Brenden, you are forgiven for posting this piece of trash. Shame on BO though for allowing you.

This piece really is in poor taste.

Yah but the catholics acting like they are the only religion that suffers discrimination etc (see William Donohue) is getting old...

Glad my ancestors made the jump in the 16th century....

might not have been in the best of taste...

I could have done some better research on this one before posting it. I remember having read that Ratzinger was a Hitler Youth, but not much beyond that. I did want to point out, though, the absurdity of comparing "anti-Catholicism" to last century's horrific anti-semitism. There is no real risk of drastic violence happening against Catholics as a whole, and the fact that these abuses keep being revealed is reason enough for people to be questioning certain church practices. Seriously, the victim here is not the pope, it is the deaf children he allowed to be tortured.

Brendan is actually raising an interesting point...and I'm curious why there isn't more outrage at the Pope and less at Brendan.

Because so many Blue Oregon Democrats, including several running for office, are probably on some level a little uncomfortable at remaining contributing parishioners at St. Andrews, Holy Redeemer, Holy Family, etc...

Their money props up an utterly indefensible, criminal organization that has paid out billions in abuse claims...

...and works to restrict healthcare options for women, erase basic civil rights for gays and lesbians, dumbs down science education, etc... Not exactly your most progressive causes here.

But, like so many silent Catholics these days, they love to consider themselves wholly unconnected to the horror their church engages in. What, me? But I'm so friendly and liberal and progressive!! I have gay friends! I support choice! I'm appalled by abuse! How could anyone suggest that I am in any way complicit in these efforts - just because I regularly help to fund them.

Jeez - it's (sniff) like the Holocaust all over again. Poor ME...

Nice work Brendan!

Way to go Brendan. Anyone who is complaining about what Brendan is doing is part of the problem! Look at what this church has done--and is not doing! The catholic church in portland -- whose former bishop now heads ratzinger's old department--was the first to go bankrupt because of these crimes!

I think Brendan is a breath of fresh air and I am glad some of our young people are willing to stand up for what is right!

I recently watched a good documentary on this subject called "Deliver Us From Evil" it was extremly well done. Good for Blue Oregon for taking on this subject.

The Catholic Church has a real problem with the rite of celibacy for its priests and the resulting sexual abuse. No question there. I took offense at the Nazi reference to the Holy See. Over the top, completely so in my view.

I took offense at the Nazi reference to the Holy See.

Actually it's the Vatican that initially invoked the Nazis, by suggesting that the world's legitimate outrage at sexual abuse by priests, and the cover up by Bishops (including this current Pope), is somehow analogous to the suffering of Jews during WW II...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/world/europe/03church.html

And to defend your organization by bringing up another horrifying episode in which it shared a less than savory role (http://www.adl.org/Braun/dim_14_1_role_church.asp) is a little nutty, too...

And of course the Pope did actually join the Hitler Youth. Unwillingly, he says. But this is a guy who also claims that documented sexual abuse of minors (and literally billions of dollars spent in settling claims) is just an example of "petty gossip..."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125555405&ft=1&f=1001

Hey - maybe he did all all this before he became "infallible..?!" (Jeezus...)

The catholic church in portland -- whose former bishop now heads ratzinger's old department--was the first to go bankrupt because of these crimes!

Yes - and if you continue to contribute to St. Andrews, Holy Family, Holy Redeemer, etc...

...you are financially supporting this organization, right here in Portland, and allowing them to continue their activities...

You are morally complicit in this nightmare - and at this point you should know better.

So, at age 14, the future pope was forced by criminals into a relationship against his will. One would think he would have more compassion for raped children and more resolve to prevent future abuse.

Comrade Deiz,

One day, you will blog for the Master Race. Imagine there's no heaven - because there is none.

Solidarity, Demetri

Reactions posted above give testimony to the reality of your cartoon.

