₦airaland Forum

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/breaking-news-nigeria-50-two-deadly-car-bombs-explode-abuja

With due respect to all invited guests, dignitaries and attendees of the 50th independence anniversary of Nigeria being held today, Friday, October 1, 2010 at the Eagle Square Abuja, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is asking everyone to begin immediate evacuation of the entire area within the next 30 minutes. This warning expires after 10.30Hrs

Several explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our operatives working inside the government security services.

In evacuating the area, keep a safe distance from vehicles and trash bins.

There is nothing worth celebrating after 50 years of failure. For 50 years, the people of the Niger Delta have had their land and resources stolen from them. The constitution before independence which offered resource control was mutilated by illegal military governments and this injustice is yet to be addressed.

Jomo Gbomo

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100724/ap_on_re_as/as_koreas_us_military_drills#mwpphu-container


SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea warned Saturday that joint U.S. and South Korean military exercises poised to begin this weekend amount to a military provocation that will draw a "powerful" nuclear response from Pyongyang.
North Korea routinely threatens war when South Korea and the U.S. hold joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an attack on the North. The latest threat comes amid increased tensions on the peninsula over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship that Seoul and Washington blame on Pyongyang.
The allies' defense chiefs announced earlier in the week they would stage the drills to send a clear message to North Korea to stop its "aggressive" behavior. Forty-six South Korean sailors were killed in the March sinking of the Cheonan, considered the worst military attack on the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korea vehemently denies any involvement, and says any punishment would trigger war.
In Hanoi, a North Korean spokesman for the delegation attending a regional security conference warned Friday the drills would draw a "physical response" from Pyongyang.
On Saturday, North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission — headed by leader Kim Jong Il — backed that threat up by promising a "retaliatory sacred war" against South Korea and the U.S. for what it called a second "unpardonable" provocation after wrongly accusing the North in the Cheonan incident.
"The army and people of the (North) will legitimately counter with their powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises," the commission said in a statement carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said no unusual North Korean military movements were detected.
The nuclear-powered USS George Washington supercarrier is already docked in the southern port of Busan for the military games set to begin Sunday. In addition, the U.S. keeps 28,500 troops in the South to deter against aggression, a presence that Pyongyang cites as a key reason behind its drive to build nuclear weapons.
"The more desperately the U.S. imperialists brandish their nukes and the more zealously their lackeys follow them, the more rapidly the (North's) nuclear deterrence will be bolstered up along the orbit of self-defense and the more remote the prospect for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be become," the commission statement said.
The U.S.-South Korean military drills are to set to run through Wednesday, with about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops on some 20 ships and submarines carrying out exercises in the East Sea.
The drills also involve some 200 aircraft, headlined by four U.S. Air Force's F-22 "Raptor" stealth fighters.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Wednesday, after visiting the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, the U.S. would slap new sanctions on the North to stifle its nuclear ambitions and punish it for the Cheonan sinking.
On Friday, the European Union said it, too, would consider new sanctions on the North.
In Hanoi, Clinton and a North Korean official traded barbs Friday over the sinking, the military drills and the imposition of the new U.S. sanctions. North Korean spokesman Ri Tong Il said the tensions showed the need to negotiate a peace treaty to replace the armistice signed at the end of the Korean War.
Clinton said the U.S. is willing to meet and negotiate with the North, but this type of threat only heightens tensions. She added progress in the short term seems unlikely.
"It is distressing when North Korea continues its threats and causes so much anxiety among its neighbors and the larger region," she told reporters. "But we will demonstrate once again with our military exercises ,  that the United States stands in firm support of the defense of South Korea and we will continue to do so."
The 27-member bloc meeting in Hanoi — 10 members of ASEAN and countries with major interests in the area like the U.S., China, Japan, North and South Korea and Russia — expressed "deep concern" over the Cheonan's sinking in a joint statement, a weakened version of an earlier ASEAN statement.

I agree with you that both are essential. Education is key. The truth is that the number of over-educated people in Nigeria is growing faster than the economy can absorb. Moreover, the quality of education in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. We have to really decide: in a scale of preference, which one should come first?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nasir-El-Rufai/393816480127?v=wall&story_fbid=129171570440377

Read your comments yesterday. Some say they prefer jobs to education. We forget that everything is connected to everything. Educated people are likelier to vote the right candidate and guard their vote. They are more likely to resist corruption and bad govt. When you vote wisely, guard your vote, resist corruption and bad govt in due course your country will be fixed and jobs and infrastructure will become a reality.

Mallam El-Rufai, I wish to defer a bit to your scale of preference. With all due respect, I doubt you really know what unemployment means. And in a country like ours without any form of social security for the jobless, there is no greater priority than creating jobs and stimulating the private sector for industrial growth. Even the few of us in gainful employment still have to provide from our wages the security and basic amenities that ought to be government's responsibility. What vote will an unemployed graduate cast that is more important than putting food on his table? It is for this reason that I fear the next generation might not only institutionalize corruption, but may go a step further to legalizing it. What other evidence do you need with the growing rise of kidnappings, militancy and all forms of youth unrest. And with thousands of graduates roaming our streets in search of non-existent jobs, every job interview attracts a multitude, some people faint in the process like what was seen in the last INEC test. Or the case where even a state government extorts thousands of youths in the guise of granting them jobs, which never come true. In the US for example, the unemployment rate was in an all-times high of 9.5% in April and the government has made the issue of unemployment a priority, and is addressing it with every government policy. Whereas Nigeria's (officially deflated) unemployment rate of 19.7% does not bother anyone - and I can assure you the figure is far beyond.

I dismiss this as a CHARADE!

Yes dear. I have been there and I must say it's more decent than Nigeria,

url=http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php]https://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing024.gif[/url]

John 8

1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Accusations that Pope Complicit in Abuse Cover-Up Fall Flat

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10032913.html


The first claim, as stated by Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, is that then-Cardinal Ratzinger "ignored repeated warnings and looked away in the case of the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, a Wisconsin priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys."

According to renowned commentator and Catholic priest Fr. Raymond D. de Souza, however, the article that made these claims is "unsupported by its own documentation."

