Premier Vaticanista John L. Allen Jr describes his unlimited access into the Vatican and Papal apartments

Here is a full speech from the horse's mouth of John L. Allen Jr on June 29, 2004, wherein he boasted in a speech at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC his unlimited access into the Vatican and into the Papal apartments. We have been exposing John Allen as the highest paid journalist on the planet earth as he is paid both by NCR and the Vatican trillion dollar Bank to propagate the papal and Vatican agendas -- to deceive the 1.1 billion Catholics and the world.

In this speech John Allen clearly defines himself as the premier Vaticanista on earth. No other Vaticanista in Italy has access like John L. Allen has into the Vatican. He is the premier Pied Piper of the Popes and the Vatican, especially the Opus Dei who controlled the 26+ years papacy of John Paul II. Hence he alone was given exclusive permission to be the “official” biographer of the Opus Dei. (The Pied Piper led the children with his sweet music into the cave of deception and final damnation.)

When a group of survivors (sexually abused by pedophile priests) from around the world gathered for the first time in Rome last month, they were neither allowed access to the Vatican nor granted an audience with Benedict XVI, rather they were shoved away by Italian police as far away from St. Peter's Square. Benedict XVI did not bother to meet with these "least brethren of Christ" in the Catholic Church see http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/11/benedict-xvi-and-vatican-are-worst.html. But John L. Allen Jr can go in and out of the Vatican and has unlimited access to the Vatican and the Popes. POOR VICTIMS all they have and receive are papal farts from Benedict XVI and none from John Paul II.

To spare you his long proselytizing speech, here are the most significant excerpts:
In Rome, I move in and out of the Holy See, the pontifical universities, religious communities, the diplomatic world, non-governmental organizations and the Italian ecclesiastical scene.

I am what the Italians call a Vaticanista, meaning that it is my full-time work to track the vicissitudes in this 108-acre island of ecclesiastical life in the heart of modern urban Rome called "the Vatican." Concretely, this means that several times a year I go to the Apostolic Palace, into the papal apartments, to watch the Holy Father receive some dignitary, usually a head of state. Most recently I was there for the June 4 visit of President Bush. Almost every day I'm in Rome takes me in and out of some office of the Roman Curia. I'm in constant phone and e-mail contact with officials of the Curia, trying to keep my finger on the pulse of what's going on. My life is composed of a seemingly infinite series of congresses, symposia, plenary assemblies, book presentations, press conferences, lunches and dinners and embassy parties. Finally, I move when the pope moves. In the last four years, I've been with the Holy Father to Greece, Syria, Ukraine, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Switzerland. All this gives me an up-close-and-personal perspective on the Vatican, and some appreciation of the complexity of the universal Church.

See our related articles about John L. Allen Jr of All Things Catholic

Commentary on John L. Allen Jr 'Benedict XVI and Tom Doyle on the crisis' in All Things Catholic http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/12/commentary-on-john-l-allen-jr-benedict.html

Benedict calls Cardinals for a one-day conference to tackle the 26+ years Clergy Sex Abuse of Biblical Proportions (with Vatican crocodile tears) http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/11/benedict-calls-cardinals-for-one-day.html

Benedict XVI and the Vatican are the worst pathological liars on earth. Benedict XVI is the mythomaniac of the 21st century!!! http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/11/benedict-xvi-and-vatican-are-worst.html

John L. Allen Jr the most cold-blooded Vaticanista nullify SNAP and all victims' misery caused by the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/09/john-l-allen-jr-most-cold-blooded.html

John L. Allen Jr. deceptions call the Vatican as the 'little guy' http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/06/john-l-allen-jr-deceptions-call-vatican.html

Benedict XVI appoints 24 Cardinals who will perpetuate Injustice in the Sacrament of Penance http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/10/benedict-xvi-is-most-revered-criminal.html

Latin is not a mother tongue and therefore cannot be the “official language” of the Vatican. Why must the Vatican Bank be above all banks? http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/10/latin-is-not-mother-tongue-and.html


John L. Allen Jr of NCR is the Pied Piper of Benedict XVI toots “Will Ratzinger's past trump Benedict's present?” http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/03/john-allen-pied-piper-of-benedict-xvi_25.html

John Allen (defender of the Vatican Trinity,i.e. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Opus Dei) surreptitiously undermine SNAP's financial campaign http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2009/12/john-allen-defender-of-vatican.html

Biggest Vatican stories of the decade: John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army committed Holy ES Eucharist-and-Sodomy of Biblical proportions http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2010/01/biggest-vatican-stories-of-decade-john.html

John Paul II Titanic Ship hit not only by American iceberg of priest pedophilia, also Irish iceberg, German iceberg, Austrian...Canadian icebergs.... http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2010/03/john-paul-ii-titanic-ship-hit-not-only.html

Vatican asks victims to see church as ally in fighting abuse is as preposterous if the Legion asked Fr. Maciel’s victims to see Legionaries as allies http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2010/11/vatican-asks-victims-to-see-church-as.html

Tracking John L. Allen Jr, the highest paid professional journalist paid both by NCR and the Vatican trillion dollar Bank http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/04/tracking-john-l-allen-jr-of-ncr-highest.html



The Pied Piper led the children with his sweet music into the cave of deception and final damnation.



Compare the CRIMES and their VICTIMS in America

Victims - Attackers - Responsible Leaders

Pearl Harbor - 3,000 victims - 170 planes - Admiral Yamamoto

WTC & 9/11 attacks - 5,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden

USA Priest Pedophilia - 12,000 victims - 6,000 priests - John Paul II,
Benedict XVI & Opus Dei (Vatican Trinity)


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

Catholic Common Ground Lecture
June 25, 2004
Catholic University of America, Washington
John L. Allen, Jr.


I am delighted to be here this evening, for at least three reasons. First, I am profoundly honored, and a bit overwhelmed, to be included in the series of Catholic luminaries who have delivered this prestigious lecture. I am quite conscious that I am not their equal, either in terms of service to the Church or theological profundity. I hope I can compensate with sincerity, as well as the relative uniqueness of my perspective as a journalist who lives in Rome and covers the Holy See on a daily basis. Second, I am honored that Professor Mary Ann Glendon has agreed to respond to this address. Her contributions to the intellectual life of the Church are well known, and without realizing it, she has often helped me think through complicated issues. I am grateful to Professor Glendon, and I look forward to her comments tonight.

Finally, I am pleased to be among you because I am convinced of the importance of the Common Ground Project, which aims to bring Catholics of differing outlooks and experiences into conversation. I know something of the riches of this enterprise. The greatest blessing of my job, in fact, is that it gives me occasion to talk to Catholics of all shapes and sizes. In Rome, I move in and out of the Holy See, the pontifical universities, religious communities, the diplomatic world, non-governmental organizations and the Italian ecclesiastical scene. I spend time with progressive social justice groups, traditionalist liturgical movements, neo-conservative political circles, and dynamic charismatic movements, not to mention Catholics from widely differing cultures and linguistic groups, and I never feel that I have to choose among them. Quite the contrary, my instinct tells me they are all valuable parts of the koinonia, perhaps none holding the final answer to the problems facing the Church. The acrimony I sometimes find as I cross these lines pains me. I worry that the "spirituality of communion" to which the Holy Father calls us is honored more in the breach than the observance.

These perceptions have been strengthened by my experience of lecturing fairly widely across the United States in the last three years. The subject of the Vatican and the papacy is of broad appeal, and hence I draw fairly mixed audiences, with Catholics from all points of view. When it comes time for discussion, I am often startled at how quickly things degenerate into disputation. The alarming phenomenon is not merely that Catholics seem angry with one another, but that they increasingly seem to be speaking separate languages. Self-identified 'progressive' Catholics read their own publications, listen to their own speakers, attend their own conferences, and think their own thoughts. Self-identified 'conservatives' do the same thing. Hence when you bring people from these two camps into the same room, they have moved so far down separate paths that even if there is good will for a conversation, quite often a shared intellectual and cultural framework is missing.

