages and is married to an Italian woman, is also the grandson of the first Bulgarian ambassador appointed to the Vatican after the fall of communism.

Despite his sterling credentials, the Vatican will not approve his appointment.

His book is about illegal immigrants who escape Eastern Europe for Rome after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The principle character, a man named Ivan, is forced by poverty to sell himself to men for sex on the streets.

Racy novel scuppers Bulgarian's chance as Vatican ambassador

VATICAN CITY
Jakarta Globe

The Vatican said Tuesday it has not accepted Bulgaria's proposed ambassador to the Holy See, apparently rejecting diplomat Kiril Marichkov for writing a racy novel featuring gay sex and prostitution.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that "the proposal has not been agreed to," leading observers to surmise that Marichkov had been rejected over a graphic scene in his successful 2005 novel "Clandestination".

The book, based on the lives of illegal immigrants in Italy, features one scene where a desperate young eastern European man prostitutes himself with a man he picks up on a Rome street, before begging God's forgiveness.

Lombardi would not comment on Sofia's chosen candidate for the post, but confirmed there was no current Bulgarian ambassador at the Vatican.

==========

Confessions of an Ex-Priest: The Doctrine of Justification for Lying by Clergy

Posted: 08/09/2012 3:45 pm

People don't expect their priests and bishops to lie, but as Michelangelo Signorile's recent post illustrated, clerics do lie. Some even make a virtue of it. I know this from experience, for I was ordained a Catholic priest on a lie.

In spring 2002 I walked with my spiritual director along the blacktop road encircling the seminary. He'd been my confessor and guide for two years, helping me discern God's presence in all aspects of my life, intimate and mundane. Over our heads, a canopy of newborn leaves rustled in a sunny breeze, a welcome relief from the bitter fog that had engulfed the church and my vocational surety.

For the previous two months an unprecedented number of bishops and priests, starting with Cardinal Law of Boston, had fallen from grace for participation in the sexual abuse of children and the ensuing cover-up. Their duplicity was palpable in my knotted back and abdomen. In a few months I'd be ordained a priest. I didn't want to do so on a lie.
"I'm coming out of the closet," I said.

My spiritual director loosened his clerical collar and lit a cigarette. "Where's this coming from?" he asked. A couple of chattering wrens whooshed past.

I backtracked through six years of seminary formation. At events I had hobnobbed with supposedly holy men, some of whom had been harboring pedophiles. A few had done the deed themselves. By shaking their hands, mine were dirty. I knew the ecclesiology, how the bishops' authority stemmed from a direct line to Jesus, but they were still criminals. Who were they to declare homosexuals "intrinsically depraved"?

When I'd applied for seminary, the director of seminarians -- the priest who'd recruited me -- explained that orientation didn't matter, only celibacy. But on my intake interviews he'd told me to answer "yes" when the archdiocesan psychologist asked if I was attracted to women, and "no" when he asked if I was attracted to men. It was for the greater good, he said. Frightened of being cast out and ashamed of my true nature, I had lied as instructed.

In light of the sexual abuse scandal, lying about my orientation was no longer acceptable. I thought of what a gay friend who'd left seminary had said. His words became my own: "I don't know if I can separate my private and public selves. Isn't integration the goal of spiritual direction?"

"Of course it is," my spiritual director said, more gravelly than usual. He stopped and turned to me. A tree cast a web of shadows over his face. His strawberry nose grew flushed, as he gestured with his hands.

"Here's the thing, Rastrelli. You have to ask yourself: Am I going to be a gay priest, or a priest" -- he rolled his fingers and cigarette through the air like a barrel -- "who happens to be gay?"

"What's the difference?" I turned my head to inhale, trying to avoid his secondhand smoke. "Either way I'm gay. It's a part of me."
"But are you gay first, and then a priest? Or a priest first, and then gay?" He smiled, satisfied with the distinction.

"Both/and." I'd hit him with what he'd taught me in class. "Both/and" was the paradoxical answer for every ultimate question in Catholic theology: Scripture or tradition? Faith or works? Is Jesus divine or human? Are we sinful or good? is faith a solo or communal experience?
"Touché," he said. We walked. He sucked his cigarette. "You're a smart guy, Rastrelli. Give it some thought."

