Pope cover up - will justice be served?

So you think Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, crime of hiding pedophiles is something new? We got spoiled to some degree from the prior Pope, John Paul II, who in comparison was a decent great ape. The Popes have been evil bastards for a very long time. Power totally corrupts them. They take vows of poverty but check out their crib. How many rich people live in a place like this?

I went to see this a few years back. It is amazing to walk towards it because at first it does not seem so big, but then you go Good Lawdy, Lawdy, I should be the Pope. Humility really pays off. Jesus said he had no where to lay his head, not so for his representative on earth.

Remember the Popes are the Vicar of Christ, Jesus' holy representative. St Peter was the first Pope and this is the Bible text to prove it, a quote from Jesus.

Matthew 16:18-19

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

For comparison here are some real bastards who were Pope.

Pope (year of reign)

Stephen VII (896-897)

Brutally murdered his predecessor. He was later imprisoned and strangled to death.

John XII (937-964)

Gave land to a mistress, murdered several people and was killed by a jealous husband when he found the Pope in bed with his wife. He made a toast to the devil with wine. When he gambled he asked Jupiter and Venus to bless him.

Benedict IX (1032-1044, 1045, 1047-1048)

He sold the Papacy because he wanted to get married, selling it to his godfather, Gregory VI. With regret he returned to Rome and re-claimed the throne. Many continued to recognize Gregory VI as the true pope. Benedict was accused of adultery and murders.

Urban II (1088-1099)

Many Catholic priest were getting married. Urban would have none of this so he imprisoned them for life and sold their wives and children into slavery.

Gregory IX (1227-1241)

He burned many heretics.

Boniface VIII (1294-1303)

Lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy. He decreed the only way to salvation was to acknowledge him as the vicar of Christ. He had a major feud with France's King Philip IV which ultimately lead to Boniface ex-communicating Philip and Philip having Boniface almost to beaten to death.

Urban VI (1378-1389)

Tortured Cardinals who conspired against him and complained he did not hear enough screaming. He wrote an edict that evangelism was to be done by force and arms if needed.

Alexander VI (1431-1503)

He collected money for indulgences and to make men cardinals. While off to war he put his daughter Lucrezia in charge of the Holy See. He later arranged a marriage for his daughter to a very wealthy Duke and it is written in some papal documents he had a son with his own daughter.

Sixtus IV (1471-1484)

Heavy into nepotism, making two of his nephews cardinals and title and money to other relatives. He sold licenses for brothels, taxed priests who kept mistresses and sold indulgences for the dead to their grieving loved ones.

Innocent VIII (1484-1492)

He opening acknowledged his mistress and illegitimate children. Gave money, titles and land to whoever he chose. He tortured and burned witches.

Alexander VI (1492-1503)

Used bribery to move up the heirarchy. Lots of nepotism including the teenage brother of his mistress who later became Paul III. Suspected of orgies and murder of his rivals. Married off his daughter three times to build alliances and murdered the man she wanted to marry.

Leo X (1513-1521)

His spending bankrupted the papacy in two years. He pawned St Peter's furnishing and licensed more brothels. His lifestyle encouraged Martin Luther to post his 95 Thesis.

Clement VII (1523-1534)

His politics with France, Spain and Germany caused Rome to get sacked.

Paul III (1534-1549)

See Alexander VI above. He made his two teenage grandson's cardinals. He was free with the ladies. He ex-communicated King Henry VIII of England.

Julius III (1550-1555)

Into nepotism, gluttony, gambling. He made one of his male lovers a cardinal.

Pious XII (1939-1958)

Anti-Semitic, racist and was nicknamed Hitler's Pope.

A horrible lot. Many crimes unpunished. Will this Pope pay for his horrid crime? History shows no, but one can hope.

Does being a believer make you a better person? Would it motivate you to even turn in a pedophile?