Father Lawrence C. Murphy left St. John's School for the Deaf in the Milwaukee Archdiocese in 1974, after accusations of sexual abuse. He was granted a "temporary sick leave" and moved by Archbishop William E. Counsins to the Diocese of Superior in northern Wisconsin. In 1993, then-Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee oversaw an investigation in which Fr. Murphy admitted to sexual contact with nineteen boys. He did not write to Cardinal Ratzinger, however, until 1996.

"Under canon law at the time," writes Fr. de Souza, "the principal responsibility for sexual-abuse cases lay with the local bishop. Archbishop Weakland had from 1977 onwards the responsibility of administering penalties to Father Murphy. He did nothing until 1996."

"It was at that point that Cardinal Ratzinger’s office became involved, and it subsequently did nothing to impede the local process."

Archbishop Weakland himself was, as de Souza writes, “widely known for mishandling sexual-abuse cases during his tenure, and guilty of using $450,000 of archdiocesan funds to pay hush money to a former homosexual lover who was blackmailing him.”

Despite its late start, preparation for Fr. Murphy’s trial continued through 1997. In January of 1998 Fr. Murphy wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger, asking that, in light of his poor health and recent stroke, he be permitted to end his days in peace. Cardinal Ratzinger's deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, suggested that the Bishop of Superior drop the judicial proceeding in favor of more pastoral measures, but his suggestion was rejected.

In August of 1998 the Archdiocese of Milwaukee ruled that it would abate the judicial process in favor of administrative action. The next month Father Murphy died.

"To repeat," writes Fr. de Souza, "the charge that Cardinal Ratzinger did anything wrong is unsupported by the documentation on which the story was based.

"He does not appear in the record as taking any decision. His office, in the person of his deputy, Archbishop Bertone, agreed that there should be full canonical trial. When it became apparent that Father Murphy was in failing health, Archbishop Bertone suggested more expeditious means of removing him from any ministry."

"The New York Times flatly got the story wrong, according to its own evidence. Readers may want to speculate on why."

The second major charge brought against the Pope involves Fr. Peter Hullerman from the German Diocese of Essen, who was accused of abusing boys in 1979. According to Christopher Hitchens, however, the "cleric was transferred from Essen to Munich for 'therapy' by a decision of then-Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, and assurances were given that he would no longer have children in his care." Tragically, Father Hullerman was later returned to the ministry and continued to abuse boys.

Debate has swirled over whether Archbishop Ratzinger knew that Father Hullerman was to be reassigned to pastoral work.

"It is certain that Archbishop Ratzinger knew that Hullerman had sexually assaulted children in Essen and that he was living in Church premises while undergoing therapy in Munich," writes Sean Murphy on the Catholic Education Resource Center website. "This would not have been out of order, since, at the time, it was believed that therapy could be effective in curing sex offenders."

But it was the Vicar-General of the Munich Archdiocese, Mgr. Gerhard Gruber, and not Cardinal Ratzinger, who permitted Father Hullerman to return to pastoral work. Mgr. Gerhard Gruber has stated that the pope was not aware of his decision.

The Vatican has confirmed this statement, saying that "the then archbishop [Ratzinger] had no knowledge of the decision to reassign Father H[ullerman] to pastoral activities in a parish."

"The then vicar general, Msgr. Gerhard Gruber, has assumed full responsibility for his own erroneous decision to reassign Father H[ullerman] to pastoral activity."

Some have argued that Archbishop Ratzinger must have been informed of the decision because he was close-copied on a memo informing him of the decision. Mgr. Gruber, however, has said that because the diocese was so large at the time, having many hundreds of priests and thousands of religious, Archbishop Ratzinger left many decisions to lower-level officials; there is no clear evidence to show he would have read the memo.

"The cardinal could not deal with everything,” Mgr. Gruber said.

The third accusation, as raised by Hitchens, is that as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 2001, Cardinal Ratzinger forbade "the investigation of child rape and torture by Catholic priests."

"Any sharing of the evidence with legal authorities or the press was utterly forbidden," Hitchens states. "Charges were to be investigated 'in the most secretive way , restrained by a perpetual silence , and everyone , is to observe the strictest secret which is commonly regarded as a secret of the Holy Office … under the penalty of excommunication.'"

Yet the quotation Hitchens offers is not even from the May 2001 letter from the CDF, but rather from a 1962 directive, Crimen Sollicitationis. This document, as Sean Murphy writes, was so far from demanding the concealment of such crimes that it imposed "the automatic excommunication of anyone who knowingly failed to do so."

Many Catholic leaders and defenders of the pope have pointed out the irony that the accusations of such as Hitchens and the Times are directed against the man who has perhaps done more than anyone else to combat sexual abuse in the Church.

"No one has been more vigorous in cleansing the Church of the effects of this sickening sin than the man we now call Pope Benedict XVI," said Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York last Sunday.

"The dramatic progress that the Catholic Church in the United States has made — documented again just last week by the report made by independent forensic auditors — could never have happened without the insistence and support of the very man now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo."

George Weigel wrote similarly. “The Times’ descent into tabloid sourcing and innuendo was , offensive because of recent hard news developments that underscore Pope Benedict’s determination to root out what he once described as the ‘filth’ in the Church,” he said.

“It ought not be beyond the capacity of other media outlets to understand that much of the Times’ recent reporting on the Church has been gravely distorted, and to treat it accordingly. “

Pope did not impede defrocking of abuse priest

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100410/ts_nm/us_pope_abuse_california