I kicked a pebble onto the grass. "I have. I don't want to lie about my sexuality."

"It's not lying if those asking don't have a right to the information."
He hadn't even flinched. I wanted to shake the nicotine from his bones, to scream, "It was that kind of thinking that landed the bishops in the papers!" Still, part of me wanted him to be right. Silence was simpler, easier, and maybe my need to come out was just pride at work. My promise of obedience demanded that I surrender my ego. My vocation was about God, not my orientation. But couldn't we priests be honest with one another? I had to try.

"Gay Catholics don't have positive role models," I said. "I don't know of a single gay priest that's healthy. Do you?" I stopped. He kept walking. This was as close as I'd ever come to asking him if he was gay. I suspected he was. He'd lived with another priest for decades. They vacationed and picked out carpeting together. They spoke about their cat as if she were their child. Even if he and his housemate weren't having sex, they were a couple. I stepped in stride with him. "How am I supposed to be an integrated gay priest when I have no one to look up to? How does celibacy actually work?" I stopped again. "I'm asking you."

He turned to me. His face became whiter than a funeral pall. "I'm sorry, Rastrelli, but that's not a conversation I'm comfortable having with a student."

He resumed his pace. I followed silently.

The breeze picked up. The undulating trees sounded like the ocean breaking on the shore. I choked back the urge to ask, "Are you gay?" I felt like a sinking ship in a fleet that had wandered into a minefield. After laying the mines himself, the fleet commander had ordered radio silence.

I didn't want to drown alone. I didn't want to hear him lie. I wanted the truth, but the truth was dangerous. Were I to come out amid sexual-abuse headlines, homophobic Catholics wrongly blaming gay priests for the scandal would demand my dismissal.

My spiritual director was right. Who were they to judge, to put my orientation before my vocation? They had no right to that knowledge. It was safer to be a priest who happened to be gay. Perhaps it was God's will. The fear accompanying us back to the seminary told me so.

That day, I learned the unspoken rule passed down through generations of priests: the doctrine of justification for lying by clergy. I went on to be ordained a priest. I preached that "the truth will set you free" while living in silence and shame. After a long journey and much pain, I came out. I left the priesthood, finally refusing to live the lies that I'd been taught to venerate.

Confessions of an Ex-Priest: My Flirtation With the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Posted: 08/01/2012 10:23 pm

On Friday, July 27, the U.S. Catholic hierarchy took another leap to the anti-LGBT right when the Vatican named Bishop Salvatore Cordileone the next Archbishop of San Francisco. Cordileone, who helped draft California's Proposition 8, is the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. At the press conference following his promotion's announcement, Cordileone restated his position that civil marriage is only the union of a man and a woman before saying, "I don't see how that's discriminatory against anyone." Such contradictory statements may sound absurd to outsiders, but to Catholic clerics, who are formed in a homophobic seminary system, they are a means of survival.

In November 2001, two months before the Boston Globe unmasked Cardinal Law's coverup of priest-perpetrated sexual abuse of children, I was in my final year of Catholic seminary. My brother seminarians and I stumbled through the predawn darkness and boarded a chartered bus. We were men in black (clerical attire) charged with a mission: Hobnob over breakfast with members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who were in Washington, D.C., for their annual meeting. Our goal: Get them to send more meat to our school, St. Mary's Seminary, known in conservative circles as the Pink Palace.

As the bus rolled to a stop in front of the bishops' hotel, my chest tightened. Openly gay Catholics wrapped in coats and scarves lined the dimly lit sidewalk. Candles flickered before their frozen faces as they maintained a silent, 24-hour protest of the Church's teachings on homosexuality. I rushed past them with the herd of soon-to-be-priests.
In the safety of the conference room, which smelled of coffee, dry cleaning, and musk, we waited for the guests of honor to arrive. We bitched about the ungodly hour and planned our ecclesial courting: "What's he looking for?" "He's into Opus Dei, so you stay away from him." "Thank goodness mine's a liberal." "Liberal with the altar boys!" "Is my collar straight?"