In all this, the discussion in the Church reflects the increasingly arid discourse in the broader culture. Philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre has described the phenomenon well:

"The self-assertive shrillness of protest arises because . . . protestors can never win an argument: the indignant self-righteousness of protest arises because . . . the protestors can never lose an argument either. Hence the utterance of protest is characteristically addressed to those who already share the protestors' premises. . . . Protestors rarely have anyone else to talk to but themselves."

As a journalist, I confess that my industry bears some responsibility here. Good journalism's mission is to test everyone's biases against the facts. By its very nature, journalism should be an aide to dialogue. Yet this is increasingly not what we see. If one of the unwritten laws of my profession is "sex sells," a new one might be formulated as "spin wins." In a crowded market, those media outlets with a clear ideological profile seem to have the best chance of standing out. In the TV world, the success of Fox News makes this point, as does the growth of left-leaning alternative weeklies in the newspaper business. The old wall between news and editorials has become a porous membrane, and the search for zingers has supplanted sober exploration of issues. The conversation within the Church cannot help but be corroded by all of this. The clear ideological stratification of Catholic media in the United States is but one unfortunate example.

For all these reasons, I find myself reflecting much these days about the need for shared spaces of information and conversation, and all the more convinced that Common Ground is important.

I am what the Italians call a Vaticanista, meaning that it is my full-time work to track the vicissitudes in this 108-acre island of ecclesiastical life in the heart of modern urban Rome called "the Vatican." Concretely, this means that several times a year I go to the Apostolic Palace, into the papal apartments, to watch the Holy Father receive some dignitary, usually a head of state. Most recently I was there for the June 4 visit of President Bush. Almost every day I'm in Rome takes me in and out of some office of the Roman Curia. I'm in constant phone and e-mail contact with officials of the Curia, trying to keep my finger on the pulse of what's going on. My life is composed of a seemingly infinite series of congresses, symposia, plenary assemblies, book presentations, press conferences, lunches and dinners and embassy parties. Finally, I move when the pope moves. In the last four years, I've been with the Holy Father to Greece, Syria, Ukraine, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Switzerland. All this gives me an up-close-and-personal perspective on the Vatican, and some appreciation of the complexity of the universal Church.

I have been asked to apply this international perspective tonight to the issue of dialogue within the Church. Actually, my very first overseas assignment was to cover one of the more unique attempts at fostering dialogue within a divided Catholic community in recent years, the "Dialogue for Austria" in 1998. I want to briefly tell you the story, because I think it offers a couple of object lessons for our discussion.

In 1985, the widely beloved Cardinal Franz König, who recently died at 98, stepped down as the archbishop of Vienna. His successor, a conservative Benedictine abbot named Hans Hermann Gröer, was named without consultation with König. The result was a new degree of polarization in what had been a fairly compact Austrian Catholicism. Then in 1995, a firestorm was unleashed when several men came forward to allege that Gröer had sexually abused them when they were novice monks. Gröer initially denied the charges and then became silent. He eventually resigned and was replaced by the Dominican theologian Cristoph Schönborn, now himself a cardinal. Not satisfied with Gröer's retreat, many Austrians suspected a cover-up. Finally four Austrian bishops, including Schönborn, announced that they were "morally certain" of Gröer's guilt.

The crisis generated a reform movement. On Good Friday in 1995, two Austrian laity, Tomas Plankensteiner and Ingrid Thurner, went on television in Innsbruck to announce the formation of a KirchenVolksBewegung -- a "People's Movement of the Church." Within a matter of weeks they had gathered three-quarters of a million signatures on a petition demanding five specific reforms. Over the next three years, they skillfully built their movement into a potent force in Austrian society, and finally the bishops felt obliged to call a unique national "parliament" of Austrian Catholics to allow their issues to be debated. The bishops pledged to carry whatever recommendations came out of that session to Rome.

Sensing a good story, I persuaded my editors at the National Catholic Reporter, who have been endlessly supportive of my interests, to fly me to Salzburg to cover the event. It was three days of high drama, with intense floor debates among abbots and pastors, lay theologians and bishops, social justice activists and Catholic politicians. When the time came to vote, it was a resounding win for the reform forces: delegates endorsed optional celibacy, greater flexibility for inter-communion, local election of bishops, and a host of other measures. Many Austrians left the dialogue feeling their problems had been solved.

The epilogue was rather more prosaic. The Austrian bishops carried these recommendations to Rome, where they went nowhere, as was entirely predictable. Within Austria a cycle of frustration and recrimination set in, with many Catholics concluding the dialogue had been a charade, while some bishops blamed others for permitting it in the first place. Why raise expectations of changes that will never happen, these bishops asked. Meanwhile, diocese by diocese, the process of dialogue was quietly dismantled. Today, Austrians tell me that whatever optimism was generated by Salzburg has been replaced by resignation.

The experience taught me two lessons. First, it is difficult to assess the long-term significance of a crisis at its peak. In 1995, at the height of the Gröer affair, it seemed unthinkable that Austrian Catholicism would revert to "business as usual," but most observers would agree this is what has happened. It is a point with obvious implications for analysis of the recent American crisis. Second, I learned that zero-sum strategies for managing differences in the Church borrowed from secular politics, where one side wins and the other loses, are a dead end. While the results might bring catharsis for the victors, they also produce resentment among the losers and hence deepen, rather than heal, divisions. Austria's secular press showered Salzburg with praise -- largely because its conclusions on women, sexuality and authority coincided with the biases of most journalists -- but conservative Austrian Catholics felt betrayed. In the end, Salzburg was good theatre but bad koinonia. (This, by the way, is the positive sense of what it means for the Church not to be a democracy).

To see what other lessons might be learned from local churches around the world, I prepared a questionnaire and sent it to Catholic observers in various countries. I asked whether polarization was a problem; whether there's a tendency for disagreements to become more acrimonious; and where the public spaces are for dialogue.

Let me share some reactions.

Poland: It is unquestionable we have not one but several Churches. Polarization occurs not only between "liberal" and "conservatives," but also between "rich" and "poor" and optimists and pessimists. There is an unbelievable lack of dialog space. The secular press talks about the Church mainly in terms of scandalous affairs and internal conflicts. The Catholic press, with some exceptions, is obsequious toward the hierarchy, hiding conflict.

Germany: There is a similar polarization, mainly among the postconciliar generation. Young people either are no more interested in the church or are more conservative. There is no real platform of dialogue as far as I can see. The secular media are far from the Catholic Church, which seems to them an oppressive institution.

Japan: The Catholic community is small, and intellectuals are not taken by theoretical issues. It is rare to have any public disagreement, although recently a group of Catholics sued a bishop who used money of the diocese to support a seminary of the Neocatechumenate. The Japanese feel it is a lack of respect to show a different opinion.

Australia: We certainly have polarization. There is virtually no space for dialogue of consequence. The bishops' national conference is closed, even to the media. The Catholic press with few exceptions is highly censored. The universities are largely disconnected from debates in the Catholic community.

England: The Church in England is much less polarized than in the USA. The bishops tend to be open-minded and pragmatic, if rather timid, people, who actively promote dialogue. There are several reasons why this is so:

1. We are a small Church, and so it is easier for the bishops to know each other well and understand each other.
2. We have had (and have) excellent nuncios who have tried to appoint people who would be welcomed by the clergy and people.
3. The English tend to distrust ideological extremes of the left or the right.

Philippines: In the Philippines the split is not so much between liberals and conservatives in theology as in social involvement. The rights of squatters, land reform, equal rights for women are where the split is found along class lines, with theological liberals and conservatives found on both sides. There is no real public space for dialogue about these questions.