The Vatican on Saturday defended Pope Benedict from accusations that, in a previous post as a senior Church official, he tried to impede the defrocking of a California priest who had sexually abused children.
In a statement, a California-based Vatican lawyer accused the media of a "rush to judgment" and said the case had never been referred to the Vatican as an abuse case but as one of a man who wanted to leave the priesthood.
In a 1985 letter from the Vatican, typed in Latin and translated for The Associated Press, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger told the bishop of Oakland he needed more time "to consider the good of the Universal Church" as he reviewed a request by the man to leave the priesthood.
Vatican lawyer Jeffrey Lena said he could not confirm the authenticity of the letter but indicated that it appeared to be "a form letter typically sent out initially with respect to laicization cases," when men ask to leave the priesthood.
The letter surfaced as the Vatican fights accusations that the pope mishandled cases of abuse of children by priests when he was a bishop in Germany and a Vatican official before his election in 2005.
Lena "denied that the letter reflected then-Cardinal Ratzinger resisting pleas from the bishop to defrock the priest," the statement said.
MEDIA "RUSHING TO JUDGMENT"
"There may be some overstep and rush to judgment going on here," Lena said.
"During the entire course of the proceeding the priest remained under the control, authority and care of the local bishop who was responsible to make sure he did no harm, as the canon (Church) law provides. The abuse case wasn't transferred to the Vatican at all," he said.
Ratzinger wrote in the letter that arguments for Stephen Miller Kiesle to be allowed to leave the priesthood were of "grave significance" but also worried about what "granting the dispensation can provoke with the community of Christ's faithful, particularly regarding the young age of the petitioner."
According to The Associated Press, which first reported the story on Friday, the Kiesle was 38 at the time and had been sentenced in 1978 to three years' probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of lewd conduct for tying up and molesting two young boys in a church rectory.
Vatican analyst and papal biographer Marco Politi told Reuters the letter "is a serious blow to the position of Cardinal Ratzinger in the 1980s."
"This document reflects what was the general attitude of the Vatican in those years when the main thing was to care about the image of the Church and about a scandal in a parish," he said.
"The only way for the Church leadership to get out of this situation is to open the archives and to tell clearly what went wrong in the 1980s and in the 1990s or what was done when."
According to a letter from the Diocese of Oakland to Ratzinger in 1981, Kiesle had asked to leave the active ministry and the diocese asked Ratzinger to agree that he be "relieved of all the obligations of the priesthood, including celibacy."
Lena said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Ratzinger headed from 1981 until he became pope, did not have competence over abuse cases at the time and was simply "undertaking to determine whether the conditions for laicization were met." Kiesle was eventually defrocked in 1987.
Documents released to Reuters by victims' attorney Jeff Anderson show long delays in responses, the loss of documents at the Vatican and exasperation at the Oakland Diocese.
But Lena said the priest's defrocking was handled "expeditiously, not by modern standards, but by those standards at the time."
"Moreover, while that proceeding was ongoing, there is no known report of the priest having re-offended," Lena said.
(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; editing by Myra MacDonald)

Dauchman:
Isn't it weird that when something bad happens in the catholic church, the whole world condemns her but it happens in another church or any other religion the atheists are not bothered and still we do not understand.

We sit here and judge the pope, we are not even sure he covered up anything, and still he has apologized on behalf of the church.

The pope is Christ's vicar on earth (Just for the record, I used to be a protestant pastor). Stop insulting him lest you bring something far worse on yourself. Let us say he actually covered it up and that in itself is a sin, do you think he would not have asked for forgiveness from God, on the last day we would see him in heaven and wonder is God just. I think you all should be bothered about yourselves and leave the pope to his faith.

For those of us who think Peter was not made leader you really need to read your bibles yourself and figure out what Christ was saying in Matt 16:18-19. And so that you know, Jesus did not speak Hebrew or Greek but Aramaic and Peter was actually called Kepha which means rock in English,  translated in Greek (Petros). Also read John 21:16-18. God used Peter greatly in the foundation of the church. It was Peter who first proclaimed the Gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-47). Peter was also the first to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-48), there are loads more of this. In this sense, Peter was the rock “foundation” of the church.

Celibacy is not the cause of this evil because the world is full of married men and women who do what some priests are doing and even far worse. For me the problem is the devil is working hard and has infiltrated the Christian kingdom with his men, like i always say these men of God be it catholic, protestant, Imam, etc need our prayers far more than we need theirs. So i disagree with Pastor AIO who says RCC is a pedophilia institution. Should we say the Anglican church is a GAY institution because one of its branches married a gay couple? Or should we say because the world has such people that the Earth is a bad planet ? We need a better reasoning here. In every sphere of life there is always a bad egg that does not mean everything is bad. Even Jesus had a black sheep in his team did that make him not the messiah?

And for all the people quoting law remember you are innocent until proven guilty. All this argument about the cover-up is based on the words of an atheist lawyer, they are not fact.

God bless you.

nomoreface:
In other words, the Priests are above the law?
And you believe they should be; and get away with such grievous crimes? and may be murder will also be considered 'it's internal issues'?
Bros, throw away that religious sentiments and use your head!!!

I never said the priests are above the law. If they were, why then does the Church issue the guide for lay people posted on the Vatican's Web site, which makes clear that suspected abuse by priests must be reported to the police?

Between the law of God and the law of man, which do you choose? And what does the law of God prescribe as reparation for offenders of His law? Repentance and Forgiveness

Pastor AIO:
Another point is that a human organisation can claim to have human failings but an organisation that has the gall to claim that it is guided by the HOly spirit has got no excuses and now that we call to question the presence of the spirit in the church that calls to question every action and ruling that the church has every made.

Who are you to question the Church's authority?

In no time, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the concerted efforts of the Pope, the Church will get over this and you will be put to shame!!! The devil and his cohorts will fail as they have always failed in over 2000 years of persecution in the Church's history.

nomoreface:
ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT : Whoever, knowing that an offense has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact; one who knowing a felony to have been committed by another, receives, relieves, comforts, or assists the felon in order to hinder the felon's apprehension, trial, or punishment.

As I said earlier, the priests in the church form an order of religious, guided by the code of Canon law. Unless you are one, you cannot understand what it entails. From my little understanding of the workings at the Vatican, the Church has it's own mechanism of dealing with it's internal issues and punishing offenders. Just like the military courts have a different mechanism as against the civilian courts. To an atheist, this might seem difficult to understand just like the words "repentance" and "forgiveness" cannot be found in their vocabulary either.

rotimy:
@bebrief
Please stop posting any reply to other folks posts on this forum,
You are very childish and immature in your write ups! Even if you are a Priest or a zealous lay person, Please stop your write ups because you are pouring more fuel into a burning fire. This IS not a time for Catholic triumphalism or flouting our over over billion membership or defending the Pope!
This ought to be a sober season for every adult Catholic as we pray that God will give our Pope and other leaders the grace and power to overcome the big challenges that is facing the Church. Abusing the Pope or the Church is also out of order. The Church must have learn the lessons in a hard way.

