Meditation 917
Yet another Catholic World Youth Day
by: JT
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I note that the Catholic Church is currently celebrating yet another World Youth Day*, this time in Madrid, Spain. I find it strange that somehow these Catholic youth days somehow manage to last a week, and that the primary focus is on Archbishops, Cardinals and a Pope - a bunch of septuagenarian men and one octogenarian, all in dresses.
The Pope opened things up by announcing that the current economic problems of the world were due to unethical businesses focussing on profits. I should note on the Pope's behalf that this is quite different from an unethical religious organization which focusses on covering up the crimes of priests, and which recently proudly declared a budgetary surplus for its past fiscal year.
The Pope said: "...the economy must not be measured only by the maximization of profit but according to the common good.''
I say: "Religion must not be measured only by the maximization of budget surpluses, but according to the common good. Especially the common good of children."
This year's World Youth Day also features a Festival of Forgiveness featuring 200 confessionals. As a Festival special, the Vatican has temporarily changed the rules on getting forgiveness for an abortion, so any priest hearing confessions at the festival can provide absolution rather than only specially authorized priests. One wonders about the Church's stand on moral relativism when its rules are arbitrarily changed. And of course there is the law of unintended consequences - those who have seen Dogma know what happens when the Catholic Church changes its rules for special occasions. I suspect it is quite possible that at least one woman in Spain will go ahead and end an unwanted pregnancy knowing she can quickly and discretely get absolution.
Father - I have sinned. I had an abortion
When did this happen, my child?
Two hours ago, Father.
And what would a public gathering be today without an attempted mass murder by a religious terrorist. One of the volunteers, Jose Perez Bautista, identified as an "ultra-Catholic", whose proclaimed aim was "This is my struggle - to kill fags in their demonstrations against the Church" was arrested after threatening those opposed to the Pope's visit with a chemical attack. No doubt there will be denials that this has anything to do with Church teachings.
And outside the Festival of Forgiveness, if Jose Perez Bautista had been successful in murdering a multitude, it would have been easier for him to get absolution from a priest than it would be for a woman seeking absolution for a single abortion.
Note:
* Earlier Catholic World Youth Days were mentioned in Meditation 53 & discussion, Meditation 54 and Meditation 715.