Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Cardinal Blase Cupich has made the outrageous claim during an interview that talking about the environment and refugees is more important than addressing church child sex abuse allegations.
Chicago Cardinal: Global Warming, Migrants Are ‘Bigger Agenda’ than Sex Abuse
28 Aug 2018
Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, has downplayed bombshell allegations that Pope Francis knowingly rehabilitated an abusive American cardinal, saying the pope has a “bigger agenda” to worry about, such as protecting the environment and migrants.
In a television interview with NBC News, Cardinal Cupich commented on a recent 11-page statement by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, that alleges a series of misdeeds by high-ranking Catholic prelates, including Pope Francis himself.
“The pope has a bigger agenda. He’s gotta get on with other things, of talking about the environment and protecting migrants and carrying on the work of the Church,” Cardinal Cupich said.
“We’re not going to go down a rabbit hole on this,” he added.
…
Read more (includes a video of the interview): https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/28/chicago-cardinal-global-warming-migrants-are-bigger-agenda-than-sex-abuse/
I sincerely hope Cardinal Cupich walks back his disgusting comments. Church sex abuse of children is the ultimate betrayal of trust. Suggesting that “talking about the environment” could be more important than fixing a broken system which failed, may still be failing to protect vulnerable children – words fail me.
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The Catholic church continues to invent deeper depths to sink to. Unbelievable.
There are good cardinals, but they are ostracized. There are good bishops, but they are kept far from any levers of power. There are good priests, but they are undermined by flagrant perverts. Such is the Age of Pope Francis.
Nothing will change until a miracle sweeps the predators out, or the Vatican Bank goes broke on Mafia provided vice.
Mark Thiessen of the Washington Post had a great column on this. https://tinyurl.com/ybspo42d “I suddenly understand how the Reformation happened.” His point is that if the Catholic church doesn’t clean up their act quickly, they will be facing another split.
Richard,
Carbon taxes are the new indulgences.
I agree!
John Paul I was probably bumped off over the Vatican Bank’s dealings with Banco Ambrosiano.
I agree with this statement. So sad for our Church. We have lost trust!
there are NO good cardinals, NO good bishops and NO good priests. faith is worlds most powerfull and harmfull drug.
Francis does NOT represent the Catholic church, there are doubts whether he is even a Catholic at all
Like having Jane Fonda as a life coach
Talk about getting your virtue signalling back-to-front!
He really should stick to fixing the long documented child abuse issues with his subordinates.
I would imagine that it’s not just the Catholic Church that have agents that take advantage of children. Our left-wing media hates the church of Rome and is more than willing to expose its failings.
You can’t be serious Steve. What happened to Lk12:48?
I believe his point is that the Catholic Church isn’t the only group that abuses children, but it’s the only group that the media wants to talk about.
I’m not sure if there are any groups who have as bad a problem with child abuse as does the Catholic Church, but it is a fact that the media does tend to gang up on any group they don’t like and give a pass to those groups it does like.
True enough, but if you’re a Catholic in the current moment, there should be no hint of excuse-making. I realize that you’re a Protestant and it’s charitable of you to speak up that way. But if a Catholic believes that the church is what the church claims to be, then they would hold the church to a much higher standard. To those whom much is given, much is expected.
I’m not criticising Catholics in general, I’m criticising a comment by an individual which seems to imply talking about climate change is more important than protecting children.
Eric, this is a Cardinal.
It is shocking to hear these words.
What has happened is that a person has accidently told the truth.
I am not speaking for Catholics, only myself.
I could not be more appalled if I tried to be.
Anyone who walks into a church and hands them money, or who thinks they are in the presence of goodness and Holy Virtue, are just dupes.
This is a shocking thing for anyone to say in response to charges of pedophilia and serial rape and the covering up of the same.
Even if it was just in general regarding no one in particular and unrelated to one’s self.
For one of the leaders of THE Holy Catholic Church to say it, in response to criminal acts by not one, but many many, of his own people?
RESIGN!!
BTW, Eric, just want to be clear, I am not talking about your words, but the Cardinal’s.
All good Menicholas – lets hope Cardinal Cupich revises his comments.
All my life as a minister’s son I’ve heard off-base commentary from high church officials about matters of reality as if they were somehow unaware of anything but their own pious safe-zone, where they have license to make judgements based on assumptions.
Good comments, Menicholas.
The Catholic Church needs to get itself in order. Who wants to be part of an organization that is known to harbor pedofiles? It’s way past time that heads roll and a new direction is taken.
Think of all the innocent children that have been defiled. It’s insanity and it cannot be allowed to continue.
Let’s hope there is a Burning Hell in the future for the perpetrators of these crimes against the most innocent and vulnerable. It’s just horrible!