What is more sober for the Pontiff to publicly apologize on behalf of the entire church of God. And why do you think as a catholic, I should not defend the Church? The facts are clear and the wrong done by the priests concerned have been widely condemned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

What is important at this stage is what the Church is doing to forestall any such occurrence. The church is not asleep and has taken very concrete measures like the new guide for lay people posted on the Vatican's Web site, which makes clear that suspected abuse by priests must be reported to the police.

Those who call the church a "Pedophiliac Organization", like Pastor AIO, should do a personal examination of their consciences, or better still search inward into their "supposed religious outfits" to see the evil they themselves perpetuate.

I disagree with his point of view that the younger generation cannot rule Nigeria. What is your view?


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=171237

Former military president and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, yesterday said he was planning a come-back to office because of the non-availability of capable younger people who can steer the ship of state.
Speaking to the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna, Babangida said: “Because we have seen signs that they are not capable of leading this country and so we feel we should help them. May be they are not given the proper education that is why. I have spent 17 years since I left office.


“But a country like Nigeria cannot be ruled by people without experience. People like the (President Barack) Obama that you are speaking about have the experience. He started from the state House of Assembly to the House of Represen-tatives and to the Senate. If our youths are like this, we will say they have the requisite experience. But we have not reached that level. Honestly, it is our wish that God will bring the younger people that will take over from us if they are available.”


Babangida, who answered questions from the BBC on almost every aspect of his administration during his eight years in office, said he was seeking a return to the Presidency, if elected next year, to contribute his quota in taking the country to the next level.
The former military President in the 15 minutes interview also absolved his eight year tenure of promoting corruption. He said the level of corruption in the country today is a far cry from what was witnessed during his time.


Asked what was attracting him to run for the office of president this time around when he declined to run in 2007, Babangida said, “I gave my reasons for not contesting in 2007 and it was published in many newspapers in the country. Therefore, Nigerians know my reasons for not contesting at that time. But now, Alhamdudillahi, things have changed.
“My position as a Nigerian. Anything that God wants me to do to help this country, I will do it. If I am given the chance, I will know what to do and by the grace of God, I will do it. Nigeria is a country of 150 million people and any of this 150 million people can be president.


Babangida told the BBC that his godfather in Nigeria was the masses when he was reminded by the BBC that the June 12, 1993 election was made possible by the masses but he still went ahead to annul it.
He then said: “But what you should take into consideration is that there has never been an election like that before. That election convinced not only Nigerians, but even the international community that it is possible to conduct free and fair elections in Nigeria,” he said adding that as head of the government at that time he takes responsibility for annulling the election.
The following is the full text of the interview:


You wanted to contest for the Presidency in 2007, but at the end of the day you didn’t submit your papers, how can you assure Nigerians that this time around, you will contest?
I gave my reasons for not contesting in 2007 and it was published in many newspapers in the country. Therefore, Nigerians know my reasons for not contesting at that time. But now, Alhamdudillahi, things have changed.


Don’t forget we are talking of helping the country. What we are talking about, is something that happened some 16 years ago. We should be thinking of what we can do to make progress.
Nigeria is facing a lot of problems, if by the grace of God; you become the president again, what are these new things you never did in the past that you will want to employ in tackling these problems.
God in His infinite mercy gave me the leadership of this country for 8 years…. Remember the Nigerian people have not changed, and since they have not changed, we are in a position to tell them that we can do it again.

There are speculations that the United States of America (USA) wants you to contest for the presidency. What do you have to say about this?
How can that be possible since it is not Americans that will vote? It is Nigerians that will vote.
But America is an influential country in the world and it has its interests in Nigeria.
Nigeria is an influential country too. If somebody wants something in Africa and he hears the voice of Nigeria, it is like he has heard the voice of Africa.
But they said the American Assistant Secretary of State paid you a visit.
Yes, he came to greet me. He is somebody I have known. He came to condole with me over the death of my wife. When we were in the hospital in America, he was coming to greet us…

The issue of the dwindling Nigerian economy is blamed on your administration. You invited former World Bank Economist in charge of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), Prof. Joseph Tigris, who you used to ruin the nation’s economy. Why did you do that?
, Today, we are talking of exactly 24 years, but SAP has not changed, they keep on modifying it. If the economy was ruined, by now, we would have been history. The Nigerian economy was not ruined.
But they say Nigerians are going through serious hardship as a result of your economic policies.
I want you to know that if you read all the books on the economy of Nigeria, you will find out that from 1960 to 1995, Nigeria made far-reaching progress. I left office in 1993. You should be asking what have those who came after us done.


Your administration was accused of massive corruption. If you become the president again, how would you address the problem of endemic corruption in Nigeria?
If you compare what is happening now with what happened during my administration, you will commend me. I sacked a governor for embezzling N300, 000 during my regime, but now, what do you see? During our time we were not enmeshed in this kind of things we see today.


During your time, there was this $12 billion made from the sales of oil. What happened to the money?
The $12 billion was the money realised from the sale of oil for 8 years. Let me repeat, it was money made from the sales of oil in 8 years. It was money that we saved in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within those 8 years. There was an additional $1.2 billion, So all they are saying about this money are lies. If you read the Okigbo report, you will see that the money was made in 8 years.


But the Financial Times reporter who published the story was sent out of Nigeria because of the report. If it was not true, why was he sent away?
Frankly speaking, I can send the Okigbo report to you to read. I have been explaining this over and over. What I realised from oil in eight years is what somebody makes in one year.
You have been a major player in the leadership of this country for a longtime.

Don’t you think it is time to allow the younger generations take over from you the older ones as it happened in America and other parts of the world?
Honestly, it is our wish that God will bring the younger people that will take over from us if they are available. I was the one who introduced the politics of new breed in this country.
Why didn’t you step aside and give the younger generation a chance to lead since they are fresh and strong.
Because we have seen signs that they are not capable of leading this country and so we feel we should help them. May be they are not given the proper education that is why. I have spent 17 years since I left office.
Haba! The younger generation is supposed to be in charge by now.


But a country like Nigeria cannot be ruled by people without experience. People like the Obama that you are speaking about have the experience. He started from the state House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and to the Senate. If our youths are like this, we will say they have the requisite experience. But we have not reached that level.
If by the grace of God, you become the president what new thing will you do which you did not do during your eight years in power.

