this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2026
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[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 5 points 30 minutes ago* (last edited 25 minutes ago) (2 children)

This is like Jeffrey Dahmer bemoaning murderers, like Donald Trump complaining about the rich, like Mark Zuckerberg bitching about social networks

The Catholic church is filthy rich, unbelievably wealthy, and sitting on many generations of stolen wealth.

They own 170 million acres of blood-soaked land across the world, more than any other organization on the planet.

Sadly, they are still tax-free in much of the world. God knows what they are really up to

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 5 points 24 minutes ago (2 children)

So? One can be part of the issue whilst addressing it. He’s an influential person, would you rather have him not say anything about it?

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 1 points 9 minutes ago

So? He's a piece of shit, and his church is evil incarnate.

How about he starts paying taxes like the rest of Earth? You may be fine with thieving rapists sharing their opinion about other thieving rapists, that's your right.

And it's my right to point out what they are and what they do.

[–] HaunchesTV@feddit.uk 2 points 23 minutes ago (1 children)

It would certainly seem less disingenuous

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 2 points 21 minutes ago (1 children)

True, but things will never change if nobody is allowed to speak up

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 0 points 7 minutes ago* (last edited 6 minutes ago)

So?

I'm speaking up. Things will never change if nobody is allowed to speak up, right?

He's fucking vile.

[–] SoloCritical@lemmy.world 2 points 25 minutes ago
[–] Darcranium@lemmy.world 26 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

This guy is a badass. He is an individual. He is not the Catholic church, but is an individual person within that church. It's extremely bigoted to say "none of it matters" because of what other members of the Catholic church have done. It's like telling a Catholic person, you refuse to be their friend or listen to what they have to say because of what their church has done

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago

I mean, you're right but people do that all the time. I'm not Catholic, but I was raised Catholic and people love to dismiss me as a human being all the time for the fact I attended church when I was a pre-teen, as if this makes me automatically a pedophile apologist or something... but the people who think this way are insane and there is no way to reason with them.

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 0 points 25 minutes ago

Just like Trump, the Pope knows that he has to attack those like him to protect himself and his organization.

Unlike Trump, this Pope is clever and much more manipulative.

People refuse to be friends with Republicans because of what they do, so of course it's perfectly fine to refuse to be friends with Catholics because of what their church has done (and continues to do).

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 4 points 43 minutes ago* (last edited 42 minutes ago)

I did not take Pope Leo for a comrade. ✊

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 hour ago (3 children)

He makes a good point.

At the same time, how much has religion defrauded the common people?

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 3 points 27 minutes ago* (last edited 27 minutes ago)

Enemy of my enemy and all that. With the state of things the way they are, you bet I take what I can get.

[–] Sunflier@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

Rather it be the catholic church doing the defrauding than the regime. At least the church has a (spotted) history of helping people. I mean they shined brightly during the black death, and they are a source of comfort for some people in the final moments. That, in of itself, is noble and something worth supporting despite a spotty record.

Compare that with the regime's looting the coffers with nothing remotely comparable.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 0 points 59 minutes ago (1 children)

Spotted is an understatement. Pedophilic rings and Mafia dealings forever.

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 1 points 23 minutes ago

Sounds like the US government atm

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

Yeah.. Leo likes to throw bricks but lives in a glass house of billions and pedophiles and misogyny. Maybe clean up his own act before preaching.

[–] weew@lemmy.ca 2 points 35 minutes ago

Yeah. I visited the Vatican on vacation and my only thought while inside St Peter's was "Damn this place is so fucking expensive."

I'm not even sure how anyone can get any sort of piety happening with that ridiculous amount of wealth on display.

[–] TerdFerguson@lemmy.world 1 points 38 minutes ago

Why not take on both using the same message.

Let’s not gatekeep influential people acting in the positive interests of others just because they have problems of their own to work on

[–] Sonicdemon86@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

So once again the pope doesn't name names. He has the power to make statements against Trump and his shit, but dances around the issues instead.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 130 points 4 hours ago (3 children)

The Catholic church is awful. ALL organized religion is inherently awful. That said, I am never going to shit on anyone trying to steer a giant machine of suck in a less shitty direction. Will he fix it? Hell no, but I genuinely wish he can manage to squeeze some good out of that abomination.

Best of luck to you based pope. I hope you manage some good.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I was a Catholic, and the church is big on social justice. I used to listen a lot of sermons about government corruption and social inequality that goes on for nearly two hours.

Is the Catholic church the biggest pedophile ring on the planet? Yes. But hats off to a broken clock that point towards the good direction, but only does so twice a day.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 5 points 55 minutes ago (1 children)

With Epstein's iceberg exposed, I'm not even sure they are the biggest.

[–] Sculptor9157@sh.itjust.works 3 points 43 minutes ago (1 children)

I'll upvote you for the sentiment, but any brief consideration of the scope of the church worldwide yields a significantly broader and more accessible footprint than the top tier of wealth hoarders. The valuation of the church versus those individuals is probably equal, though.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 4 points 43 minutes ago

True enough. I concede the notion.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

If only he showed half as much enthusiasm about purging the pedophiles he's currently hiding, I might think better of him.

[–] KneeTitts@lemmy.world 33 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

I cant believe Im agreeing with the Pope and Im on Irans side in a war.... but here we are

[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

Things are getting WEIRD

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

And rich pedophiles, at that.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 37 points 4 hours ago

And the Catholic Church is one of the richest bodies in the world.

[–] MooseWinooski@lemmy.ca 68 points 5 hours ago (13 children)

Reminder that the Catholic church just instituted an absolute trans healthcare ban in the USA - including for adults. This is worse than the Trump regime's laws, plus the Catholic church owns an astounding number of hospitals.

He is not a "woke pope". This is the Catholic church.

[–] MrSmoothPP@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

Isn't the Catholic church like a big tent with the pope as its figurehead? Obviously he can steer the church in a certain direction, but does he necessarily condone everything that happens under its banner?

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 58 minutes ago

does he necessarily condone everything that happens under its banner?

by doing nothing about it, absolutely yes.

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

Yes. The pope isn't so micromanaging monarch who is like determining every other member's policy.

You can live in the same city, and multiple congregations in that city have wildly different levels interpretations of scripture and politics that they preach. There are progressive Catholics and ones who are Orthodox.

but we can't let that never of nuace int othe discussion, because lemmy users are Very Intelligent and know that all religion is bad, and FOSS is the only true god we should all worship at the temple of...

[–] MrSmoothPP@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago

Well, I think it's perfectly consistent to believe that generally speaking religion is bad and that the Catholic church isn't exactly a monolith.

[–] random_character_a@lemmy.world 47 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (6 children)

Maybe true, but not very ~~relative~~ relevant to the fact that international companies more powerful than some nations are gaming every system they can to squeeze more profit, by the expense of everyone else.

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[–] Aedis@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Two things can be true at the same time. You can condemn evil and still be evil yourself. It's very hypocritical of them but it doesn't make their argument weaker, It just says that they aren't going to be the ones to do anything about it.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 15 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] gens@programming.dev 19 points 4 hours ago (5 children)

"U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday..."

Not the pope. US bishops, bishops that look like judges from a country that looks evil.

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