Can I raise a sensitive subject? Frankly with us not being out cruising at the present moment I am finding that I need to explore other subjects that have nothing at all to do with boating.

A couple of weeks ago one of the TV Documentary programs up here called the Passionate Eye aired a program called Mea Maxima Culpa which detailed at some length the Roman Catholic Church’s complicity, through delay, denial, and obscurement, in the ongoing sex scandals that have been rocking the church over the last few decades. I learned a lot from watching it. For example, the current, soon to be retired, Pope was the Cardinal responsible for dealing with all of the accusations of priestly pedophilia. In other words he heard about them all if they were reported. He did nothing about it but he was the guy to whom all the reports were sent. I also learned that the Vatican’s attitude was that they would deal with errant priests and that no one was to acknowledge anything. In fact they were to disguise it, deny it, hide it, try to get the victim to recant, etc whenever they could. You should google the Passionate Eye and search for the show http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/episode/mea-maxima-culpa-silence-in-the-house-of-god.html. Maybe you could download it to watch for yourself. Many of the Bishops to whom the abuse was reported have done such a great job protecting the abusers that they are now archbishops, cardinals and in one case – Pope. One of the more telling scenes was one which showed a nearly empty church at mass and the priest saying that people haven’t necessarily lost their faith, just their respect for the church hierarchy.

Now there are accusations of corruption within the Vatican and the response of the inner circle there is to accuse the accusers and to deny again. When will these old men learn? There is a microscope on them and sooner or later they will be exposed and meanwhile the Church will continue to fall into disrepute which is a great shame because I don't think that anyone can deny that the Christian teachings of peace, brotherhood and tolerance are wonderful goals to aspire to.

Sigh.

Oh well.

It really is a shame. I have met and worked with a number of priests in the army who have been credits to their faith and to their uniform, and generally all round decent human beings. It must be horrible for them to have to deal with the suspicion etc that is surrounding them now. Part of the problem is that when a priest is ordained, it is like when the wafer is transformed into the body of Christ, the priest becomes something other than a normal man. Apparently that is one of the Church’s arguments for why a priest cannot be tried in a civilian court, that only the Church can punish a priest. Again, something that I didn’t know.

I grew up being trundled off to church every Sunday, more or less willingly, where I would sit and fidget for an hour and a half until I was blessedly released to get on with whatever a kid at that particular age wanted to do. Then when I got older and especially after I got married and had a family I started to do what my parents did and drag the kids off to church. They never complained which I think is attributable to the fact that we had a couple of really good Anglican Priests in a couple of postings that I had in a row. They were so good, in fact, that they were able to talk me into becoming a lay reader, something that I would never have anticipated that I would do – ever. But there I was.

We need something as a moral compass in our lives, something that will serve as the foundation of our attitude about right and wrong and how we treat each other. Although I am not a Catholic, Anglicans are close enough that I do feel the impact of what the Vatican does or doesn’t do. I won’t be crying when a Pope dies or lining up to wave at him or anything like that, but it is the same as being a Canadian and feeling the influence of what happens in the US.

And now for something completely different.....as Monty Python used to say.

Have you all heard about the US Engineering gazillionaire who wants to recruit a couple to slingshot around Mars and back?

Wow!

Put me in coach!

Now I just have to convince Barb.

That would be the ultimate stage of the cruising lifestyle.