Outside of McCarrick, people, including Catholics, don’t understand the sea change in procedures that took place 20 years ago, at least in the US. The stories recently coming out of PA are literally old news, hence all the talk about changing the statute of limitations. In the US, a religious will be removed from the ministry on a credible allegation, and the case referred to the police for further action. “Credible allegation” means can it be established that the accused and accuser where in proximity at the time of the allegation. That’s all it takes, and you are out. If a priest, you may be involuntarily laicised. There is no investigation, no hearing, tribunal or trial. I’ve seen it happen.
There is. Only problem is that these guys think they can just go to confessional (manned by their fellow perverts) and continue doing what they are doing. They are going to be shocked when at judgment day when Jesus says ” Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who practice evil!’” And the following is especially appropriate considering what they have done: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”
“We’re not going to go down a rabbit hole on this,” he added.
Not sure what kind of hole Cupich normally goes down but isn’t he one of Uncle Ted McCarrick’s boys?
I really don’t understand this…
Seems like all my life I have heard this about the church…it makes headlines every now and then
…and absolutely nothing has even been done about it
“Latitude
…and absolutely nothing has even been done about it”
Mostly this is true. Then sometimes those responsible for abuse are brought to justice and, rightly, convicted and sent to jail. Brother Kelly of St. Lawrence School, Waterford, Ireland.
The big issue, apart from the Church, is that the community are very reluctant bringing these people to justice.
It would appear that the Catholic Church Hierarchy has become an incestuous cult. “Monkey see monkey do” resulting in an epidemic and has trickled down & infected the priests and probably the nuns too. Just sayin.
Please see below for the American bishop’s response to the crisis…in 2002. Late, but not “nothing”.
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/charter.cfm
Latitude
This time the problem for the Vatican is different.
Francis is a special pope.
By all looks of it, pope Francis is not on the side of “deep state Vatican”.
The main issue and main problem is the prospect of the exercise of excommunication power by pope Francis, which is very much required
under the circumstances.
It seems that exactly what the “baddies ” trying to block.
Francis as a pope can not have such power by default, but once allowed to,
it can apply it in many other causes and instances, as required by circumstances.
As far as I understand it, once pope Francis exercises such power, he has that power
to his “command” for “ever”, as it can not be reversed.
A special pope indeed.
That is my understanding…..sure in reality is more complicated, but as
far as I can tell, this what I think is the main problem the Vatican faces
at the moment.
cheers
When Francis arrives at the Pearly Gates, I don’t think St. Peter is going to ask him about climate change.
More likely:
I miss The Far side so much!
No, but when he gets to Hell, Satan likely will.
See, they are saving a special place for them.
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales, and then Jonah.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though a whale is a very large, its throat is very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human, it was impossible.
The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah.”
The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?”
The little girl replied, “Then you ask him!”
The Bible actually says “great fish”, not “whale”. Nor could any known whale actually have swallowed a human.
Nor for that matter, any fish.
Yet another “fish story” in the Bible, not to be taken literally.
Actually it was a USO.
Ever seen the throat of a basking shark?
I suppose you mean the whale shark, which is larger than the basking. And yes, I have, but you apparently have not. Its mouth is big, but not its throat.
Dr. E. W. Gudger, an Honorary Associate in Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, notes of the whale shark that “while the mouth is cavernous, the throat itself is only four inches wide and has a sharp elbow or bend behind the opening. This gullet would not permit the passage of a man’s arm”.
Could they have mistaken a submarine type vessel for a whale? Ancient alien researchers say yes.
Bryan, question Sgt
You don’t really need that far an assumption. Treat the “Book” as a series of oral repitiouns of stories, tales, poems, histories (kings, battles, cities, journeys, other nation-cities), and moral tales and fables (Aesop’s Fables, folk tales of good and evil) and a strong mix of Absolute Truth AND Morals and religious strictures. True, the ancient fishermen and merchants and sailors knew absolutely that “large fish” (killer whales, sperm whales, large porpoises) eat their meals with direct bites. Heck, even balleen whales gulp schools of fish in one mouthful.
So, what’s wrong with a cautionary “miracle tale” of “Divine Salvation of the Lord’s Intended”? Heck, what’s wrong with a simple miracle in a religious book about God? Do not more people today regard Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, the Evil Witch with an enchanted Apple (Lord knows a PC couldn’t be enchanted with an evil virus), or ancient dragons as more real than an invisible, omnipotent being?
Just for your info, there is no other piece of ancient literature even as remotely accurate as the Bible. None. If the Bible says something happened and history says it didn’t, go for what the Bible says. Case in point: the Hittites. 150years ago the lack of mention of the Hittites in history or archeology was cited as proof that the Bible was a book of fables. Guess what the Bible was right and the critics were wrong.
