Pope Silent as Allegations Hit Close to Home

[mgc1961]

Georg Ratzinger came clean about his transgressions. Indeed, it seemed to be the end of the matter -- one which placed him squarely in the center of Germany's ever expanding Church abuse scandal.

"In the beginning, I slapped (the boys) in the face on a number of occasions," said Ratzinger, who, for decades, was the director of the Regensburger Domspatzen, one of the most renowned boys' choirs in Germany. But he stopped the practice back in 1980, he says, because the state had banned corporal punishment. He says that he "strictly" observed the new law.

Former choirboys tell a different story. They still shudder when they recall the reverend's severity -- and his tendency toward violence, even in later years.

"Ratzinger was extremely choleric and quick-tempered during choir practice," says Thomas Mayer, who was a student at the choir boarding school from 1988 to 1992. "On a number of occasions, I saw him get so angry that he threw a chair into our group of singers." Once Ratzinger flew into such a rage during choir practice "that even his false teeth fell out," says Mayer.


Read more at http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,683582,00.html

[ck4829]

1. K&R

[Raster]

2. That is one nice family. I wonder if the Ratzinger boys still have their Hitler Youth uniforms?

Do you get "merit badges" for protecting pedophile priests?

[yellowcanine]

3. Well Pope Benedict does not have to answer for his brother. But it seems he might have plenty to

answer for on his own when he was Archbishop of Munich and when he was in charge of clergy discipline for the Vatican before he became Pope. I am not sure he is going to survive this as Pope. Has a Pope ever resigned?

[mgc1961]

5. Yes, Popes have resigned.

However, it's difficult to know with certainty the exact number and reason for their resignations. I don't consider Benedict XVI's resigination out of the realm of possibility since he reportedly didn't want the job to begin with, but I think it's unlikely that a strict doctrinaire will take that path.

Here are a couple of links that can provide a bit more information about papal resignations:

http://atheism.about.com/od/popesandthepapacy/a/resignations_2.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_resignation

[tom_paine]

4. I have a policy: never trust former Hitler Youth members

But's that's just crazy old me.

:silly:

[Diclotican]

6. tom_paine

tom_paine

Most wice men is old, and I guess to trust an former Hitler youth is a leap many who was young when that group was running the stage have their suspection wel in hand...

The whole thing with this pope is suspectius if you ask me. Why could not they have shoosen another, more "round" to the next pope?.. He might have been firm in his belife, but way over his head on this.. Today even a pope are mutch more than just an man who ar a strong beliver in the roman chatolotic church And mutch of what have been coming out lately, is fishy if you ask me..

Diclotican

[IndianaGreen]

7. His own brother admitted to physically abusing the choir children

No wonder the former Hitler Youth Pope is silent.