Which are the mistakes you would want to correct?
The politicians are asking me what I forgot in the Presidential Villa that I want to go and pick. When I left power, the naira was N22 to the dollar. Petrol was selling at 70 kobo per litre. So there are things that I did that will make me come back.
These things were not like that when you came to power. You were the one that devalued the naira.
How? During my time, the naira did not exceed N22 to the dollar. Now it is N150 per dollar.


But how much was it before you came to power?
It was N4.5 to the dollar.
So you devalued the naira.
Some people destroyed the value of the naira…

The Pope has apologized in the most remorseful way possible, on behalf of the Church and guilty priests. Read his letter to the church of Ireland, which I pasted above. What else do you want from him? Also, a new guide for lay people was posted on the Vatican's Web site, which makes clear that suspected abuse by priests must be reported to the police.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/12/world/main6388058.shtml
http://www.vatican.va/resources/resources_guide-CDF-procedures_en.html
[quote][/quote]

Richfella:
Don't even get me started. You really do not know the catholic church. Am a semi-catholic by the way, but am not deceived.

I guess that explains your statements. 

zaibatsu:
It's more than a little frightening how resolute people are in refusing to deal with the real issues of this whole pedophilia scandal.

Children were molested, and the kind of outrage and decisive action expected by victims from the leaders of their body of faith was lacking.

The abuses did not start today, neither are they limited to the church in Ireland.  It is telling that the Catholic church only issues apologies AFTER it's been caught pants down (pun intended) and hounded by the news media.

Instead of screaming "the pope is being persecuted!", ask yourselves some cold hard truths: Was a crime committed? Was there an attempt at cover up? Did the Catholic church do enough to put an end to (or reduce to the barest minimum) the activities of such utterly revolting sexual predators?

If you lived in Jos during the 1990s and attended either St Joseph's College or a bit later, St Murumba College you'd remember the molestation of young boys by the Irish Reverend Father Fergus.  Let's face up to the real issues and try to come out a cleaner, stronger Catholic church.

The Pope has apologized in the most remorseful way possible. Read his letter to the church of Ireland, which I pasted above. What else do you want from him? Also, a new guide for lay people was posted on the Vatican's Web site, which makes clear that suspected abuse by priests must be reported to the police.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/12/world/main6388058.shtml
http://www.vatican.va/resources/resources_guide-CDF-procedures_en.html

The Pope is 83 today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Your Holiness! Please join my group to stop this persecution of the church and of the Pope!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112976535398917&ref=mf

PASTORAL LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE BENEDICT XVI TO THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND


1. Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.

As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say, both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel.

2. For my part, considering the gravity of these offences, and the often inadequate response to them on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities in your country, I have decided to write this Pastoral Letter to express my closeness to you and to propose a path of healing, renewal and reparation.

It is true, as many in your country have pointed out, that the problem of child abuse is peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Church. Nevertheless, the task you now face is to address the problem of abuse that has occurred within the Irish Catholic community, and to do so with courage and determination. No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly. Real progress has been made, yet much more remains to be done. Perseverance and prayer are needed, with great trust in the healing power of God’s grace.

At the same time, I must also express my conviction that, in order to recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowledge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against defenceless children. Such an acknowledgement, accompanied by sincere sorrow for the damage caused to these victims and their families, must lead to a concerted effort to ensure the protection of children from similar crimes in the future.

As you take up the challenges of this hour, I ask you to remember “the rock from which you were hewn” (Is 51:1). Reflect upon the generous, often heroic, contributions made by past generations of Irish men and women to the Church and to humanity as a whole, and let this provide the impetus for honest self-examination and a committed programme of ecclesial and individual renewal. It is my prayer that, assisted by the intercession of her many saints and purified through penance, the Church in Ireland will overcome the present crisis and become once more a convincing witness to the truth and the goodness of Almighty God, made manifest in his Son Jesus Christ.

3. Historically, the Catholics of Ireland have proved an enormous force for good at home and abroad. Celtic monks like Saint Columbanus spread the Gospel in Western Europe and laid the foundations of medieval monastic culture. The ideals of holiness, charity and transcendent wisdom born of the Christian faith found expression in the building of churches and monasteries and the establishment of schools, libraries and hospitals, all of which helped to consolidate the spiritual identity of Europe. Those Irish missionaries drew their strength and inspiration from the firm faith, strong leadership and upright morals of the Church in their native land.

From the sixteenth century on, Catholics in Ireland endured a long period of persecution, during which they struggled to keep the flame of faith alive in dangerous and difficult circumstances. Saint Oliver Plunkett, the martyred Archbishop of Armagh, is the most famous example of a host of courageous sons and daughters of Ireland who were willing to lay down their lives out of fidelity to the Gospel. After Catholic Emancipation, the Church was free to grow once more. Families and countless individuals who had preserved the faith in times of trial became the catalyst for the great resurgence of Irish Catholicism in the nineteenth century. The Church provided education, especially for the poor, and this was to make a major contribution to Irish society. Among the fruits of the new Catholic schools was a rise in vocations: generations of missionary priests, sisters and brothers left their homeland to serve in every continent, especially in the English-speaking world. They were remarkable not only for their great numbers, but for the strength of their faith and the steadfastness of their pastoral commitment. Many dioceses, especially in Africa, America and Australia, benefited from the presence of Irish clergy and religious who preached the Gospel and established parishes, schools and universities, clinics and hospitals that served both Catholics and the community at large, with particular attention to the needs of the poor.

In almost every family in Ireland, there has been someone – a son or a daughter, an aunt or an uncle – who has given his or her life to the Church. Irish families rightly esteem and cherish their loved ones who have dedicated their lives to Christ, sharing the gift of faith with others, and putting that faith into action in loving service of God and neighbour.

