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Pope says rich nations "plundered" Third World »
Posted by: Karina 2 years, 9 months agoRich countries bent on power and profit have mercilessly "plundered and sacked" Africa and other poor regions and exported to them the "cynicism of a world without God," Pope Benedict writes in his first book.
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Karina
Karina Longworth blogs about film at Spout.com. She co-founded the film blog Cinematical in March 2005, whilst simultaneously completing an MA in Cinema Studies ...
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Comments: 324
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joeblowe
April 4, 2007, 1:54 p.m.HaHaHaHAHA - this from a guy that lives in a palace, has gold chalices all over the place, and millions of dollars worth of art on the wall. Not to mention BILLIONS of dollars worth of real estate and other holding world wide. Not to mention attempting to weasel poor people out of 10% of their meager earnings. What a hypocrite! Why would anyone listen to this garbage? At least he did include a little bit of a "mea culpa." - give him that much.
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RASSRASS
April 4, 2007, 2:39 p.m."Cynicism of a world without god" ha ha ha. I would say that's the least export of concern where poor countries. How about the export of criminals - I mean those dictators in Africa who were educated in developed countries.
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sue2008
April 4, 2007, 2:44 p.m.i noticed this Pope likes to have all the attention on him.
why can't he help the poor around him?? there are lots of neeedy people there tooooo...... he doesn't really have to go that far all the way to Africa....
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epluribusunum
April 4, 2007, 2:46 p.m.This coming from a guy who believes all Non Christian Africans will be cast into the lake of fire.
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Dionys
April 4, 2007, 3:01 p.m.Consider that the various popes during the native genocides taking place in south (and north) "America" directly profited from the silver/gold mines which killed untold thousands of native peoples either directly or through mercury poisoning. In addition the Church took a percentage of tax/profit from the Coca leaves being delivered to the mines to keep these people drugged and productive.
Part of developing a realistic, positive, charitable, constructive future is admitting to, asking forgiveness and doing repentance for past actions. For a Pope supposedly steeped in theology, this one is as typically bad as the majority of the past.
The Catholic church (to answer another question) doesn't say non-Catholics/non-Christians will end up in Hell. Not anymore, at least. To do so would say that all who came before Christ were/are therefore condemned. Post Vatican II, the Church is a lot more liberal than most pundits would have you believe.
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aceofspades1
April 4, 2007, 3:39 p.m.I'm too busy laughing at the origional posting to get sidetracked into any discussion of what constitutes a religion.
This guy is really in lala land & I'm not bashing Catholics - but get real -the New World was plundered by the Church - The Vatican Bank is a corrupt money conduit as proven by recent scandals. The Popes vestments alone could fed a starving village. His statements are a travesty. All Glory toGod & if you throw in a few bucks for the Church it won't hurt LOL
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aceofspades1
April 4, 2007, 3:44 p.m.Jews don't believe in a heaven or hell as in the same sense as Gentiles do. So I really don't care if any non-Jew thinks I'm not going there . I'd rather spend eternity with my own
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aceofspades1
April 4, 2007, 3:58 p.m.gregis3 just google vatican bank & check out the scandals of the late 70's into the 90's too numerous for me to list. Involvement with the mafia - the Franklin National Bank - etc. etc.
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icelander
April 4, 2007, 4:01 p.m.This from Mr. "Give 10% of your wealth or go to hell."
The pope has no moral leg to stand on.
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sue2008
April 4, 2007, 4:29 p.m."The Vatican gives directly to the poor in Rome"
soo you are saying all the cities around Rome are rich and he has to go to Africa now
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aceofspades1
April 4, 2007, 4:36 p.m.gregis3 - I agree with you - but it only shows that no institution is without serious flaws -"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" - not too many stones are going to be thrown if that advice is followed
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Gatsby
April 4, 2007, 5:39 p.m.Really, does anybody give a damn what the Panzer Pope says? He's so far removed from reality, he's over the moon. Last week he said that young married European couples weren't having enough children. Like everything else in the Catholic church that translates to MONEY for the church. He didn't bother to ask if those couples could afflord to support the children after they have them. The Catholic Church is a joke, just not a funny one.
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MikeReardon
April 4, 2007, 6:43 p.m.Western colonialism is filled with social degradation of the ruled peoples by the ruler nations. For all of Europe and our own national colonialism. I've worked with Filipino men who served in our military and have lived and worked in this country for twenty years and still have not forgiven the prostitution that was next to every US naval and army base in their country. The whole history of selling and trading in degradation of the populations by the masters is so we known that it is beyond belief. How many names for mixed race children came from colonial rule over the last 300 years. This anger along with drugs and liquor forcible sold into native cultures is one of the centers of complaints from almost all national freedom movement over the last hundred years. Skip the religious fight and get down to the parable of aid to the man robed by thieves.
