Does her name begin with an A?

Yes, that's her!

Oh, I liked her a lot! Yay, small universe.

Oh dear. Talk about the Catholic Church being tone-deaf....

Pope Benedict rejects Irish bishop's resignation

In a move that has stunned critics Pope Benedict XVI has rejected the resignations of two Dublin auxiliary bishops.

Bishop Raymond Field and Bishop Eamonn Walsh had both tendered their resignations in 2009 in the wake of the Murphy report into clerical child abuse.

Both men had come under intense pressure because they had served as bishops during the period investigated by the Murphy Commission into clerical child sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin.

The Murphy Commission in Ireland found that sexual abuse was 'endemic' in boys' institutions but that the church hierarchy protected the perpetrators and allowed them to take up new positions teaching other children after their original victims had been sworn to secrecy.

...

Announcing their resignations in December, the two auxiliary bishops said: 'It is our hope that our action may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologize to them.'

Now their gesture of reconciliation has been halted by the pontiff. Archbishop Martin said the two men are 'to be assigned revised responsibilities within the diocese.'

More: If abuse won't cost your job in the Church, what will?

This morning The Irish Catholic reported that the reluctantly offered resignations of Irish Bishops Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field have been rejected by Pope Benedict XVI.

It's an astounding move - because it's completely unsupportable.

The facts have already been established: both Irish bishops presided over dioceses that covered up of decades of rampant child sex abuse allegations (Bishop Ryan was in the diocese of Ferns and Bishop Field was in Dublin).

But instead of accepting their resignations the Pope has decided that Bishops Ryan and Fields will instead remain as Auxillary Bishops and will be assigned 'revised responsibilities within the diocese.'

No need to dwell on the arrogance, it speaks for itself; what fascinates me is the astonishing indifference to any ordinary conception of morality or atonement.

Shit like that, and the fact that the Church is nothing like the post Vatican II Church that I grew up with in the '70s, is why I don't go to Mass anymore. Really disappoints my mother, but I just can't do it.

Man, I hate Stockton and Malone.

No, that's not related to anything here.

I also hate Microsoft Project.

CIO sent me a "Welcome to the team!" card. I doublechecked, and she is still spelling my name in all caps. I feel obliquely chastised.

she is still spelling my name in all caps.

Does she think you're an acronym?

Man, I hate Stockton and Malone.

The Utah Jazz players?

What Kathy A said. I long ago decided not to be Catholic, but the Church as it is now composed is so very far from the hippyish post-Vatican II Church I grew up with as to be unrecognizable.

Does she think you're an acronym?

I hope she thinks I'm the right one. Continual total agreement would be useful.

The Utah Jazz players?

Yeah. I just had a moment. Not sure what came over me. Winningest team I never could like.