Wow

[Trigger warning.]

Just this very morning, I wrote about the Catholic Church's deflection of legitimate criticism by casting critics as wicked scoundrels with an agenda.

And this afternoon, I read: "Pope Benedict XVI's personal preacher on Friday likened accusations against the pope and the Catholic church in the sex abuse scandal to 'collective violence' suffered by the Jews."

OMFG. So…basically anyone who objects to the institutional abetting and concealment of the sexual abuse of children is sorta like a Nazi or something? Sure.

The Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in a Good Friday homily with the pope listening in St. Peter's Basilica that a Jewish friend wrote to him to say the accusations remind him of the "more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism."

…"[Jewish people] know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognize the recurring symptoms," the preacher said.

Quoting from the letter from the friend, who wasn't identified by Cantalamessa, the preacher said that he was following "with indignation the violent and concentric attacks against the church, the pope and all the faithful of the whole world."

"'The use of stereotypes, the passing from personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt remind me of the more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism,'" Cantalamessa said his friend wrote him.

In the sermon, he referred to the sexual abuse of children by clergy, saying "unfortunately, not a few elements of the clergy are stained" by the violence. But Cantalamessa said he didn't want to dwell on the abuse of children, saying "there is sufficient talk outside of here."

Said without a trace of fucking irony, despite the fact that the Church's culture of silence is one of critics' main criticisms. ("We talk about it so you don't have to because you don't!") As is the fact that the Church is more concerned about their sex predator priests being "stained" by THE VIOLENCE THEY PERPETRATED than about what their victims have suffered/are suffering.

And, hey—speaking of irony! I strongly recommend you add Constantine's Sword on your Netflix queue, Father Cantalamessa!

I look forward to Cantalamessa's next sermon on how irony is just the sort of thing that Nazi-like villains notice.

[The BBC has more. H/Ts to Shakers Lynsey and EastSideKate.]