Seven things I learned from World Youth Day

But wait, there’s more! George Pell also has this to say on this complex issue:

Some of the hysteric and extreme claims about global warming are also a symptom of pagan emptiness, of Western fear when confronted by the immense and basically uncontrollable forces of nature. Belief in a benign God who is master of the universe has a steadying psychological effect … In the past pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Has Cardinal Pell ever heard of Abraham, who was most certainly not a pagan and who was most certainly prepared to sacrifice his own son (Isaac if you’re Judeo-Christian, Ishmael if you are Muslim), to God? Actually, more to the point has he ever heard of science? Excuse me for this is where I must pause for a moment - to bang my head on my desk.

Victims of sex abuse by the Catholic clergy should just get over it. Well, that’s what WYD co-ordinator and Bishop Anthony Fisher says. And a priest is never wrong, right?

Anthony and Christine Foster are the parents of two girls who were both sexually abused by the same Melbourne priest. They travelled to Australia in the hope of attracting the Pope’s attention to their story and the ongoing pain they feel as a result of what happened to their daughters.

Fisher made the following remarks:

Happily, I think most of Australia was enjoying [and] delighting in the beauty and goodness of these young people and the hope for us doing these sorts of things better in the future, as we saw last night, rather than dwelling crankily, as a few people are doing, on old wounds.

Not only were these remarks grossly insensitive, they were also clearly erroneous. The Foster’s wounds are not old. Their eldest daughter Emma committed suicide just this year at the age of 26, and her sister, was hit by a drink driver in 1999 after engaging in heavy drinking herself. That accident left Katherine disabled.

The world is underpopulated. That lesson is from George Pell again. OK, let’s put aside the irony of a celibate priest complaining about the lack of effort on the part of westerners to procreate, how about we focus on the important stuff? Let us encourage everyone to have as many kids as possible, because there is obviously not enough pressure on the world’s rapidly depleting resources as it is. Because we are not going through a water crisis, or a food crisis, or an oil crisis. Because we don’t only have 100 months to deal with Climate Change or face the dire consequences. More kids, less environmental sustainability please.

Last, I learned Pope Benedict XVI is “way cool man”. After all, there is a reason they call him the “techno Pope” and it’s not because he likes to frequent night clubs and rave. It’s because, not only does he own an iPod, but he also has a mobile and can send text messages and everything. Not only that, but he has a cool text moniker, check it out - BXVI. Now that’s what I call “getting jiggy with it”. OK, that was a rather passé attempt at sounding cool, but then so is the message sent on July 16:

[T]he Holy Spirit gave the Apostles and gives u the power boldly 2 proclaim that Christ is risen! - BXVI.

I would have preferred the shorter and simpler “Gods gr8 & u r 2”.

But then, he is 82-years-old; maybe I should be giving him free phone credits just for being able to press send.