Richard,
Many ancient texts are as accurate or more so than the Old Testament. Just from the same region, we have accurate records from many civilizations, to include Egyptian, Ugaritic, Hittite, Assyrian and the various Mesopotamian cultures from Sumer to Babylon to the Neo-Babylonians (Chaldeans), not to mention Persians.
New Testament history is surprisingly bad. The Gospels contradict each other and Roman history. Acts also can’t be reconciled with Paul’s authorship of some of the letters attributed to him, which are almost certainly second century forgeries.
But I’m convinced that the rural Galilean itinerant preacher Joshua, son of Joseph, existed, whether from Nazareth or not. He probably belonged to the Essene sect. John the Baptist also most likely actually lived.
But the more important point is that before about 800 BC, the OT is legendary (with some historical elements) and mythical. After that date, it is quasi-historical, ie recording many actual events, but naturally with spin.
For instance, the only physical evidence for the existence of David is a single stone which may or may not refer to the “House of David”. The inscription is incomplete, so archaeologists can’t be sure. No sign of the supposedly grand palace of David and Solomon has been found, despite all the digging which goes on around Jerusalem. Doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist, just that they definitely were nowhere nearly as imposing as the Bible makes out.
“the pope has a “bigger agenda” to worry about, such as protecting the environment and migrants.”
A Communist Catholic Pope is buying indulgences to make his church’s sins go away.
So funneeee!
So, “carrying on the work of the Church” includes sexual assault of minors by priests and bishops, then covering up what they did, and finally taking no action when the crimes have become known by the public?
As a former Catholic, I think this is a bigger offense than Pius and the NSDAP.
I refer WUWT readers to the following websites for information on the current scandals:
lifesitnews.com
ncregister.com
I have found their reporting to be of a high standard, and have no reason to doubt the veracity of their articles.
Yes, thanks, lifesitenews.com
What else can you expect from a pedophile cult that believes in a fairy tale or pink elephant or Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz…….etc ? Take your pick.
Dunno about pink elephant, but judging by what Jesus said would be the fate of those who harmed children, these guys sure don’t believe in him.
Or think they are really good swimmers. Millstones weigh up to 3,300 lbs.
I’m not surprised that this story would bring out those who hate religion in general and view them all the same.
It was clear to me days ago: The Church is now corrupted beyond redemption, and have zero moral authority at this point, if they even ever did…which is appears they did not: That we found out recently does not mean they used to have moral authority, it just means they were a collection of psychopaths, scammers, criminals of various and sundry nature, and COMPLICIT in evil acts by evil people that went on and on and on, but had kept the extent of it under wraps.
Dissolve the Catholic Church, sell all the property and award it to the victims,
Let the Vatican be a refugee camp, and the church buildings shelters/holding areas for illegal aliens awaiting trial or deportations.
Legally they are now a political advocacy group.
They enjoy all sorts of tax breaks and such, which no one else in the world has.
They collect money and pay no tax, own property and pay no tax, all live and buy stuff and pay no tax.
RICO appears to apply.
Menicholas, I think if you check there are countries in Europe that tax the population and hand it to the Church. It is compulsory.
In essence that is what the US is doing as well. They just aren’t as up front about it. Setting aside the ‘contracts’ that they have with the Church over things like ‘immigration’ settlement there is the tax exempt status. One everything the Church owns and what it does – including It’s wineries.
Are you advocating the end of tax-exempt status for non-profits, or the exclusion of churches from the non-profit category? I believe the latter would be Constitutionally questionable, and both politically impossible.
I for one am tired of letting the government decide who is a charity and who isn’t.
It’s time to end all deductions, not just the ones for charities.
Not anymore. That used to be the case in France even up to 1905 where the clergy were actually on the state payroll. The tax you may be thinking of that is applied in some countries is denomination specific. For example, if you are a Catholic, registered in your parish in Germany, the German government collects a tax of 8-9% of the total income tax paid and turns that over to the Catholic Church. If you make 50,000 euros, pay an income tax of 10,000 euros, an additional 800-900 euros goes to the church. The same applies for each denomination separately. If you are an atheist or don’t declare, you pay nothing.
Still the case I think with the régime concordataire of Alsace-Moselle in France.
The Anglican Church in England is state-supported. The Queen is its head.
Which is why the First Amendment forbids an establishment of religion, ie a state-supported, established church. “Antidisestablishmentarianism” used to be the longest English word.
Mon Dieu!
Sick puppies with no idea of the real world!
It brings a tear to an Atheist’s eye.
