The Soap Box

Belly up for The Vatican

In spite of the recent scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church there is still too much sorrowful or respectful discussion in the media about an institution that should be frankly be labeled  fraudulent.

Of course, this church has been here for a long time, has produced many fine intellects, done huge amounts of good humanitarian and social work, given moral leadership and commanded world-wide respect on account of its outstanding personalities - not least the present pope.

But at its core, where by its own confession, the church should be the very gateway to heaven, its bones are laid bare with corruption, hypocrisy and metaphysical hocus-pocus. And if our national leaders and the press understood this the church would receive what it deserves - short shrift.

Let's put it baldly. Can you imagine a more obscene blasphemy than this; the priestly hands that fondle the genitals of children are the same hands that conjure bread into God, the body soul and divinity of Christ? The hands that perform criminal acts against children also gently place the bread which is not bread into the mouths of the faithful?

Spread that wider, for this is not just a few miscreant wretches, but a wide network of criminal clerics whose internal management of such misdeeds amounts to a conspiracy of damage limitation and concealment. If it were not for the implicit shared guilt of these priests the church would not be under obligation to stump up tens of millions of dollars in damages.

Spread that higher. What is God doing or thinking while the felonious priest is both abusing children and turning bread into God? If I were God the very least I would do is say, "Hey, buddy, when you do that This is my Body thing, I ain't playing. The bread stays bread for you." And you know why? Because if he didn't God would be a co-conspirator, providing endorsement for the obscenity; trapped by his own obligation to transfigure wafers every time the holy words are spoken. Of course, the faithful were not to know that they went home having only eaten bread. They were also deceived. Millions of them.

We hear that the Vatican is in some denial about what is happening in The States. Hmm. They say it's an American problem. But I doubt it. The Catholic Church in Eire has already had to place at least 20 million UK pounds into a fund to pay damages to abused children. Yes, Ireland! And in mainland UK a whole slew of bishops and priests have also been uncovered in the same pedophiliac sin. Human nature being what it is we can be totally sure of this - the same priestly corruption will be found in every nation under the sun. It's just that in poorer, more repressed societies, where the priests can still reign as princes of the church, they can better keep the rot under wraps.

This is, in fact, nothing new. As a young student at college I poured over the pages of Father Chiniquy's "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome" in which he catalogued the massive scale of the secretive whoring of French Canadian priests. He was equally appalled that while the priest had his male member inside his female members he had Le Bon Dieu (consecrated bread) in a small container in his breast pocket.

The Roman Church has always had a stupid neurosis about sex, dignifying it with it's inane ethical requirements that the clergy should be celibate. The biblical and polemical reason for this are at best specious and at worst silly. But I don't intend to enter that discussion here. The point is that the centuries old insistence on celibacy has led to a culture in which normal men with normal sexuality, properly used in marriage, have been denied the priesthood. What does that do? It promotes a culture in which the sort of men who identify themselves with the ideals of priesthood tend to be sexual oddballs! I would like to say - not all of them. But why should I? For he must be strange in some way who takes a vow to abstain from one of the most profound instincts of mankind.

I invite you to look, just look, at the generality of priests. It's almost as though there was some unconscious priestly style, a look, a manner, a physique. It is the soft, pampered semi-feminism of a class whose hormones and sexuality are statistically different from the normal male population. Please do not misunderstand me. Of course there are men who appear normal, earthy, real men. But in general the priesthood is almost intuitively attractive for homosexuals. It's a neat niche for child molesters. This is the culture of the Roman Church. And while these men wrestle with their inner sexual longings, to get them under control in the name of self-discipline and holiness, they are also having their passions constantly inflamed as they listen to the sexual confessions of  more normal people who can sin more freely and get away with a few Hail Mary's. These spiritual eunuchs are of all men a class most pathetic, conflicted and unreal in terms of human nature. Catholic teaching and history of the celibate priesthood has always been a hot-bed, a breeding ground for the worst sins of corruption.

It would only be right to offset these remarks with some positive recognition. The Roman Catholic Church is not setting about banishing many pedophiles from its ranks. And there are bound to be some priests who have succeeded in sublimating their sexual instincts and have become role models of self-control and piety.

However, let's examine the basis for my more trenchant statements.

The only true church.
Claiming to be the only TRUE church, with an unending line of priestly succession going back to Peter as the first Bishop of Rome, there is no valid Christian ministry except the Roman Catholic ministry.

In spite of its ecumenical posture and co-operation with many other churches and ministries the Roman Catholic church still claims to be the only route for the forgiveness of sin and entrance to heaven. Even as a faithful member of the church you live in  constant need of repentance for sin, where only the priest may pronounce absolution. If you  keep short accounts with God you may be lucky enough to die with only venial sins on your account and get to heaven pretty quickly after you die. Nothing that a spell in purgatory will not put right. But die in mortal sin, or outside the church and the chance of making it to the presence of Mary and the saints is a total no-no.

Only from a truly ordained priest can you receive the sacrament of the mass in which he conjures bread by miracle into being not bread at all,  but the very body, soul and divinity of Christ.

To be continued .....