Ratzinger

From 1981, Cardinal Ratzinger ran the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ; formerly known as the Inquisition . Gaining the nickname "God's Rottweiler", his injunctions included pronouncements that homosexuality is evil, that other religions and versions of Christianity are defective, and that women should not be allowed to sing in choirs or serve at the altar. He also barred Catholic priests from counselling pregnant teenagers on their options. Under Ratzinger's enforcement of doctrine the Vatican continued to forbid the use of condoms, even for health , and went so far as to claim they do not prevent the spread of Aids. This in spite of the fact that between 1981 and the end of 2003 Aids killed 20 million people , and that during 2004 around five million adults and children became infected with HIV. Ratzinger's doctrines leave little room for attempts to improve the lot of humanity, at least not in this world. As he once lamented , "Greenpeace and Amnesty International seem to have taken over mankind's concerns, which formerly would have radiated from the impulses of Raphael, Michelangelo or Bach". In Ratzinger's moral calculus, efforts to alleviate the suffering of the most unfortunate among us rank some way below contemplation of divinity and adherence to papal dogma. This is most clearly demonstrated by his ruthless crusade against Liberation Theology in Latin America.

Blessed are the poor in spirit
The Democrat's Diary