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MikeReardon
April 4, 2007, 7:06 p.m.I find recent globalism by capitalists in there own self interest is moving to redirect production to developing nations. It may be opposed by everyone here but it is a fair trade of services. The Popes book does not reflect this interconnection that is happening world wide and is transferring decent employment to once poor developing nations. The capitalists and the UN national clearly are for the most part passing over and missing any development of Africa or South America. Letting even more gross offenses against blacks by Arab masters in Darfur. And still allowing criminal exploitation in African oil development. The battle against HIV is a plus but without a decent economic base the health of whole nations in Africa can't be helped. And the rise of national movements and socialist governments in South America come directly from leaving them without national development after our colonial era in South America.
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ABANOCLA
April 4, 2007, 7:06 p.m.The Catholic Church would like to help these countries, but they are to busy paying off people who were molested by their "priests" the ones they knew were pedophiles, and yet they just kept moving the priests to new victim locations......I mean godly assignment locations....as soon as they are caught up on the legal bills they will start to help those countries out.
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ABANOCLA
April 4, 2007, 7:14 p.m.And if you find 4 catholics together, there will always be a fifth....and I am not talking about a catholic lol
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fotoman1133406
April 4, 2007, 7:15 p.m.Guys,
And you're surprised. Hey, Georgie and his pals, have been leading the way.
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history-ferret
April 4, 2007, 7:20 p.m.The Catholic Church, all over the Earth has plunder the poor of the earth for themselve. Not any nation on earth. The Catholic Church in 2,327 C.E. in the 8th month of Av or August will be DESTROYED BY Greece and Turkey, and these two nations will then join themselves to the World Wide Muslim Empire. For 41.7 years they will rule with the BEAST OF REVELATION 13, then in the year 2,369 C.E. in the month of May they will be put to death. The Muslim World Wide Empire will be from 2,219 C.E. in the month of May to 2,369 C.E. in the month of May. At this time the earth's Atmosphere will be removed, [Atomic Warfare? maybe]; and men on the earth will live in the DENS OF THE EARTH for 1 year and 3 months, then they will be put to death in 2,370 C.E. in the 8th month of Av or August. WHY? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY OXYGEN GENERATING EQUIPMENT IN THE DENS OF THE EARTH TO LIVE BY. This year marks the END OF THE HUMAN RACE ON EARTH. So been over and kiss your A__ goodbye.
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Beth316
April 4, 2007, 7:33 p.m.In response to AmpLee. The reason the pews are not padded is so you suffer, as suffering brings you closer to G-D. As if doing areobics *stand up, sit down, kneel, stand up, sit down, kneel* wasn't enough. I'm not a Catholic but I love going to mass every so often. I've been doing it for the last 30 yrs. I think the Popes' role is merely a figure-head and should be viewed as such. He's no worse( or better) any anyone else on this planet.
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brothers
April 4, 2007, 7:34 p.m.Correct me if I am wrong. But I don't seem to have read anything about a Pope condemming Spain when they went and plumdered South America and killing most of the inhabitants there in the 18th century or afterwards.
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droid3913
April 4, 2007, 7:55 p.m.I am a Catholic. The Pope better look at the Churches long history, over 1500 years. All that money they took as "taxes" from Western Europe.
As for the 3rd world copuntries. I have no pitty for them. The reason is, look who runs them. Communist-Islamic dictators. As I said, I have NO pitty!
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HMMace
April 4, 2007, 8:07 p.m.The bible was not put in print until 500-AD..Written by people with agendas..it would be a "miracle" for me to believe it at all. However--at least it does not call for its believers to kill all those that do not believe..
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kobzikov
April 4, 2007, 8:13 p.m.The irony of the story is so thick you can cut it with a chainsaw.
The Pope criticizes the rich countries for plundering and sacking Africa and other poorest regions of the planet all the while the Catholic Church still hasn't apologized for its role in colonization and "missionary work" in the New World as well as on the African continent, which in many cases was at least partially responsible for the current conditions in the countries.
Maybe the ol' Pope is jealous of other imperial powers, since Catholic Church can't get in on the plundering action the way they used to in Medieval times.
Considering that he is suggesting for others to apply the parable of good Samaritan, maybe the Vatican could lead the way by committing its immense wealth to helping pull the poorest nations in Africa from their dire situation? How about it Ratzinger? Would you like to put the money where your mouth is?
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PamDemonium
April 4, 2007, 8:28 p.m.I recall some years ago having a chat with the local priest who told me he encouraged his flock to share communion with their protestant brothers if they found themselves in their church, unity and all that. I told him 'great! Ill be there on sunday to share the RC experience. "Oh NO" he says. "You cannot take communion in a catholic church cos you're not catholic."
It seems that while protestants 'take this in rememberance of me', catholics believe the wine actually transforms into the bloody of christ. erm now I know what religion vampires are.
Anyways these days i rekkon its all a lot of phooey. Hasnt anyone ever played chinese whispers? And the bible has been translated many more times than the 6 or 7 it takes to play chinese whispers.
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