who loves ya, baby?

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Apr 27, 2005

In its 11 November 2002 issue, the Jesuit magazine America editorialized in favor of gay priests, arguing that "their experience of suffering persecution, for example, can often make gay priests more compassionate toward others." Now that Benedict XVI has assumed the pastorship of the universal Church, let's hearken back to that impressive display of compassion showered on Cardinal Ratzinger by the South African Bishop Reggie Cawcutt and his fellow gay clergy on the Saint Sebastian's Angels site:

• From Cawcutt: I think I said before I expect JP to drop out on Jan 2 and Ratz to take poison on Jan 3 cos he knows that if he does not , someone else will give it to him on Jan 4!
• From another priest: NOW this ------- "romani" named ratiziger and his cronies want to cause a witch hunt. I have asked god to forgive me because i have never desired that god sends someone to his eternal rest as much as I want this man to. I truly believe this man has something to hide.
• From Cawcutt: kill [Ratzinger]? pray for him? why not just ---- him??? any volunteers - ugh!!!
• From another priest: GUYS everyone has a skeleton in there closet and the Rat has to have his. Well it is time the enemies of the Rat find his Achilles heel.
• From Cawcutt: Oh - I had a letter from THEM [Ratzinger's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith] yesterday - thanking me for my latest explanation of my stand ... I stretched the truth as much as I possible could in my letter and he wrote back a very personal note saying he had passed my letter on to THEM and hoped that this would now be the end of the matter - so do I, but I doubt it. ----, Martin - wot you doing over there - can't you slip in a few drops of poison somewhere or other?

Touching, ain't it? Few of the rest of us attain this level of charity, forbearance, and pastoral sensitivity, even in our best moments. Of course, the fact Cawcutt was made a bishop suggests he was especially outstanding in respect of compassion. Hard to imagine that there are still neanderthals out there skeptical of the gifts these priests bring to the defense and propagation of Christian doctrine.