4. In recent decades, however, the Church in your country has had to confront new and serious challenges to the faith arising from the rapid transformation and secularization of Irish society. Fast-paced social change has occurred, often adversely affecting people’s traditional adherence to Catholic teaching and values. All too often, the sacramental and devotional practices that sustain faith and enable it to grow, such as frequent confession, daily prayer and annual retreats, were neglected. Significant too was the tendency during this period, also on the part of priests and religious, to adopt ways of thinking and assessing secular realities without sufficient reference to the Gospel. The programme of renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council was sometimes misinterpreted and indeed, in the light of the profound social changes that were taking place, it was far from easy to know how best to implement it. In particular, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal approaches to canonically irregular situations. It is in this overall context that we must try to understand the disturbing problem of child sexual abuse, which has contributed in no small measure to the weakening of faith and the loss of respect for the Church and her teachings.

Only by examining carefully the many elements that gave rise to the present crisis can a clear-sighted diagnosis of its causes be undertaken and effective remedies be found. Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include: inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life; insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates; a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures; and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person. Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing.

5. On several occasions since my election to the See of Peter, I have met with victims of sexual abuse, as indeed I am ready to do in the future. I have sat with them, I have listened to their stories, I have acknowledged their suffering, and I have prayed with them and for them. Earlier in my pontificate, in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, “to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes” (Address to the Bishops of Ireland, 28 October 2006).

With this Letter, I wish to exhort all of you, as God’s people in Ireland, to reflect on the wounds inflicted on Christ’s body, the sometimes painful remedies needed to bind and heal them, and the need for unity, charity and mutual support in the long-term process of restoration and ecclesial renewal. I now turn to you with words that come from my heart, and I wish to speak to each of you individually and to all of you as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

6. To the victims of abuse and their families

You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ’s own wounds, transformed by his redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love – even in the darkest and most hopeless situations – to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning.

Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God’s children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of his Church – a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity – you will come to rediscover Christ’s infinite love for each one of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.

7. To priests and religious who have abused children

You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life.

I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God’s forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God’s justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God’s mercy.

8. To parents

You have been deeply shocked to learn of the terrible things that took place in what ought to be the safest and most secure environment of all. In today’s world it is not easy to build a home and to bring up children. They deserve to grow up in security, loved and cherished, with a strong sense of their identity and worth. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person, to be inspired by the truth of our Catholic faith and to learn ways of behaving and acting that lead to healthy self-esteem and lasting happiness. This noble but demanding task is entrusted in the first place to you, their parents. I urge you to play your part in ensuring the best possible care of children, both at home and in society as a whole, while the Church, for her part, continues to implement the measures adopted in recent years to protect young people in parish and school environments. As you carry out your vital responsibilities, be assured that I remain close to you and I offer you the support of my prayers.

9. To the children and young people of Ireland

I wish to offer you a particular word of encouragement. Your experience of the Church is very different from that of your parents and grandparents. The world has changed greatly since they were your age. Yet all people, in every generation, are called to travel the same path through life, whatever their circumstances may be. We are all scandalized by the sins and failures of some of the Church's members, particularly those who were chosen especially to guide and serve young people. But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb 13:. He loves you and he has offered himself on the cross for you. Seek a personal relationship with him within the communion of his Church, for he will never betray your trust! He alone can satisfy your deepest longings and give your lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your heart. Together with your fellow Catholics in Ireland, I look to you to be faithful disciples of our Lord and to bring your much-needed enthusiasm and idealism to the rebuilding and renewal of our beloved Church.

10. To the priests and religious of Ireland

All of us are suffering as a result of the sins of our confreres who betrayed a sacred trust or failed to deal justly and responsibly with allegations of abuse. In view of the outrage and indignation which this has provoked, not only among the lay faithful but among yourselves and your religious communities, many of you feel personally discouraged, even abandoned. I am also aware that in some people’s eyes you are tainted by association, and viewed as if you were somehow responsible for the misdeeds of others. At this painful time, I want to acknowledge the dedication of your priestly and religious lives and apostolates, and I invite you to reaffirm your faith in Christ, your love of his Church and your confidence in the Gospel's promise of redemption, forgiveness and interior renewal. In this way, you will demonstrate for all to see that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (cf. Rom 5:20).

I know that many of you are disappointed, bewildered and angered by the way these matters have been handled by some of your superiors. Yet, it is essential that you cooperate closely with those in authority and help to ensure that the measures adopted to respond to the crisis will be truly evangelical, just and effective. Above all, I urge you to become ever more clearly men and women of prayer, courageously following the path of conversion, purification and reconciliation. In this way, the Church in Ireland will draw new life and vitality from your witness to the Lord's redeeming power made visible in your lives.

11. To my brother bishops

It cannot be denied that some of you and your predecessors failed, at times grievously, to apply the long-established norms of canon law to the crime of child abuse. Serious mistakes were made in responding to allegations. I recognize how difficult it was to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem, to obtain reliable information and to make the right decisions in the light of conflicting expert advice. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred. All this has seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness. I appreciate the efforts you have made to remedy past mistakes and to guarantee that they do not happen again. Besides fully implementing the norms of canon law in addressing cases of child abuse, continue to cooperate with the civil authorities in their area of competence. Clearly, religious superiors should do likewise. They too have taken part in recent discussions here in Rome with a view to establishing a clear and consistent approach to these matters. It is imperative that the child safety norms of the Church in Ireland be continually revised and updated and that they be applied fully and impartially in conformity with canon law.

Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives. This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal. The Irish people rightly expect you to be men of God, to be holy, to live simply, to pursue personal conversion daily. For them, in the words of Saint Augustine, you are a bishop; yet with them you are called to be a follower of Christ (cf. Sermon 340, 1). I therefore exhort you to renew your sense of accountability before God, to grow in solidarity with your people and to deepen your pastoral concern for all the members of your flock. In particular, I ask you to be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of each one of your priests. Set them an example by your own lives, be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement at this difficult time and stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sisters.

The lay faithful, too, should be encouraged to play their proper part in the life of the Church. See that they are formed in such a way that they can offer an articulate and convincing account of the Gospel in the midst of modern society (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) and cooperate more fully in the Church’s life and mission. This in turn will help you once again become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ.

