Thus speaketh the village idiot:

A Few Good Priest? By Rosemary Radford Ruether

Declaring himself to be “deeply ashamed” by the misbehavior of Catholic priests in the sexual abuse cases, the Pope said it “is more important to have good priests than many priests.” While this remark may seem obvious, it strikes a hollow note for many Catholics in the United States and around the world who suffer from the lack of adequate priestly ministry in their parishes. As the numbers of Catholics grow, and the numbers of priests decline, an increasing number of Catholic parishes lack resident priests. They make do with lay leaders, women and men, who, while dedicated, lack the ability to administer the sacraments that are key to Catholic religious life.

It is not that there is a lack of Catholics willing to serve in the priesthood, but a lack of those who are willing to take on the vows of celibacy. There are also increasing numbers of women who are theologically educated and eager to serve in the ministry, but this Pope, like his predecessor, has been adamant in rejecting the possibility of the ordination of women at a time when most other Christian churches have changed their minds on this historic exclusion of women from ordained leadership. The limited social base from which Catholic priests are recruited is the obvious reason why there are dwindling numbers of Catholic priests. It is also directly connected not only with why there are not “many,” but also why some have proved themselves sexually abusive.

When a church recruits its leadership exclusively from those who repress their sexuality and are taught to view sex as the opposite of sacredness, it is inevitable that some of those who take such vows have an immature sexuality that will be acted out secretly in sexual abuse of the vulnerable, young boys and girls. Until the Catholic Church faces up to the way its negative views of sexuality are connected with sexual abuse, it will continue to be faced with the problem of priests who are both not “good” and also not “many.”

http://thepope.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/a-few-good-priests/

“Feminist Theologian” oxymoron. Get the matches. Time to burn another one.

Day Two

[Four-minute video]

Shepherd of Shepherds

(white ermine-trimmed mozzetta and gold papal stole)

Pope Benedict XVI addresses the bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on the first full day of his visit to the United States, Wednesday, April 16, 2008. At right is Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. At left is the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

In this photo provided by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Benedict XVI presents New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes with a chalice as a gift for his sacrifice and service during Hurricane Katrina during his visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2008. At back center is Chicago Cardinal Francis George. (AP Photo/Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Matthew Barrick)

Magnificat anima mea Dominum

Pope Benedict XVI arrives for Vespers in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with the bishops of the United States in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2008. (AP Photos/J. Scott Applewhite)

Pope Benedict XVI reverences the crypt altar during Vespers in the Crypt of the United States at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with the bishops of the United States in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2008. (AP Photos/J. Scott Applewhite)

“Pax tecum.” — President Bush

The Pope has President Bush speaking Latin.

President George Bush began his remarks with “Peace be with you” in the ancient language at this morning’s official welcoming ceremony. Pope Benedict’s German- influenced English was a better than the President’s Southern USA Latin!

Happy 81st Your Holiness

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI blows out a candle on a cake to celebrate his 81th birthday during his visit at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2008. At right are Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and President Bush.