2012npcs (2012npcs) wrote in x_2012, @ 2010-05-08 15:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | news |
Morning News: Pope speaks on the Mutant Issue
Who: News 8 Reporter
What: Morning News: Pope speaks on the Mutant Issue.
When: Morning News Saturday, May 8th
Where: Broadcast to the greater NYC area
News from Vatican City today: Calling forgiveness "one of the highest virtues taught to us by Jesus," Pope Benedict XVI issued a papal decree Monday after a month's debate amongst the college of cardinals over the humanity of mutants. Though the details of what was said in the secret meetings remains shrouded in mystery, the final decree is one that has been hotly anticipated by those on both sides of the conflict over what to do with mutants in the wake of the solar flare that brought them and their differences into the gene pool of humanity. Having it read in seven different languages from his balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Pope has issued a Papal Bull on the state of mutants, offering to them continued membership in the Roman Catholic Church.
"Though grave and terrible sins have been committed, our Lord teaches us to turn the other cheek and forgive those who sin against us," said the pope, reading a prepared statement from a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. "That is why, despite the terrible wrongs they have committed, the church must move on and forgive these children of God for their misdeeds. Though Beastly in Aspect and often in Nature, we cannot turn them away from the redemption of Our Lord through Holy Mother Church."
"As Jesus said, 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,'" the pope continued. "We must send a clear message to these hundreds—perhaps thousands—of mutants whose sinful ways have caused pain and suffering to humans and tempted so many of the faithful into violence and doubt. The church forgives them for their transgressions and looks upon them not with intolerance, but compassion and a desire to see them able to find their peace in God."
The papal announcement arrives in response to public outcry over the attacks by mutants on St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, and several other locations as well. Though official church doctrine condemns such transgressions, the pope's decision, observers say, is intended to demonstrate the church's willingness to put the scandal behind it and restore the public trust.
"By forgiving these mutants, the pope has shown true Christian kindness," said Father Thomas Tiernach, a member of the New York archdiocese and one of the many priests serving at the Cathedral during the attack. "The pope is saying that, in their own way, these sinful mutants are victims, too. Through their absolution, he sends the important message that empathy, contrary to what naysayers and critics in the secular media would have us believe, does have a place in modern Catholicism."
For Catholics waiting for the pope to break his long silence on the scandal, the sweeping, decisive nature of his response has come as welcome relief.
"The pope has shown great love and compassion, much as Jesus did when he ministered to tax collectors and whores," said Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. "Despite all they have done to jeopardize the lives of humans the church embraces these mutants with open arms. The pope's words and actions prove that the church is willing to put an end to the suffering and let the healing begin."
The mass absolution is being hailed by church scholars as one of the Vatican's most progressive acts since the Second Vatican Council in 1962.
"One cannot overstate the break from tradition this represents," said lay administrator Bruce McConnachie of the Los Angeles archdiocese. "After all, under church doctrine, the act of performing violence in the presence of the Holy Eucharistic Host is considered a grave sin against the laws of God, punishable by condemnation to Hell for all eternity. But the pope has put all of that aside. He has let bygones be bygones. For this, all of those misbehaving mutants should feel grateful. By showing such willingness to forgive and forget, the pope has sent a clear message: Even though these mutants have done much to undermine and subvert the sanctity of Holy Mother Church, they are still deserving of God's love."
Margaret Leahy, 39, a Somerville, MA, homemaker and mother a mutant, expressed relief over the pope's announcement. "For months, I feared that my boy, and the dozens of others like him, was going to Hell for what he'd done," Leahy said. "It's the worst feeling a mother can know. But thanks to the forgiveness of the pope, my long nightmare is finally over. He is just a boy of 8 at the time. He can't help what he is. Thank you, your Holiness, for giving my poor little Timothy a second chance at redemption."
However, not everyone within the Catholic church is so supportive of the pope's actions.
"What kind of a message is the pope sending? That it's okay to bring their evilness and violence within the very walls of the church?" said one concerned Baltimore priest who asked to remain anonymous due to a pending court case. "With the pope's announcement, the church is essentially telling its members, 'Go ahead and eschew all responsibility for your actions. It's okay, the pope will forgive you in the end.' Without fear of eternal damnation, how are these dangerous criminals ever going to feel punished? Worse, it misses the point entirely. What's next? Are we going to throw open the doors to fags and rapists?
"As the creep of secular humanism continues to chip away at our most sacred institutions, the Vatican has established a dangerous precedent," the priest continued. "We look to the church's authority for justice and righteousness, not politically convenient solutions that maintain the status quo. These mutants should be held accountable for the damage they've done."
As part of his attempts at encouraging the mutant community to reconciliation, the Pope further instructed that Catholic Mutants should not avail themselves to the Cure, the medical miracle being offered by Worthington Labs, saying that doing so is a direct violation of God's Plan for their lives, placing it as a sin of the same variety of availing oneself to birth control, an attempt to control God, rather than letting Him use you to further His great Work. Further, he emphasizes that God created us all, human and mutant alike, and though we may not know why he made mutants, they too are His Children.
News report adapted from The Onion, adapted by Con.