From this decidedly unscientific sample, I extract three observations:

# Most Catholic communities around the world suffer some degree of polarization, though often it is perceived as less extreme than in the United States. The issues around which polarization occurs differ with the local situation;
# Smallness of size and scale, and the capacity to form personal relationships, seems to affect how polarized divisions become;
# There seems near-universal despair about the absence of public spaces for conversation among Catholics of different opinions, outlooks and temperaments.
#

As a journalist, it's my job to ask difficult questions, so let me now ask one aloud, prompted by this last point about the absence of spaces for dialogue: 'Why didn't Common Ground work?' Please don't misunderstand; I know the Common Ground initiative does very important things. Gathering us here this evening is a splendid case in point. At the same time, however, most observers would probably agree that measured against the aspirations of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, which were to transform the public conversation in the American Church, the Common Ground initiative has not had the desired impact. If anything, we are more polarized, more strangers to one another, today than when the project began. So, the tough question: Why?

I have a hunch. I think the proper analogy may be to substance abuse - people can't be helped if they don't want help. Similarly, a dialogue program is of no use to people convinced they have nothing to learn from one another. Perhaps, therefore, American Catholics haven't yet "bottomed out." They have not had the kind of illumination, the "ah-hah" moment, in which they grasped the sterility of ideological warfare.

I wish I had a formula for manufacturing such illumination on a mass scale. Instead, all I can offer is my personal story, in the hope that it might be indicative of something. My "conversion" to dialogue originated in a sort of "bottoming out." It came with the publication of my biography of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, issued by Continuum in 2000 and titled The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith. The first major review appeared in Commonweal, authored by another of my distinguished predecessors in this lecture series, Fr. Joseph Komonchak. It was not, let me be candid, a positive review. Fr. Komonchak pointed out a number of shortcomings and a few errors, but the line that truly stung came when he accused me of "Manichean journalism." He meant that I was locked in a dualistic mentality in which Ratzinger was consistently wrong and his critics consistently right. I was initially crushed, then furious. I re-read the book with Fr. Komonchak's criticism in mind, however, and reached the sobering conclusion that he was correct. The book, which I modestly believe is not without its merits, is nevertheless too often written in a "good guys and bad guys" style that vilifies the cardinal. It took Fr. Komonchak pointing this out, publicly and bluntly, for me to ask myself, "Is this the kind of journalist I want to be?" My answer was no, and I hope that in the years since I have come to appreciate more of those shades of gray that Fr. Komonchak rightly insists are always part of the story. (I will not embarrass Fr. Komonchak by asking for his evaluation of my performance!)

My point is that it is unpredictable what will produce change in the human heart. I would tongue-in-cheek suggest that perhaps the editors of Commonweal could arrange for more negative reviews of books by Catholic authors, but I actually doubt that's the solution. In some fashion, however, Catholics need to be brought to see how their blinders and prejudices, far from safeguarding the faith, actually impede full Catholicity. Again, I say: I do not know how to engineer this, but if I were a pastor or spiritual director or bishop these days, I would be spending a great deal of time pondering the outlines of a "spirituality of dialogue." We must have a spirituality before a program for dialogue can realize its potential.

Let me suggest five elements that seem to be at the core of such a spirituality.

The first is a dose of epistemological humility. We live in an era of instant opinion, where everyone is expected to have to an opinion on every topic under the sun. The raw truth, however, is that we don't know everything. We have to re-learn the discipline of withholding final judgment, realizing that we may not always have the requisite data or reflection to draw definitive conclusions. This is not a plea for relativism; where reason shows something to be true, or scripture and tradition posit something as definitive, the mind should not hold back assent. But even in those cases, there may be implications or dimensions we have missed, and dialogue can reveal them to us. Dialogue is, in other words, an essential element of the search for truth, but only if we are open to being shaped by the experience.
Second is a solid formation in Catholic tradition, as a means of creating a common language. Allow me to quote Franciscan Fr. David Jaeger, the chief negotiator for the Holy See in its relations with the Israeli government and a noted canonist. Jaeger writes:

The essential condition is learning in Scripture and Tradition, the Fathers and the Doctors. There were theological disputations in the past, but the disputants had precisely this, common ground, their common learning. Nowadays I observe that all too often the shouting match is between "gut" conservatives and "gut" liberals, whose common ground is their shared ignorance. I myself am very conservative doctrinally, yet, as a seminary professor in the late eighties and nineties, I was surprised to see that my would-be "conservative" students invariably assumed that the most extreme position on everything was always the most Catholic, without any understanding of the Tradition. The solution is a renewed emphasis on the common ground of humanistic and Christian learning, so that we do not engage in "political" negotiation, but in a responsible "searching of the Scriptures."

I don't have Jaeger's erudition, but I can only echo his conclusion. This, by the way, is one of the eternal problems in trying to explain Vatican documents to the American media market. The documents assume a classic Aristotelian/Thomistic cultural formation, while typical American responses to them, at least at the popular level, come out of a liberal, democratic worldview. The result is often misunderstanding.

Third, a proper spirituality of dialogue also requires patience. On this point, former Dominican Master General Fr. Timothy Radcliffe writes:

There can only be dialogue if we take time. It took 400 years for the Christology of Chalcedon to emerge. If we disagree with someone then one cannot make progress if one has put down a 20 minute meeting in the diary. The crucial issue is this: to what do we give that most precious gift which is time? God only gives us a little of it: 27,000 days on average. How shall we use them? If the unity of the Church is important, then we need to give time to those with whom we tussle, time to understand and to be challenged. A culture of activism means not just that we are all too busy, but that we are busy doing what is not perhaps so important.

Fourth, a spirituality of dialogue requires perspective, meaning the capacity to see issues through the eyes of others. This is a critical quality in a global Church with 1.1 billion members, a point brought home during the peak of the American sexual abuse crisis in Spring 2002. As you will recall, there was a drumbeat of criticism in the American press and in activist Catholic circles because the Vatican was not directly engaged. Officials of the Holy See, including the Holy Father himself, were sometimes assumed to be apathetic, out of touch, or even complicit in the cover-up. I was in Rome during that period, however, and seen from there, the most important religion story of Spring 2002 was not the American situation, but the 39-day standoff between Israelis and Palestinians at Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity. This was the drama on the front pages of newspapers, and the lead item on the evening news. While Americans were frustrated that the Holy See did not have a laser-beam focus on their crisis, some in the Vatican were equally shocked that the fate of the holy sites did not seem important to the American Catholic community. After all, America has enormous influence in the region, and the fate of their coreligionists in the Holy Land should have been of concern to American Catholics, yet few spoke out. In the end, a bloody denouement was narrowly avoided. One may argue that the Vatican's priorities should have been elsewhere, but no intelligent debate is possible until the perspective of the other party is properly understood.

Fifth and finally, we must foster a spirituality of dialogue that does not come at the expense of a full-bodied expression of Catholic identity. There is no future for dialogue if convinced Catholics sense the price of admission is setting aside their convictions. If dialogue means we have to go fuzzy on abortion, to take one obvious example, it is dead. To return to our earlier question, why didn't Common Ground work? It's not because it failed to respond to a real need. In fact, I sense a deeply felt desire among Catholics to overcome our internal bickering and divisions. That desire, however, is not the only, and probably not the strongest, trend coursing through Christianity. Today, I would assert that the strongest single impulse in the Christian community pivots on identity - the desire for a robust assertion of what it means to be a Christian. You can't explain the phenomenal success of "The Passion of the Christ" without understanding this impulse. It is perhaps most strongly felt by younger generations whose members did not acquire a strong sense of identity either in the home or in school, even Catholic schools. Hence the spirituality of dialogue needed is one that combines a vigorous assertion of identity, opening up our distinctive language and rituals and worldview to those who hunger for them, without ending up in a "Taliban Catholicism" that knows only how to excoriate and condemn.