12. To all the faithful of Ireland

A young person’s experience of the Church should always bear fruit in a personal and life-giving encounter with Jesus Christ within a loving, nourishing community. In this environment, young people should be encouraged to grow to their full human and spiritual stature, to aspire to high ideals of holiness, charity and truth, and to draw inspiration from the riches of a great religious and cultural tradition. In our increasingly secularized society, where even we Christians often find it difficult to speak of the transcendent dimension of our existence, we need to find new ways to pass on to young people the beauty and richness of friendship with Jesus Christ in the communion of his Church. In confronting the present crisis, measures to deal justly with individual crimes are essential, yet on their own they are not enough: a new vision is needed, to inspire present and future generations to treasure the gift of our common faith. By treading the path marked out by the Gospel, by observing the commandments and by conforming your lives ever more closely to the figure of Jesus Christ, you will surely experience the profound renewal that is so urgently needed at this time. I invite you all to persevere along this path.

13. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is out of deep concern for all of you at this painful time in which the fragility of the human condition has been so starkly revealed that I have wished to offer these words of encouragement and support. I hope that you will receive them as a sign of my spiritual closeness and my confidence in your ability to respond to the challenges of the present hour by drawing renewed inspiration and strength from Ireland’s noble traditions of fidelity to the Gospel, perseverance in the faith and steadfastness in the pursuit of holiness.In solidarity with all of you, I am praying earnestly that, by God’s grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed and that the Church in Ireland may experience a season of rebirth and spiritual renewal.

14. I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation.

At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness of God’s own truth, for it is the truth that sets us free (cf. Jn 8:32).

Furthermore, having consulted and prayed about the matter, I intend to hold an Apostolic Visitation of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations. Arrangements for the Visitation, which is intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal, will be made in cooperation with the competent offices of the Roman Curia and the Irish Episcopal Conference. The details will be announced in due course.

I also propose that a nationwide Mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious. It is my hope that, by drawing on the expertise of experienced preachers and retreat-givers from Ireland and from elsewhere, and by exploring anew the conciliar documents, the liturgical rites of ordination and profession, and recent pontifical teaching, you will come to a more profound appreciation of your respective vocations, so as to rediscover the roots of your faith in Jesus Christ and to drink deeply from the springs of living water that he offers you through his Church.

In this Year for Priests, I commend to you most particularly the figure of Saint John Mary Vianney, who had such a rich understanding of the mystery of the priesthood. “The priest”, he wrote, “holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of his goods.” The Curé d’Ars understood well how greatly blessed a community is when served by a good and holy priest: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.” Through the intercession of Saint John Mary Vianney, may the priesthood in Ireland be revitalized, and may the whole Church in Ireland grow in appreciation for the great gift of the priestly ministry.

I take this opportunity to thank in anticipation all those who will be involved in the work of organizing the Apostolic Visitation and the Mission, as well as the many men and women throughout Ireland already working for the safety of children in church environments. Since the time when the gravity and extent of the problem of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions first began to be fully grasped, the Church has done an immense amount of work in many parts of the world in order to address and remedy it. While no effort should be spared in improving and updating existing procedures, I am encouraged by the fact that the current safeguarding practices adopted by local Churches are being seen, in some parts of the world, as a model for other institutions to follow.

I wish to conclude this Letter with a special Prayer for the Church in Ireland, which I send to you with the care of a father for his children and with the affection of a fellow Christian, scandalized and hurt by what has occurred in our beloved Church. As you make use of this prayer in your families, parishes and communities, may the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and guide each of you to a closer union with her Son, crucified and risen. With great affection and unswerving confidence in God’s promises, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 19 March 2010, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

[quote author=omo~fat link=topic=431104.msg5904536#msg5904536 date=1271442828]Dude, you are missing the central point. No one is persecuting one for the crimes of another. This is a case of systemic, institutionalised cover-ups. That is really the issue at hand. The current pope, as cardinal ratzinger, also happened to be in-charge of the body responsible for dealing with these issues.

Just over a decade ago, the metropolitan police was found to have "institutionalised racism". That didn't mean that every single police officer was racist or that the head of the force was racist. But as a force, they acknowledged the problem and started to attempt to clean up their image. Whether they've been successful or not is a separate matter.

The truth is the catholic church needs to confront this issue and begin the process of reassuring people that they are doing something positive about it.

Furthermore, as to this your issue of "not persecuting one for the sins of another", there is a reason why - at least in civilized countries - the head of and organizations resigns when there is a failing by the organization. Even when they are not directly to blame.

It's funny that while you continue your blind rage and fury on NL, the pope himself understands the gravity of the situation and has issued an almost unprecedented apology for the suffering on people and the cover-ups. You just sit there and continue living in denial.

Lastly, your analogy of the nigerian terrorist is misguided at best. There is no official nigerian policy of protecting terrorists.[/quote]I seem to appreciate your sense of reason and as such, I'll be willing to correct some of your wrong opinions.

First, I'm not missing the point and some NLs are openly persecuting the Pope for another's crime (maybe you've not read the thread), even OFFENSIVELY.

This is not a case of institutionalized cover-ups. In fact,  a new guide for lay people was posted on the Vatican's Web site, which makes clear that suspected abuse by priests must be reported to the police:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/12/world/main6388058.shtml
http://www.vatican.va/resources/resources_guide-CDF-procedures_en.html

The priests in the church do not form an organ of government like the (metropolitan police), but rather an order of religious and this order is guided by the code of Canon law. There are various penalties prescribed for an erring priest and I'll not be in a position to judge. I really want to know how much you know about the workings of the body in which Cardinal Ratzinger was in charge of.

Moreso, the Pope has apologized on behalf of the church in his letter to the church of Ireland. The church is not a political organisation and the Pope does not resign.

greateros:
Bebrief or whatever your call yourself this post makes you the BIGGEST I-D-I-O-T in NL.

What really are u blabbing about? are u trying to defend evil? on what ground are u calling the pope or the catholic church "moral voice remaining on earth" whats so moral about a craddle-robber church? Are u aware of the history of immorality in the catholic church?

You quoted your bishop as saying that the problem is only in the west i guess that bishop of yours is actually taking the footstep of your pope by denying the obvious! or will your bishop honestly swear that he is not aware of the atrocities the catholic priest are committing in catholic dominated east. atrocities ranging from sleeping with people wives, impregnating young girls and encouraging to abort, enforcing heavy levies on their poor members to out-rightly taking community lands and converting same to their own use. i think worst damage they have done so far is  destroying our customs and tradition and branding them paganism!