If the Catholic Church wants to maintain legitamacy as an institution of sincere worship of Jesus, it would be time for them to walk the walk, and stop the talk.

If the Catholic Church didn't want to be seen as another institution for exploitation, than they should stand up for the exploited when needed the most, and not decades after the damage was done with their facilitation. When churches are given such power as to be above reproach, as the Catholic Church has enjoyed for centuries, is there any suprise these abuses would result?

paul g.,

Does Diez's cartoon suggest it was the Vatican speaking? I do not see that. And that "one individual" was the Pope's personal preacher, according to AP. Mentioning Nazis as part of the priest's statement was not accurate, although they were brought up in much of the discussion that followed the incident.

It was one individual, not "the Vatican," who invoked anti-Semitism, not the Nazis.

Oh yeah, it was "just one individual," who happens to be...

• The Pope's personal priest!

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/2138473,CST-NWS-vatican03.article

Not sure you can get more "Vatican" that that...

But of course, so many Catholics are now expert at ignoring facts, smearing victims of Church abuse, protecting their own criminal priests and bishops and Popes, etc...

excellent post brandon!

try reading some sam harris or richard dawkins

The Catholic Church has a history replete with close ties to controlling hte populous. a satirical political cartoon is in no way "over the top" if even by one so young.

I may not like the cartoon, but defend the right to publish it.

Frankly, the Pope should be answering police questions about his role in covering up child sex abuse over several generations by Catholic priests and other church representatives.

I'm also tired of people whining about having their faith attacked at the slightest hint that said faith should practice what it preaches vis a vis accountability, justice, sin and punishment. Well done Brendan, your cartoon, while leaving a bit to be desired with regard to detail and artistic merit, shows a strong sense of simply getting to the point in way people are not going to misunderstand.

Oregon Bill writes: "[Democrats'] money props up an utterly indefensible, criminal organization that has paid out billions in abuse claims..."

Hi Lee -

I wouldn't implicate all Democrats, by any stretch.

But I do think it's well past time for anyone, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, who STILL contributes money to a Catholic Church, to quit pretending that they care about progressive causes, or the welfare and safety of children.

Because there is now overwhelming evidence that their collection plate donations prop up a criminal organization that harms the vulnerable, protects abusers, seeks to limit healthcare options for women, erase civil rights for gays and lesbians, and dumbs down science education, etc...

To continue to give money to the Archdiocese of Portland (the first to declare bankruptcy due to their horrific criminal behavior), through St. Andrews, Holy Family, Holy Names, etc. - makes you morally complicit here.

It's like running for political office claiming to back civil rights...while giving money each Sunday to a group of white supremacists.

Eventually that kind of hypocrisy sticks out (and stinks).

For the haters:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1143155.html

You can escape...

From the Stranger in Seattle...

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/04/08/my-letter-to-the-catholic-church

My Letter to the Catholic Church posted by PAUL CONSTANT on THU, APR 8, 2010 at 11:26 AM

I hope you'll read my letter to the Catholic Church about why I want to be excommunicated:

Today, Bishop Malone, I am demanding that you excommunicate me.

I cannot in good conscience belong to your church anymore; I do not want to be counted with the 200,000 Catholics in Maine, or the 68,115,001 Catholics in the United States of America, or the 1.1 billion Catholics in the world.

And if you want to demand excommunication, I wrote a quick-and-dirty guidefor you:

When people ask you about your religion at parties, you refer to yourself as a "recovering Catholic," but you never gave your baptism or confirmation much thought beyond that. Now, though, you've had it. You're tired of waiting for Pope Ratzi to hang up his funny- shaped hat, and you're tired of being associated with the moral monstrosity that is the Catholic Church.

You need to excommunicate yourself!

<h2>It's a relatively easy thing to do, and though the Catholic Church still considers excommunicated people to be Catholics—albeit of the "unforgiven" variety—you can at least take comfort that you've removed yourself as far as humanly possible from an organization you detest.</h2>