I know this audience hardly requires a closing fervorino, but let me end with a final reflection. Normal American ambivalence about Roman authority was given a turbo charge by the sex abuse crisis. A May 2003 poll in The Boston Globe found that 39 percent of Catholics in the Boston area would support the creation of an American Catholic Church independent of the Vatican. The news is actually worse, because among Catholics aged 18-39, the proposal for cutting ties with Rome rises to 50.9 percent. Granted that attitudes in Boston are sharper than elsewhere, this finding should be alarming for anyone concerned with communio between the universal and the local Church. Certainly, a formal schism is improbable. But if present antagonisms fester, a cycle of recrimination and suspicion could result, producing an undeclared rupture such as the Catholic world has already seen in places such as Holland, Germany and Austria. Given that the United States is the leading political and commercial power in the world, and the Holy See the leading voice of conscience, then American Catholics and the Vatican should be collaborating on a Catholic perspective on global concerns. Disagreements and tensions will always be with us, and can be healthy. The cause of human dignity, however, is not served by a breach between Rome and the American Catholic "street," or within the American Catholic community between pro- and anti-Roman voices.

Hence there is no more urgent task than putting the Church in dialogue with itself, at all levels and across all divisions. My hope is fired by gatherings such as this one, in which good will and devotion to the koinonia is so clear. For all of our faults, American Catholicism remains resilient and resourceful. We face a wounded civic culture in need of the contributions that a unified Catholic voice can bring. May the quest for a spirituality of dialogue lead us into that long-awaited "Catholic moment."

Thank you very much.

John L. Allen, Jr. is NCR Rome Correspondent. His e-mail address is jallen@natcath.org
National Catholic Reporter, June 29, 2004
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/allen_common.htm
Posted: June 29, 2004

New book shows un-saint-liness of John Paul II and his major flaws and faults: Crossing the Threshold of Confusion

The main purpose of this book is to present the case against the canonization of Pope John Paul II.

Despite all the hoopla about Pope John Paul II, some believe he has been an unparalleled disaster in the history of the papacy and of the Church. In Crossing the Threshold of Confusion, author Andrew J. McCauley examines the record of this pope and discusses the harm he has done or has allowed to have happened not only to the Church but to Western civilization. McCauley uncovers countless faults many Catholic leaders have overlooked, including: • Pope John Paul II’s failure to enforce discipline in the Church, especially against widespread sexual abuse by priests; • his statements alleging and implying universal salvation; • the destabilization of marriage caused by his theology of the body ; • the conflicting messages that confuse the Church’s position on capital punishment; • his stance on the nature of the Church as a result of Vatican II. This exploration of recent Catholic history studies the ideas, writings, and policies of Pope John Paul II, from his life a young priest to his final days as pope, and examines their compatibility with traditional Catholic doctrine and practice. Crossing the Threshold of Confusion presents a case against the canonization of Pope John Paul II and demonstrates how his record warrants condemnation.

New Nonfiction Critically Examines Papacy of John Paul II
UNITED STATES
PRWeb
East Greenbush, NY (Vocus) November 23, 2010

With his ascendance into sainthood fast approaching, the critical evaluation of the late Pope John Paul II’s papacy is, to many, long overdue. Impugning the integrity of this international Catholic celebrity’s policies and precedents, Andrew J. McCauley critically reexamines the papacy of Pope John Paul II in his scathing new nonfiction book, Crossing the Threshold of Confusion (published by iUniverse).

Well-written and timely, Crossing the Threshold of Confusion presents a definitive case against the canonization of Pope John Paul II. Utilizing John Paul II’s publicized ideas, writings and policies – from his days as a young priest to his final days as pope – McCauley tests their compatibility with traditional Catholic doctrine and practice. What he finds will turn the image of this popularized Catholic figure on its head.

Among the subjects McCauley takes issue with include John Paul II’s failure to enforce discipline in the church, especially against widespread sexual abuse by priests; his statements implying universal salvation, his “Theology of the Body” and the inevitably destabilizing effects on marriage, his conflicting messages on capital punishment and his claim that the church has newly defined “her own nature.” In his most incisive moments, McCauley points to the inherent danger and consequences of having an international politician at the head of the Catholic Church. He writes:

"John Paul II was not the source of most of these destructive trends within the Church. He merely facilitated their spread by his actions and inactions. In fact, he resisted and fought some of them. His record on the life issues would be hard to improve upon. But it is doubtful that we ever had a pope before who was so influenced by worldly thinking and trends. In fact, he was so conditioned by the culture of the world that, in this writer’s opinion, he was probably the first pope who did not think like a Catholic. Phenomenology, existentialism, ecumenism, and perhaps the influence of modernist theologians were just some of the worldly trends that seemed to shape his thinking."

Controversial and insightful, Crossing the Threshold of Confusion is not to be missed.

About the Author
Before his retirement, Andrew J. McCauley was an attorney practicing law in New York and serving for the Catholic League for Religions and Civil Rights. He was a contributor to Latin Mass magazine and other catholic publications. He resided in Florida until his death in April of 2010.

iUniverse is the leading book marketing, editorial services and supported self-publishing company. For more information, visit iuniverse.com.

