The Pope Spoke - Again.

Pope Benedict XV brought into his position of power an admonition to the world, and especially to the citizens of Europe that now was the time for them to return to God, and especially to come back home to the church again. He castigated Europeans for becoming so secular that they were losing their spiritual bearings and their only hope was to come back and worship again and serve the church once more. Religion had made Europe great in the past and it's new Supreme Bishop was willing to forgive its wayward children - but they had to shape up!

Unfortunately the spotlight he turned upon religion has revealed some flaws not attributable to secularism. The 81 year old prelate apparently attributed the drifting masses to the wandering away of the church itself from some of its old traditional assertions. A return to the pre-ecumenistic services clearly pleased the pope even if it upset his Jewish "friends". He also shifted away from the distribution of the elements of mass to some who were not Roman Catholic, thus isolating that church even more. Then came the reinstatement of some ex-communicated priests who had made anti-Jewish comments. One of them had been tossed out of the church for denying the occurance of the hollocaust. Benedict pulled him back in. When cries arose that he should not have been ex-excommunicated, Benedict was dismissive.

Now finally comes the uproar across the internet. Apparently comments, even sermons, given by this ex-excommunicated bishop have become popular across Europe now show on YouTube. Benedict was blown-away. Last word we heard he was commenting to someone about having to start reading the internet.

Well, come on now. Popes have taken any sign of progress as indication of devilment. Birth control is seen as equivalent to murder and serious sin. It is even on a par with Darwin and his scientific theories. The Catholic Church has only recently - in the past couple of hundred years - accepted Gallileo and Copernicus as purveyers of truth. But Benedict was well on the way to banishing the telescope along with condoms and scientific thinking. Now comes the internet? No way.