{"id":116,"date":"2010-11-22T08:47:37","date_gmt":"2010-11-22T08:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/catholicsmediaandculture\/2010\/11\/pope-benedict-xvi-book-offers-pontiffs-reflections-on-the-church-sex-abuse-scandal-the-use-of-condom.html"},"modified":"2010-11-22T08:47:37","modified_gmt":"2010-11-22T08:47:37","slug":"pope-benedict-xvi-book-offers-pontiffs-reflections-on-the-church-sex-abuse-scandal-the-use-of-condom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicsmediaandculture\/2010\/11\/pope-benedict-xvi-book-offers-pontiffs-reflections-on-the-church-sex-abuse-scandal-the-use-of-condom.html","title":{"rendered":"New book: Pope Benedict XVI understands why clergy sex abuse scandals would cause some Catholics to leave the Church. Plus, the Pontiff’s thoughts on condoms to fight AIDS, Pope Pius XII & the Holocaust and under what conditions he’d consider resigning"},"content":{"rendered":"

German Catholic journalist Peter Seewald has landed the ultimate interview. His in-depth conversion with Pope Benedict XVI is the subject of the new book Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times <\/i>due out tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Among the highlights being reported in the media:<\/p>\n

* The Pope understands why the clergy sex abuse scandals has caused some Catholics, especially victims, to leave the Church.<\/b> <\/p>\n

From Catholic News Service<\/a>: An entire chapter and parts of others were dedicated to the clerical sex abuse
\nscandal. The pope called it “a great crisis” that left him “stunned by how
\nwretched the church is, by how much her members fail to follow
\nChrist.”<\/p>\n

“It was really almost like the crater of a volcano, out of which
\nsuddenly a tremendous cloud of filth came, darkening and soiling everything, so
\nthat above all the priesthood suddenly seemed to be a place of shame,” he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n

He expressed optimism about the church’s recovery from the scandal,
\nsaying God continues to raise up Catholic saints. But he also said he
\nunderstands why some Catholics, particularly victims, have responded by leaving
\nthe church in protest.<\/p>\n

“It is difficult for them to keep believing that
\nthe church is a source of good, that she communicates the light of Christ, that
\nshe helps people in life — I can understand that,” he said.<\/p>\n

The pope
\nsaid media coverage of the abuse scandal was partly motivated by a desire to
\ndiscredit the church. But he added that the church must be “grateful for every
\ndisclosure” and said the media could not have reported in this way “had there
\nnot been evil in the church.”<\/i><\/p>\n

*<\/b> The Pope acknowledges that, in certain circumstances (particularly involving prostitution and curbing the spread of AIDS), the use of condoms could be seen as “a first step” in taking moral responsibility for one’s sexual behavior. <\/b><\/p>\n

From Time.com<\/a>: Benedict’s so-called condom concession was not a huge one. He still
\nproscribes the use of condoms as contraception (as he does the birth control
\npill). His specific example, that of a male prostitute choosing to use a condom
\nin a conscious choice to prevent HIV infection, is couched as “a first step in
\nthe direction of moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way
\ntoward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one
\ncannot do whatever one wants.” Benedict seems to imply a scale of good and bad
\nintentions — from the indiscriminate use of condoms and other contraceptives to
\nthe idea of preventing the spread of AIDS to following the teachings of the
\nCatholic Church. Condoms are not the ultimate solution or the prescribed
\nCatholic way, he reiterates, though Benedict allows that there is little the
\nchurch can do to prevent anyone from acquiring condoms. Still, he insists that
\n“the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality… the
\ndangerous source of the attitude of no longer seeing sexuality as the expression
\nof love.”<\/i><\/p>\n

* The Pope defends Pius XII’s actions during the Holocaust, saying he “saved
\nmore Jews than anyone else.”<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/b>From Reuters<\/a>: <\/span>In the book-length interview with a German journalist, the pope says
\nof Pius:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

“The decisive thing is what he did and what he tried to do, and on that score
\nwe really must acknowledge, I believe, that he was one of the great righteous
\nmen and that he saved more Jews than anyone else.”<\/i><\/p>\n

Note:<\/b> While the Pope’s view offends some of the Jewish faith, it’s worth noting the campaign of Gary Krupp, the Jewish leader of the Pave the Way Foundation<\/a>, who is working hard to correct what he believes to be the tragically-wrong notion that Pius was “Hitler’s Pope.”<\/i>
Read Story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

* The Pope says he would resign if incapacitated.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

From Reuters<\/a>:  Pope Benedict says…that he would not hesitate to become the first
\npontiff to resign willingly in more than 700 years if he felt himself no longer
\nable, “physically, psychologically and spiritually,” to lead the church.<\/p>\n

                                                         ***<\/p>\n

<\/i>Don’t forget to support the Hungerthon<\/a>.<\/b> The radio event in support of the anti-poverty organization WhyHunger<\/a> continues tomorrow.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>TUESDAY<\/b> SCHEDULE<\/b>:<\/p>\n

WINS (1010 AM), WCBS-AM (880), WRXP, 5 a.m.-10 p.m.
WFAN, 6 a.m.-6:30
\np.m.
WCBS-FM: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
WAXQ: 5:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sirius XM (multiple
\nchannels).<\/p>\n

Also supporting Hungerthon<\/a>: WHTZ, WLTW,
\nWKTU, WWPR, WPLJ, WQHT, WRKS, WABC, Last.fm, Kweevak.com<\/a> and rocklandworldradio.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more on the work of WhyHunger click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

German Catholic journalist Peter Seewald has landed the ultimate interview. His in-depth conversion with Pope Benedict XVI is the subject of the new book Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times due out tomorrow. 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Kennedy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicsmediaandculture\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicsmediaandculture\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/d80\/d801bc09698c0995d9ae402b4b55ab61x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/catholicsmediaandculture\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/d80\/d801bc09698c0995d9ae402b4b55ab61x96.jpg","caption":"John W. Kennedy"},"description":"John W. Kennedy is the founder and Dir. of Development of The Creative Universe Entertainment\u2122, a media consultation and development company focusing on the creation, development and support of high-quality mainstream entertainment that upholds positive timeless values, including trust in God. Current projects include \"Bryant Park\" (an uplifting romantic-comedy) and \"Photo Finish\" (an award-winning sci-fi TV pilot). 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