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The main purpose of this book is to present the case against the canonization of Pope John Paul II. Despite all the hoopla about the Pope, I believe that he has, in many respects, been an unparalleled disaster in the history of the papacy and of the Church. Rather than canonization, his record would seem to warrant condemnation, as was done to a previous pope, Honorius, for negligence in opposing a heretical view. And, it is maintained herein, what Pope John Paul II has done, and has failed to do, is far more egregious than any fault attributed to Honorius. But before going into his record, both before and after his election as pope, this book tries to explain (and we think successfully) how the guidance of the Church by the Holy Spirit is still compatible with both a harmful Church Council and a poor pope. There is a risk, of course, to the faith of Catholics in exposing the misfeasance of a pope. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit guides or at least influences the selection of a pope. Could the Holy Spirit then be involved in the selection of a bad pope? On the other hand, the canonization of a bad pope would have a very far greater negative impact on the Church and the faith of the people once the full truth about this pope came out. A similar problem exists as to ecumenical councils. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit guides such councils, yet many Catholics believe Vatican II was a disaster for the Church. This problem is addressed in Chapter II of this book. As explained, Vatican II probably prevented a much greater disaster. It was, I believe, Fr. Charles Davis, a liberal theologian, who may have supplied the clue that explains this problem. He said that if they (the dissenters) had five more years in which to consolidate their power and influence within the Church before Vatican II was held, they may have been able to have taken more complete control of the Council, and so greater control of the post-Vatican II Church. Of even more importance, the Council then most likely would not have been substantially a pastoral council, but rather one proclaiming infallible dogma, thus jeopardizing the claim of infallibility by the Church in its teachings. Pope John XXIII would have been dead by then, and his successor would probably not have limited it to the status of being a pastoral council, as did Pope John XXIII. While the Holy Spirit may also guide and influence the selection of a pope, man still has free will, and human factors may also have played a role here, including the spiritual state of the faithful. I believe it was St. Teresa of Avila who said, “We get the kind of pope we deserve,” indicating that the human factor is involved, for good or bad, in the selection of a pope. But only God knows all of the factors involved in the selection of a pope. Some popes were probably chosen because they were especially effective in dealing with certain problems then threatening the Church, such as Pope Gregory the Great and St. Pius X. The latter dealt with the threat of Modernism in a manner that would be considered imprudent, if not draconian, today. He did more than denounce it, and then go back to philosophizing. He ordered that “Councils of Vigilance” be set up in every diocese of the Church worldwide in order to extirpate the errors of Modernism. The body of this great Pope has never undergone corruption. But the truths he fought to defend and preserve have undergone much corruption in many precincts of the Church today, thanks in a large measure to one of his successors, John Paul II. Therefore, it could be said that a morally decadent people would, in the words of St. Teresa, get the kind of pope it deserved. Further, as is pointed out in the second chapter of this book, St. Paul explains even further how not only a pastoral council but also a pope could cause some harm to the Church and its people, despite the Holy Spirit’s influence on both. He than talks about how “even the elect, if possible, will be led astray.” He said that the time will come when the people will no longer have “the love of truth that they might be saved.” Therefore, he says, God allows a misleading influence so “that all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but have preferred wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 10-12). As is said in Revelation 3:15, 16, “Because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.” And so both Vatican II and the pontificate of Pope John Paul II may be part of God’s pruning operation of what were already dead and lifeless branches. St. Theresa and St. Paul, then, may have given us some insight as to how a pastoral ecumenical council, and the selection of a poor pope, a successor of Peter, could still cause harm to the Church and its followers without being basically opposed to the will of God, by preventing greater future harm, or by bringing about the justice of God. As also indicated, the selection of a good pope could be a useless gift to a twisted and perverted generation. The key phrase in the above is that the people no longer have “the love of the truth.” Just as God would not perform useless miracles for a faithless people (see Mark 6:5), so too it may be that God would not intervene to give us a good pope who would not be effective in dealing with a turncoat generation addicted to delusions and lies. In other words, God probably would not provide a good farm manager for a barren and arid land. God does not do vain things. These problems are explained more fully in the text of the book, and hopefully the reader will see more clearly how God sometimes writes straight with invisible ink. The rest of the book is primarily devoted to the record of John Paul II and the harm he has done, or has allowed to have happened, not only to the Church, but also to Western civilization. This preface will give a brief summary of his disastrous reign. Probably his most notorious acts of negligence and pontifical moral misfeasance was his handling of the priestly sexual abuse scandal and his creation of the milieu from which it sprang. And his handing of the case of Fr. Maciel of the Legionaries of Christ demands some explanation. It has now been revealed in New Oxford Review that when Pope John Paul was informed that a candidate for bishop was reported to be a homosexual, he would tend to appoint him. The reason given was that in Poland when the regime wanted to portray someone as an enemy of the state they would spread the rumor that he was a homosexual. It is alleged that Pope John Paul II was reacting against this policy, an explanation that strains creditability. It at least indicates a failure to appreciate the evil effects of allowing this perversion to take root and flourish in the Church of God. Whatever his motives, there did appear to be a good number of homosexuals among the bishops he appointed. Moreover, he appointed many bishops who have undermined Catholic moral teachings and the doctrines of the faith, allowing seminaries to become homosexual havens, and allowing heresy and depravity to flourish in the American Catholic Church. As such, Pope John Paul II, who coined the phrase, The Culture of Death, probably has done more than any person of our time to unwittingly promote The Culture of Death. Consider: Barack Obama may not have won the election without the organizing efforts of ACORN, which was supported by the Campaign for Human Development until about six months before the 2008 election. But this was perhaps not a major contribution to the Obama campaign. Right to Life activist Randy Terry said that, “Their silence and cowardice over the last 12 months paved the way for Obama’s victory, and will cost millions of innocent babies their lives.” But cowardice, if such be the case, may not have been the motivation of some for their silence. What may have been almost as useful to the Obama campaign was a weak and at times ambiguous opposition. It is also even possible that some were, in eff

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Vatican asks victims to see church as ally in fighting abuse is as preposterous if the Legion asked Fr. Maciel’s victims to see Legionaries as allies

The multi-million dollars media-spin of the Vatican is in full force to deceive Catholics and the world again on how to forgive-and-forget John Paul II’s and Benedict XVI’s crimes against humanity – for condoning, aiding and abetting the Priestly Sodomy of Biblical Proportions committed by the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for over a quarter of a century during the 26+years papacy of John Paul II and when Cardinal Josef Ratzinger ruled as the Prefect for the Congregation of the Faith. As survivors from around the world were forbidden to protest at the Vatican last Sunday, the main message of the infallible Pope and the Vatican (through Fr. Lombardi) is this: We have committed crimes against humanity for over 2,000 years, and we have always prevailed and remained as the ruling despots of the world. No one could topple us down, not then, and not you for now. So let us continue our business especially the running of the trillion dollars Vatican Bank. If you humiliate and bring down the pope now, then the Vatican will fall with him. So shut up and move on. Get off Vatican property! We have paid you enough, 3 billion dollars in the USA alone...haha but not a single Euro in Ireland.

And oh, by the way, you are not allowed to demonstrate within Vatican grounds at St. Peter’s Square. Those Italian Police will ward you off our holy ground. See how we fool you? The Vatican is sustained by Catholics but you are “not Catholics enough” because you are sex-abused survivors of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army. You are here to send a message to the world that will humiliate the Vatican and the Benedict XVI. But you know what, you won’t have your pictures taken here. We control the media especially John L. Allen Jr of NCR and his column All Things Catholic. Our Vatican Mammon can buy the soul of all journalists like John Allen and anyone (maybe except yours at SNAP).

Now get this clear: we respect only “pure Catholics” who are not as sexual as you were as little boys and girls. We only admire those Opus Dei numeraries who are virgins, never had sex to qualify to be numeraries (equivalent to nuns and brothers). You are not “pure” Catholics because you have been sexually molested by “holy priests” who remain holy by virtue of their powers to instantly reincarnate Christ’s flesh in 9-seconds in the Eucharist. You are only leftover-scum-Catholics of priestly beastly ejaculations from pedophile priests like Fr. Marcial Maciel and his sodomy lust. Your bodies are defiled ‘Temples of the Holy Spirit’ and the Pope and Opus Dei numeraries who run the Vatican and the Holy See do not want anything to do with you or near you.

Can’t you see? Only “pray-pay-obey-Catholics” are allowed within this “holy ground” of St. Peter’s Square which has been the seat of tortures and murders of women and heretics but no one can even believe or imagine that happened centuries ago. The pompous papal shows of Angelus each week and papal events held here simply blind all Catholics and the world over and over again. We are going to fool you and the whole world just like we have done for centuries.

Fr. Federico Lombardi is one of the most hypocritical Jesuits on earth.

One of the victims of Jesuit pedophile in California finally beat him up as he has planned for years (see news below). The Jesuits have their own notorious pedophiles. The Opus Dei should be rejoicing over this but they can’t really because no one is as smart as the Jesuits to defend the pope as they have proven for centuries. The Opus Dei need the Jesuits to fend for them in their complicit cover-up of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for over 26+ years. Opus Dei is hiding under Jesuit’s skirt right now. So they send the Opus Dei puppet Fr. Federico Lombardi to deal with all the crap of the priest pedophilia mess they and John Paul II left behind. See Jesuits are bad examples as Pope Loyalists; Fr. Federico Lombardi is puppet Public Secretary http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/03/jesuits-are-bad-examples-as-pope.html

As it was started and exemplified by the Jesuits’ founder, St. Ignatius Loyola, he covers-up, condone, and aid and abet papal crimes as the Jesuits have done centuries after centauries. St. Ignatius wrote in his constitutions that Jesuits must not be allowed to take on hierarchical positions such as Cardinals and Bishops but rather be “companions of the poor Christ”. But the Jesuits were too smart so the popes used and abused them to further the powers of the papacy all over the world. No one has noticed that it was the Jesuit Cardinal Bellarmine who issued the papal letter that condemned Galileo. But the Sapienza University students were smart to have protested Benedict XVI’s intended speech at their convocation in 2006. They did not protest against the Jesuits but rather to Benedict XVI, see our archives Benedict XVI rejected by Rome's Sapienza University students and professors http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2008/01/benedict-xvi-rejected-by-romes-sapienza.html

The Jesuits had their fair share of persecution from the popes and the Vatican during the one century Jesuit Suppression as popes sent to all of them to die in the high seas and ordered all countries to refuse them entry and haven. It was the non-Catholic Catherine the Great of Russia who was not a Catholic who took in some of the Jesuits and asked them to be teachers in her courts. Were it not for this atheist woman, the Jesuits would have been annihilated completely. St. Josemaria Escriva and the Opus Dei have the obsession to annihilate the Jesuits, but now they have to think twice about Escriva’s agenda as the Jesuits are taking in all the heat for the Opus Dei’s complicit cover up of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for over 26 years of the papacy they controlled. See the Opus Dei’s reasons why they covered-up the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for 26+ years--Reasons why Opus Dei covered-up the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for decades: Words of Opus Dei Joaquin Navarro-Valls http://jp2army.blogspot.com/2010/04/reasons-why-opus-dei-covered-up-john.html

St. Ignatius Loyola wanted to outdo all other religious congregations (who have three vows) by having an “extra” vow of obedience to the Pope. He told the Jesuits to accept unconditionally whatever the Pope says. If the Pope says this is white even if the Jesuit see it black, the Jesuits must accept whatever the Pope says. St. Ignatius went with his first companions to the Pope at that time even if he knew the Pope had illegitimate children and mistresses (long story) and they made their three vows including celibacy while the Pope himself, an many popes thereafter were not celibates!!

