The choice of reactionary Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope demonstrates yet again why the Church is an archaic relic with no real relevance or legitimacy in the modern world. Ratzinger is the Catholic equivalent of the Ayatollah Khomeini. For those Catholics who look with misty-eyed nostalgia on the good old days of the 12th Century, I suppose he is just the ticket. In those days when the Church ruled the world, we had peace, plenty, and only had to bathe once a year (if medically necessary).

And child sexual abuse was no big deal. Ratzinger issued a letter (sent to every Catholic bishop) in May 2001 stating that any allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric should be referred back to his office, and handled as an internal matter within the Church. The letter states that the Church's jurisdiction "begins to run from the day when the minor has completed the 18th year of age" and continues for ten years. And anyone breaching the "pontifical secret" (i.e., blabbing to the civil authorities) is subject to penalties up to and including excommunication.

Earlier, Ratzinger had written a paper for the Vatican in which he stated that homosexuality was "intrinsically evil" and a "moral evil." Obviously, this "evil" does not extend to the activities of priests with their minor parishoners, since they are pontifically shielded from public censure. (This also begs the question that how can anyone whom God created in His own image--including homosexuals--be evil?)

Regarding the excommunication issue, I think of Groucho Marx's old line about not wanting to belong to any club that would have me as a member. As for churches, Situationist philosopher Guy Debord said they should be turned into children's playgrounds. (Personally, I think that a few of the nicer architectural examples should be preserved as Museums of Ignorance.)

Churches are the Training Wheels of the Soul. As we evolve spiritually beyond a certain point, we no longer need such crutches--in fact, they hinder us. The source of Love, Laughter, and Truth shines from deep within each of us and needs no intermediary. If in the eyes of such as Ratzinger this is rank heresy, so be it. As Huckleberry Finn said, "All right, then--I'll go to Hell."