The catholic church crimes in Africa are not published because they still have a very strong hold on journalism in Africa but i bet you that one day the burble will burst! Useless organization that called it self a church!!

Guy! u should make your research before coming to NL to post trash I-D-I-O-T!

I am rather amused at your sheer hatred for the Catholic church. I have seen many of your type and I know how they all ended. Maybe you're one of those atheistic "bastards" too. But i bet you, you and your cohorts will never succeed in undermining the Catholic church nor the spread of the gospel.

You may claim to be a Christian (if ever you are), first remove the log from your own eye so you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. I have made a clear statement and only illiterates fail to understand: you should not persecute one for another's crime.

Yes, the Pope is the only moral authority remaining on earth. The Pope is not just an individual, he is the "representative" of Christ on earth. This does not make the Pope nor the church sinless. If we were sinless, then we should not be on earth. I can assure you that you're no holier. You even went further to make some baseless accusations. What prove can you give of your accusations?

Evil in any form should and must be condemned, but I will never lay blame on the wrong person. If my four year daughter is abused by a priest, i'll call the police, not the Pope. And if a citizen of your religion (Nigeria) tries to bomb a US plane, then i guess the president of your religion (Nigeria) should be stoned to death?

[quote author=mama-gee link=topic=431104.msg5903856#msg5903856 date=1271435762][color=deeppink]You're a retarded Spunk![/color]
[color=deeppink] Are you daft . . .
Did you know it wasn't the Pope that abused those Children,
the Priest who actually did died about 11 years ago, you ignorant mofo.

@Topic

Sure, the endtime is near and people are damn sure to persecute everyone even those in the Church's authority. . .[/color][/quote]God bless you.

mazaje:
Shut up!!!. . . .I repeat Zap the pope . . . . .

I will not comment further on your post, cos I see you're simply a F.O.O.L.

[quote author=omo~fat link=topic=431104.msg5898058#msg5898058 date=1271349019]Mr Bebrief,

Your reaction and responses are very telling.

Four people respond to your post. Two people respond (partly) to the substance of what you posted. Mr TBits even asked your opinion on one of your points. You chose to ignore those.

Instead, you chose to respond to the other two posts that didnt directly relate (in substance) to your post.

You really don't have much to say except fight and name-call.

That sir, says a lot about you.[/quote]You should have read my earlier post which answers the first comment:

bebrief:
Jesus died once, for our sins and is Risen, seated at the right hand of God. Don't you believe that?
The Pope is "the highest order of moral authority on earth" whom we see as the leader of the Church right down from St. Peter the apostle.

rotimy:
As a Catholic, I am not happy the way the Pope and his media managers handled the crisis! All the talk about the Western media ambushing the Church and demonising her is rubbish! Truly, the Vatican covered up some of these crimes and once again , we must come out to the open, admit our faults and have a stronger ways in dealing with these randy priests. what the press is writing is the truth, only the truth will set us free not pity party or blame game!

If you're truly a Catholic, you should have more understanding about how the Papal media works. The Pope does not need to exonerate himself from any crime, cos he is not guilty. He has already apologized on behalf of the church in his letter to the church of Ireland. What else do you expect of the Pope? I have said earlier that it is not right for anyone to abuse another, be you Clergy or Laity. But no one should suffer for another's crime.  If you have a proof that a priest has abused someone, then go report to the law enforcement agents, and stop dragging the church into all these.

Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is very impressive,

Jesus died once, for our sins and is Risen, seated at the right hand of God. Don't you believe that?
The Pope is "the highest order of moral authority on earth" whom we see as the leader of the Church right down from St. Peter the apostle.

Stop The Prosecution Of The Pope!

I wonder what this world is turning into,  to the extend that some atheistic bastards even have the guts to call for the Pope's arrest when he visits
Britain in September. Why not try to call for the arrest of a minor Imam for amputation based on Sharia law. The Church have grown so silent and complacent to public opinion, that is why the western media thinks it can intimidate the highest order of moral authority,  so there will no longer be any moral voice remaining on earth. If the Pope did in truth prevent a priest from being prosecuted, where has it being said that the Pope prevented law enforcement officers from doing their work. Let the truth be said, it is wrong for anyone, clergy or laity, to abuse sexually another in any way, but no one should be accused of another's crime. The church has over the years invested in the education of young minds in all spheres of life, of which i am a product, and issues of such abuse are rare to say the least and nearly non-existent in Africa. Why then try giving the Church a bad name, for a remote incident in one or two cases of a religion with believers around 30% the world's population. It is time we rise to our Church's defense,  Archbishop John Onayekan, referring to the incident noted that the western media has never highlighted the work of the good works of the Church in it's life cycle, but can only seize this slightest opportunity to discredit her moral authority. The Church has produced saints of our time like Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II etc. It's time we speak up to end this calculated attach on Christianity,  However, the Bible predicts that this times will come when the Church will fall under intense persecution, ", and when these days come, know that the end is near, "

I wonder what this world is turning into, to the extend that some atheistic bastards even have the guts to call for the Pope's arrest when he visits Britain in September. Why not try to call for the arrest of a minor Imam for amputation based on Sharia law. The Church have grown so silent and complacent to public opinion, that is why the western media thinks it can intimidate the highest order of moral authority, so there will no longer be any moral voice remaining on earth. If the Pope did in truth prevent a priest from being prosecuted, where has it being said that the Pope prevented law enforcement officers from doing their work. Let the truth be said, it is wrong for anyone, clergy or laity, to abuse sexually another in any way, but no one should be accused of another's crime. The church has over the years invested in the education of young minds in all spheres of life, of which i am a product, and issues of such abuse are rare to say the least and nearly non-existent in Africa. Why then try giving the Church a bad name, for a remote incident in one or two cases of a religion with believers around 30% the world's population. It is time we rise to our Church's defense, Archbishop John Onayekan, referring to the incident noted that the western media has never highlighted the work of the good works of the Church in it's life cycle, but can only seize this slightest opportunity to discredit her moral authority. The Church has produced saints of our time like Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II etc. It's time we speak up to end this calculated attach on Christianity, However, the Bible predicts that this times will come when the Church will fall under intense persecution, ", and when these days come, know that the end is near, "