So now the director of the Vatican Radio Fr. Federico Lombardi, a Jesuit is defending Benedict XVI no matter how evil and heinous the crimes he has committed.

We have exposed that “Benedict XVI and the Vatican are the worst pathological liars on earth. Benedict XVI is the mythomaniac of the 21st century!!! See http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/11/benedict-xvi-and-vatican-are-worst.html The Vatican expenses alone rival that of Buckingham Palace by the millions and it is the Catholics from around the world who sustain it. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics go to St. Peter’s Square for Angelus and tour every week.

But why was a small of group of Catholic survivors of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army not allowed to demonstrate within the St. Peter’s Square? These are Catholics too. St. Peter’s Square should belong to all Catholics – especially the weakest children within the Catholic Church. These survivors are the weakest and poorest Catholics who have suffered the most heinous crimes against children in the history of Catholicism. They simply wanted to demonstrate – peacefully – within St. Peter’s Square. But why were they denied to stand at St. Peter’s Square which should belong to ALL Catholics? Why were they not allowed to have their voices heard? The answer is simple. The Vatican is a pathological liar who “never fesses up to their own lies. They believe they are a legend in their own minds”, a legend that the Vatican and its St. Peter’s Square is a Holy Place. Therefore this small group of survivors of priest pedophilia would mar this “sacred place”. But as history has proven it, the “sacred place” Vatican and St. Peter’s Square have been the seat and venues of lies, crimes, deceit, theft, murders and tortures of women and heretics, of crimes after crimes against humanity for centuries!

So who are the Catholics only allowed with St. Peter’s Square? Wealthy Catholics who can afford to pay to have their photos taken with the pope; Catholics who can afford to fly and tour the Vatican museums – a corrupt museum that hoarded stolen artifacts from countries that Catholic (evil) colonizers stole and pillaged from poor colonized countries especially in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.


John L. Allen Jr is the worst pathological liar journalist on earth

John L. Allen Jr. is the highest paid journalist on the planet; he is an exemplary pathological liar and the Pied Piper of the Vatican using his weekly pulpit in his NCR columns. Notice how he defends the Vatican in his most recent article: ‘Vatican asks victims to see church as ally in fighting abuse”. Now how sick and wacko is that title and statement? The Vatican has been the main guilty perpetrator of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for over a quarter of a century and now they claim that they are suddenly “allies of victims”?? How can the Vatican who harboured serial pedophile priests suddenly be the allies of their own victims? (That’s like telling the Jews that the Nazis are now their allies!) John L. Allen Jr is the wacko Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the field of journalism. He is the highest paid Pied Piper who will continue to mislead the English speaking Catholics and other journalists to the cave of deception and Hell. John Allen is a perfect pathological liar: “The pathological liar IS aware that they are lying BUT will go to extremes to make you believe that they are truthful.”

Imagine what exclusive access John L. Allen Jr has with the Vatican - from his million dollars abode in New York. The Vatican tells him - exclusively - by phone what to write about in his All things Catholic NCR --- and other journalists in the world must depend solely and be at the mercy of John Allen Jr. regarding Vatican daily and weekly agenda.


John L. Allen Jr column used to be called “The Word from Rome” until he moved to New York because American Catholics pay him thousands of dollars for speeches. But most of all, the Vatican needs him to be in the USA to control and deceive the American Catholics and the world who follow the American media and CNN. And now he will give a six-hour seminar at the Villa Maria Community Center in Villa Maria, Lawrence County about “the future of the Catholic Church”? A future of more pathological lies and deceptions and mythomania about the Popes and the Vatican!!!

John L. Allen Jr GO to HELL and join John Paul II and his Pedophile Priests Army there!

Vatican asks victims to see church as ally in fighting abuse

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter (United States)by John L Allen Jr on Oct. 31, 2010 NCR Today

After roughly sixty victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in various nations held a vigil Sunday near St. Peter’s Square, a delegation of the victims met with Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesperson. Lombardi gave the victims a letter pledging to work towards “solidarity and consensus between us.”
“Of course, we must continue to do more. And your cry today is an encouragement to do more,” Lombardi wrote.
“But a large part of the church is already on the good path. The major part of the crimes belong to times bygone. Today’s reality and that of tomorrow are more beckoning. Let us help one another to journey together in the right direction.”

Respected expert to talk on Catholic church future

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Monday, November 01, 2010
By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

John Allen, a renowned reporter on Vatican affairs for both the National Catholic Reporter and CNN, will speak in the Pittsburgh region Wednesday, and again on Nov. 11.
He will speak Wednesday night in McCandless, and on Nov. 11 he will give a six-hour seminar at the Villa Maria Community Center in Villa Maria, Lawrence County. Both draw from his book, "The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church." ...

Americans' concerns are important, "but if we are going to be part of the global family, we need to think bigger about what the challenges facing us are," he said.

One example of a disconnect is a call from the advocates for victims of sexual abuse for Pope Benedict XVI to expand the reporting requirement in the United States to the entire world. Reporting sex crimes to the police is the right policy in the U.S., where the police are generally honest and the rights of Catholics are respected, Mr. Allen said. But it could be disastrous in nations where the police are complicit in persecution of the Catholic Church. An abuse report could bring violent attacks on the entire Catholic community.

"You can understand why Catholics in such places aren't eager to cooperate with the police. A mandate to do so would seem to them like a death sentence," Mr. Allen said.


Compare the CRIMES and their VICTIMS in America

Victims - Attackers - Responsible Leaders

Pearl Harbor - 3,000 victims - 170 planes - Admiral Yamamoto

WTC & 9/11 attacks - 5,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden

USA Priest Pedophilia - 12,000 victims - 6,000 priests - John Paul II & Benedict XVI & Opus Dei, the new Vatican Trinity

Vatican seeks to be `ally' with victims on abuse


VATICAN CITY
The Christian Century
Nov 01, 2010 by Francis X. Rocca

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican's top spokesman appealed to victims of pedophile priests who demonstrated near the Vatican on Sunday (Oct. 31) to regard the Catholic Church as an "ally" in the struggle against the sexual abuse of children.
Following a private meeting with the spokesman, however, protest leaders expressed only frustration and disappointment.
Scores of sex abuse victims from as many as a dozen countries gathered in Rome on Sunday evening to protest the Roman Catholic Church's record on child protection and outreach to victims of pedophile priests.


Victims of clerical sex abuse end protest with symbolic Vatican march
ROME
The Irish Times
PADDY AGNEW in Rome

THE FIRST multinational protest by clerical sex abuse victims in the Vatican ended with a symbolic candlelit march last night.
Carrying large candles, two survivors, Gary Bergeron and Paula Leerschool, walked the entire length of the Via Della Conciliazione, into St Peter’s Square and right up to the bronze door entrance to the Apostolic Palace.
“Part of what survivors asked was that we deliver letters from them, from all around the world, to the pope and that was our attempt to do that,” said Mr Bergeron.
“They wouldn’t let us go up to the bronze door but . . . somebody in security asked us for our passports.