The number of men entering seminary had been dwindling for decades. Seminary rectors were desperate for devoted patrons. The lifeblood of every graduate-level seminary, bishops provided seminarians, each of us worth roughly $100,000 to $150,000 in tuition. Our rector understood that the way to a bishop's heart was food -- and strapping young men, flitting about, drunk on the Church's salvific mission.
Therefore, he catered the annual breakfast.

Attendees were plucked from the student body according to certain parameters:

First selected were the sole seminarians from a diocese. No one wanted to be the doofus whose idiosyncrasies convinced his bishop to sever historical ties with the oldest seminary in the nation. These fellows had to sell their bishops on the school at all costs and recruit a diocesan brother.

Next chosen were the handsomest, 20-something seminarians. We were charged with winning new bishops to the fold. Nothing impressed a crusty bishop more than a beautiful boy hungry for holy father's attention. After four straight years in attendance, I knew the unspoken drill. Conservatives targeted the right-wing bishops, liberals the left-wing ones. Theological crossbreeding was forbidden.

Finally, most of the African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Africans were conscripted. The white-washed conference needed to see how St. Mary's reflected the "small-c catholic" church that the bishops prided themselves on representing.

As for those lacking in physical blessing or from well-represented dioceses, they were left behind at the seminary, full of rejection and resentment.

Our sentry dashed in from the lobby proclaiming, "The bishops are coming!" The rector barked last-second talking points. We straightened our jackets, brushed one another's shoulders, and yanked at our sleeves to display our gold-crucifix cufflinks.

The bishops descended. Their short break rushed past, a mélange of fruit Danishes and seminary statistics. We preached the wonders of St. Mary's. They nodded benevolently. We admired their jeweled pectoral crosses, they our enthusiasm. Some conversed in close proximity with their hands on our elbows or biceps.

We laughed at their stale jokes and offered fresh coffee. They struggled with our names, while we calculated their levels of interest. The savvier seminarians teased out common ecclesial acquaintances, hoping for the opportune connection: a St. Mary's alumnus. The active bishops hustled off to deliberate the fate of the American Church, while a smattering of retired guys dallied, collecting smiles and sweet rolls.

After the courting concluded and our rector-pimp congratulated us on a job well done, we exited the hotel. As we waited to enter the bus, I felt the gaze of the gay protesters. Fear whipped through me like the bitter wind scouring the Capitol. A diocesan brother of mine, who'd come out of the closet, had just dropped out of seminary in Washington. He was angry about the Church's harmful teachings and treatment of gay Catholics. I'd wished him well and justified my ongoing choice to remain.

Church teachings didn't evolve overnight, but they would. The worst sin a cleric could commit was to scandalize the faithful. Of course the bishops were slow to change; they were avoiding scandal. Progressive priests were needed to effect change. We'd remind the bishops how Jesus embraced society's marginalized and vulnerable. We'd minister to those whom current teachings caused anguish and nurture their patience. In time, psychology's acceptance of homosexuality would trickle up into the college of bishops. They would come to see the pain their teachings caused gay Catholics. The arc of change in the Church was long.

Still, I prayed not to see my friend's frosty face among the protesters. As our line meandered past them, I wasn't the only seminarian with my eyes downcast, frightened that if I looked a gay in the eye, he would know. His glare would strip away my shield of celibacy and proclaim me a known homosexual.

Slouched behind the safety of the reflective windows, I watched the protesters' frozen exhalations rise through beams of low morning light like incense at the altar. No one onboard spoke of them. We silently accepted their judgment. Then we were whisked back to the safety of the seminary and the corresponding compartments of our collective clerical closet.

Today, I stand with the protestors. The Catholic bishops continue to hide behind the reflective windows of their anti-gay teachings. Recent polling reveals that the majority of American Catholics favor same-sex couples' right to marry (52 percent, according to a Pew Research poll). I can only hope that more of them will be scandalized, step off the bus, and call bishops such as Cordileone to task for their bigoted politics.

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