This cardinal is about as blind and tone deaf as Helen Keller, only not as moral as she. There are a lot of good priests and laypersons in the Catholic Church, but the leadership shows the corruption that the accumulation of power ineluctably brings. Many thought that Francis might bring about the radical change that needs to occur, but he has turned out to be a modest reformer at best. He also appears to be conflicted on the child abuse scandal as much as Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II.
Wasn’t Helen Keller a socialist?
I think she was a communist, as far as the Marxists and the IWW were concerned. Certainly she was in the days before Marxism evolved into the killing machine that was the USSR. Of course, don’t trust everything written at this link:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/keller-helen/intro.htm
In the 30’s being a communist was quite the rage in N America. Lots of people joined. They had it rough. They are not clear what she belonged to later on. She certainly supported women’s rights.
She was a Wobblie, but also a eugenecist. So, basically, she fell for all the early 20th century fads.
I don’t know to what extent she was a Communist, like, say, Ernest Hemingway. The distinctions weren’t always hard and fast.
Wouldn’t eugenicists have gotten rid of people like her first?
Good point.
I guess as well as being blind and deaf, she lacked self-awareness.
Why do I suspect that if one were to investigate this cardinal one would find out that he was either one of the abusers himself or he was involved in the moving of abusers around in the Church in order to cover up their crimes.
It wouldn’t surprise me. I’m wondering if he was involved in it when he was in Argentina.
Why grapple with real problems when the crowds will cheer as you bloviate over imaginary ones?
The [hypocrisy] of this church knows no bounds.
Francis has already shown that he considers child abuse by priests unimportant.
He kept backing the Chilean bishop who had covered priestly pederasty for decades, until finally forced to condemn the perverts after open rebellion by the devout among the oligarchs there.
Each local parish has its own views. Our pastor is, and has been, fighting against the church’s ignoring of the homosexuality and child abuse in the Church that has gone on for his entire career as a Catholic priest. And he speaks out against it from the pulpit. Most Catholics, not just here but throughout the church agree with his views. The Church has had misguided Popes before as all human organizations do and will again, I am sure, in the future. It does not make the entire Church wrong, only its leadership. The leftists have attained particularly strong influence in the US Church with left leaning bishops and now a leftist Pope. What is unbelievable to many of us is that they cannot see how destructive this has been to the Church and how the leftists really are trying to destroy the Church in the false name of being charitable to all.
Our faith is one of the few of which I am aware that does not claim to be the only way to salvation which keeps me going with them. Also, since the leftist media and those in government are trying to destroy the Church, it further enhances my belief that we are closer to the truth than most other denominations. After all, He said that He came to “bear witness to the truth”.
Many Catholics have been troubled by some of the words and actions of this Pope for several years. I can confidently say without survey most Catholics are appalled by this.
The Catholic Church was the very first to say that its way is the only one to salvation. Sorry, but what on earth could make you think differently from that fact?
Why do you imagine that the Church of Rome burnt alive so many “heretics”? Why did it sanction Charlemagne’s massacring of Germans in order to spread the One True Faith? Just for starters? How about the indigenous population of the Americas?
No offense, but where have you been for the past 2000 years?
Sgt,
There have been, and are still today, many religions that say they are the only way.
I am talking about today’s Catholic Church, not that of hundreds of years ago. Today’s Catholic Church condemns no one based upon their beliefs and even allows that those who have committed atrocities may have repented at the last moment. Their position is that all are God’s children and can achieve salvation. As I said above, have they made mistakes in the past and in the present, yes, but I am talking about the actual codified beliefs of today’s Church. Unfortunately, churches, like all human organizations are made up of human people who all inherit a fallen nature.
Peace,
JimG1
According to legend, the young girls who saw the Virgin of Fatima also had a message that was delivered to their Pope.
The rumor has it that this message included how many more popes there were going to be. According to that rumor, Francis is supposed to be the last pope. Many have assumed that this indicated the Second Coming. Perhaps it just indicated the implosion of the Catholic Church as an ongoing entity.
Mark W
The catholic faith recognizes and includes several others such as the orthodox churches which do not report to the Pope. So perhaps that will be the new direction of the “Church” after this Pope. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches
Just what we need, a Pope who wants to be a trendy.
Well, there is a prophecy from centuries ago that he would be the last Pope. It looks increasingly likely every day now.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, has downplayed bombshell allegations that Pope Francis knowingly rehabilitated an abusive American cardinal, saying the pope has a “bigger agenda” to worry about, such as protecting the environment and migrants.
When your Progressive faith trumps your Christian one…
A bishop in AZ almost got away with murder, killing a carpenter (!) in a drunken hit and run, because the DA was Catholic.
The cardinal should hold a biomass for the victims. then resign