Clergy Abuse Victims Rally At Vatican

VATICAN CITY
NPR
by Sylvia Poggioli

November 1, 2010 In the first such gathering at the heart of the Catholic Church, victims of clerical sex abuse from across the world gathered Sunday night outside the Vatican to demand justice. But police blocked them from bringing their protest under the windows of Pope Benedict XVI.
Close to 100 sex abuse victims carrying torches were outnumbered by paramilitary police who cordoned off the main avenue leading to the Vatican. Only two protesters were allowed to approach Vatican soil and deposit sealed letters addressed to the pope from abuse victims.
At a rally staged just 500 yards from the Vatican, Gary Bergeron — co-founder of the group Survivors Voice — addressed the crowd.


Vatican Protest Of Sexual Abuse Stopped By Italian Police
ROME
The Huffington Post
[with video and photos]

Italian police blocked victims of Catholic priest sexual abuse from protesting near the Vatican on Sunday, the AP is reporting. The demonstration was originally planned for inside the Vatican, but the victims were denied permission from the Holy See. The protesters left letters to the Pope at the edge of St. Peter's Square after being stopped by Italian paramilitary police, according to CNN.
This is the first protest by victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests to be held so close to the Vatican. The Telegraph is reporting that Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi met the crowd this morning, only to retreat when protesters yelled "Shame on you!" at the priest. Bernie McDaid, a victim of abuse and the co-founder of the group Survivor's Voice, told that paper:
Somewhere tonight in Africa a missionary is having his way with a child, taking his body for pleasure and robbing his soul, and nothing will be done to stop the perpetrator.
Only Gary Bergeron, McDaid's co-founder, and one other protester were allowed to leave letters at the Pope's doorstep. The crowd included about 50 people from the infamous school for the deaf in Verona, where dozens of boys were allegedly molested.


Cops block Vatican march

ROME
Boston Herald
By Natalie Sherman
Monday, November 1, 2010

Two Massachusetts survivors of clergy sex abuse led fellow victims in a march toward the heart of the Vatican yesterday but were blocked from reaching St. Peter’s Square by Italian paramilitary police
Two people of the throng of about 100 protesters— which included 55 Italians from a notorious Catholic institute for the deaf in Verona, where dozens of students say they were abused by priests — were later permitted to leave letters and a dozen stones near the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square to mark a symbolic path so other survivors might know they have company in their suffering.
“This is the first time that a group of survivors this large has come together, and people have listened in Italy. In Italy! That’s success to me,” organizer Gary Bergeron, a former Lowell resident, told The Associated Press after the march.



Victims protest Vatican's handling of sexual abuse

VATICAN CITY
The Mercury (South Africa)
November 01, 2010
VATICAN CITY: People from across the world who have been abused by priests gathered outside the Vatican yesterday to condemn the Catholic Church's handling of the scandal, its worst crisis in years.
Several hundred protesters - victims of abuse and their families - demonstrated at the home of the powerful church before leading a candle-lit vigil leaving personal messages for the Vatican.
"This isn't an attack on faith or religion, it's about behaviour and ethics," said Marco Lodo Rizzini, a spokesman for child victims of abuse from Italy's Antonio Provolo institute for the deaf.


British woman tells of priest rape ordeal

ROME
Independent (United Kingdom)

A British woman spoke out about her rape ordeal at the hands of a priest, during a protest by clergy sex abuse victims near the Vatican.
Sue Cox, 63, from Warwickshire, was among around 100 survivors from a dozen countries, including Italy, the US, Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia, at yesterday's candlelit protest.
Italian paramilitary police blocked a boulevard leading to the Vatican to prevent marchers reaching St Peter's Square, but later allowed two protesters to leave letters from victims at the Holy See's doorstep.


US victims want new priest probe

UNITED KINGDOM
Sunday Mercury
Oct 31 2010 by Adam Aspinall
VICTIMS of paedophile priests in the USA are demanding an investigation into James Robinson’s time in California.

Former Catholic priest Robinson, who was known as Father Jim, was found guilty last week on 21 counts of abusing children he met while working in churches throughout the West Midlands between 1959 and 1983.
But the disgraced clergyman escaped to the USA in the mid-1980s and served as a priest until 1993, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles finally learned about his sordid past. The Sunday Mercury first revealed Father Robinson’s depraved crimes in the late 1990s and campaigned tirelessly for him to be extradited, which he finally was last year.


Boston victims lead 'Reformation Day' in Rome

ROME
NECN
[with video]
(NECN: Steve Aveson) - Clerical sex abuse survivors from at least 12 countries were in Rome today to mark "Reformation Day."

They hope to focus the world's attention on sexual abuse in the church. The event is led by abuse victims from Boston.
The child sex abuse scandal in the Catholic church made international headlines when victims came forward in Boston ten years ago. It turns out it was not just a small problem restricted to New England, and those international headlines became painfully local in countries around the world.

In many cases the church has apologized for the horror and made promises of change for the future. Today, victims pressed the Vatican to keep those promises.

Victims of clerical sex abuse end protest with symbolic Vatican march

ROME
The Irish Times
PADDY AGNEW in Rome


THE FIRST multinational protest by clerical sex abuse victims in the Vatican ended with a symbolic candlelit march last night.
Carrying large candles, two survivors, Gary Bergeron and Paula Leerschool, walked the entire length of the Via Della Conciliazione, into St Peter’s Square and right up to the bronze door entrance to the Apostolic Palace.
“Part of what survivors asked was that we deliver letters from them, from all around the world, to the pope and that was our attempt to do that,” said Mr Bergeron.
“They wouldn’t let us go up to the bronze door but . . . somebody in security asked us for our passports.


Demonstrators Call on Vatican to Do More to End Child Sexual Abuse by Priests

ROME
Voice of America

[with video]
Sabina Castelfranco
Victims of child sexual abuse demonstrated near the Vatican on Sunday. They called on the Roman Catholic Church to punish those responsible for covering-up child sex abuse in the Church and to do more to protect children.
Hundreds of survivors of child sex abuse gathered near the Vatican. They were told they would not be allowed to take their message to Saint Peter's Square that child sex abuse will no longer be tolerated. Security was tight.
Survivors carried banners reading "Hands Off Children," "Shame" and "Justice." Wearing T-shirts with the word "Enough" emblazoned on them, demonstrators turned out from a dozen countries and lit candles as they spoke of their experiences.


Cleric sexual abuse victims gather at Vatican

ROME
CNN
From CNN's Hada Messia in Rome:
Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy held a candlelight vigil of solidary at the Vatican on Sunday but were not allowed to deliver letters to a bronze door outside the pope's residence.
Several dozen marchers from the United States, Asia and Europe gathered to share their stories and say more needs to be done about the long-standing problem. The Vatican said it routinely disallows such protests in the square but did allow the group to congregate on a portion of the grounds.


Priest Abuse Victims Protest at Vatican

ROME
Lex18
Rome - Members of a group which supports sexually abused children by priests met with Vatican officials today.
Part of the group SurvivorsVoice.org entered the Vatican on Sunday evening.
They originally wanted to stage a candlelight march there but were denied a permit.
Instead, they left some stones with members' names written on them on the grounds of St Peter's Square.


Police Block Sex-Abuse Victims at Vatican
ROME
Wall Street Journal
By NATHANIA ZEVI

ROME—Hundreds of protesters and dozens of people claiming to have been victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests converged on the Vatican's doorstep Sunday, calling on Pope Benedict XVI to take tougher measures to prevent future abuse.
The group gathered for a candlelight vigil at dusk outside the walls of Vatican City, and then tried to march toward St. Peter's Square , inside Vatican territory. Shouting "Enough" and "Hands off children," the protesters, from the U.S., Australia, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries, carried letters and stones from their native lands that they planned to deliver to the pontiff.
However, police blocked the group from entering a boulevard that leads to Vatican City, a sovereign state, though two protesters were allowed beyond the police cordon to deliver the letters and the stones to the Vatican.
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi drew shouts of "Shame! Shame!" when he approached the group, according to the Associated Press. He was expected to meet with some of the protesters in his office later in the evening, the AP reported. Attempts to reach Father Lombardi were unsuccessful.


Police block sex abuse survivors near Vatican

ROME
The Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Italian paramilitary police blocked a boulevard leading to the Vatican to prevent a march Sunday by some 100 survivors of clergy sex abuse from reaching St. Peter's Square, but later allowed two protesters to leave letters from the abused at the Holy See's doorstep.
The two also left a dozen stones near the obelisk in St. Peter's square to mark a symbolic path so other survivors might know they have company in their suffering.
The candlelit protest was the first significant demonstration in the shadow of the Vatican by people who had been raped and molested by priests as children, and organizers said it would be repeated until the Holy See takes decisive action to ensure children are safe.


Priest abuse victims protest at Vatican

VATICAN CITY
AFP
By Ella Ide (AFP)

VATICAN CITY — Victims of sex abuse by priests across the world took their calls for justice to Pope Benedict XVI's door on Sunday, yelling "Shame!" at a Vatican official in an angry protest.
Around 60 protesters -- victims of abuse and their families -- gathered near St. Peter's Basilica with banners and torches and shouted "Shame on you!" at Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's spokesman, when he appeared.
Victims from Australia, Belgium, The Netherlands and the United States held up banners saying "The Pope protects paedophile priests," "Church without abuse" and "Pope on trial."


Victims of priest sex abuse protest near Vatican

ROME
Reuters
Oct 31, 2010
By Philip Pullella
ROME (Reuters) - Victims of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests demonstrated near the Vatican on Sunday night, holding up placards demanding that the church punish those responsible for cover ups and do more to protect children.
Some 75 victims and their supporters from the United States and several European countries had wanted to march to the Vatican with candles but were blocked by police because they did not have a permit.
"This is about responsibility," Gary Bergeron, one of the organisers of a group called Survivors Voice told the rally at Castel Sant' Angelo in the heart of Rome within sight of Saint Peter's Basilica some 500 metres away.


Child abuse victims bring protest to Vatican

VATICAN CITY
Inquirer (Philippines)
By Ella Ide
Agence France-Presse
VATICAN CITY—Clerical sex abuse victims from across the world on Sunday took their calls for justice from Pope Benedict XVI to the doors of the Vatican itself.
Close to a hundred protesters – victims of abuse and their families – gathered in Rome before leading a candle-lit vigil to the edge of St Peter's Square on which they will leave personal messages for the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The US group behind the event, Survivor's Voice, said the victims had not been given permission to enter the square as a group, but would attempt to go in small numbers to leave letters and stones to mark their visit.


Priest abuse source of 'endless years of pain'

AUSTRALIA
The Cairns Post
Gavin King
Monday, November 1, 2010

THE man at the centre of a lawsuit against the Catholic Church yesterday vowed to follow his legal claim "all the way through" in a bid to end decades of pain he suffered after repeated abuse by a Far Northern priest.
The Cairns man, now 38, yesterday told The Cairns Post he suffered severe depression before seeking professional counselling to come to terms with the abuse he suffered at the hands of Father Joseph Sultana.
"This matter has been pushed aside for so long, I’ve held it back for 30 something years," he said.


Victims of sexual abuse by priests stage protest march at Vatican

ROME
The Guardian (United Kingdom)
Citizens of 12 countries who suffered sexual abuse by Catholic priests today gathered in Rome for a protest march on the Vatican.
Wearing t-shirts reading: "Enough!" in English, Italian and German, the organisers of the candlelit march demanded that the UN recognise the systematic sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity.
At a briefing beforehand, victims of abuse stood up to describe how their lives had been destroyed by the abuse they suffered as children, with many recounting years of drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders and psychological and emotional problems.
"For 50 years I thought I was the only person in the entire world that had been abused by a Catholic priest," Sue Cox, a 63-year-old from Warwickshire, said.


Police Block Sex Abuse Survivors Near Vatican
ROME
NPR
by The Associated Press
ROME October 31, 2010

Italian paramilitary police blocked a boulevard leading to the Vatican to prevent a march in Rome on Sunday by survivors of clergy sex abuse from reaching St. Peter's Square.
When Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi came to speak with organizers Sunday evening, a protester shouted "Shame, shame" in Italian, and Lombardi left, escorted by police.
He later told The AP by telephone that if organizers want to see him he would "gladly" receive them inside his office. Shortly after that, one of the organizers, Gary Bergeron, did meet briefly with Lombardi and the two agreed to meet Sunday night after the end of the protest.


Abuse victims bring protest to Vatican

ROME
Bangkok Post
Published: 31/10/2010
Clerical sex abuse victims from across the world on Sunday took their calls for justice from Pope Benedict XVI to the doors of the Vatican itself.
Close to a hundred protesters _ victims of abuse and their families _ gathered in Rome before leading a candle-lit vigil to the edge of St Peter's Square on which they will leave personal messages for the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The US group behind the event, Survivor's Voice, said the victims had not been given permission to enter the square as a group, but would attempt to go in small numbers to leave letters and stones to mark their visit.


VICTIMS' SUMMIT BUST
UNITED STATES
Catholic League

Last April, the National Catholic Reporter ran a story on the so-called "Victims' Summit," a gathering of alleged victims of priestly sexual abuse scheduled to take place in St. Peter's Square on October 31. At that time, Bernie McDaid, one of the organizers, predicted they would amass 50,000 people in a massive show of anger against the Catholic Church.
Yesterday, the dissident Catholic newspaper reported that a grand total of 60 protesters showed up near St. Peter's Square. Looks like this issue has run its course.

Jesuit Priest Beaten to Avenge Alleged 1975 Sex Abuse, Say Calif. Cops

CALIFORNIA
CBS News

SAN JOSE, Calif. (CBS/AP) A California man who allegedly attacked a former Jesuit priest to avenge decades of suffering due to being sexually abused was arrested Friday.
William Lynch, 43, is accused of luring Rev. Jerold Lindner to the lobby of a Jesuit retirement home May 10, and beating him in front of shocked witnesses, authorities said.
Lynch, who for years harbored a fantasy of confronting the priest, who also allegedly molested his little brother, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for the attack that sent the 65-year-old clergyman to the hospital with bruises and lacerations.


John Paul II is the Pope of Injustice of the 20th & 21st Century and Fr. Marcial Maciel should be excommunicated posthumously

UNITED STATES
John Paul II Millstone
Paris Arrow

Here’s “The Never Ending Moral Story of John Paul II the Great and Fr. Marcial Maciel”. Fr. Maciel the founder of the (Vatican 30 billion dollars worth) Legionaries of Christ (and Zenit.Org) was a serial pedophile (including with one of his own biological son). Fr. Maciel therefore should be excommunicated posthumously because he broke his priestly vows of celibacy many times over and was a serial pedophile criminal for many years -- he is worse than a (good law abiding) woman attempting to be a Catholic priest who would be excommunicated instantly.
John Paul II endorsed and glorified the immoral Fr. Marcial Maciel. As Pope and as priest John Paul II abused his powers in the Sacrament of Penance and forgave-and-forget all the crimes of Fr. Maciel. John Paul II did absolutely nothing to help the victims of Fr. Maciel and he knew all about them. John Paul II must never be canonized a saint because as the Head of the Holy See he safeguarded the Phenomenon of Priest Pedophilia especially Fr. Maciel’s serial pedophilia for over a quarter of a century. And what a twist of fate, his first miracle with the French nun is not miracle after all, she has fallen ill again.