http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/europe/27vienna.html?ref=world
This is an article about current Pope Benedict’s previous responses to allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, specifically a case during the 1990s involving a high-ranking Austrian cardinal. Given the influence then-Cardinal Ratzinger seemed to hold over the Pope and other important Catholic institutions, his critics are unwilling to forgive what they perceive to be his failure to prosecute more vigorously the sexual crimes committed within the church, despite his more recent demonstrations of remorse regarding the scandal. Though the clergyman at the center of this scandal died in 2003, there is still significant interest in the way is case was handled by the current pope, a prominent example himself of the continued relevance of an undead history. The article refers to the matter as a Rorschach-type evaluation that would serve to predict his future approach to such issues. This is in itself an example of a past that is not yet past, but more broadly, the influence of the Catholic Church and its legacy retains an unsettled legacy developed over millennia of power that continues to hold serious implications for current international relations.
The Catholic Church is a really interesting example in international politics. It is a body that governs itself almost completely exempt of the government. (I understand I am perhaps being hasty here, but generally this is true) Usually we have seen that institutions hold no power against states force, but the Catholic Church seems not to follow the same rules. I think Gregory would have interesting things to say about this and the importance that religion has on power politics.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anja, and think that Gregory would described the Catholic Church as a constructed 'space' that was subject to its own rules. What is interesting about this is that the church appears to have a similar ability to construct a sense of 'power' even in relation to the state. This can be observed as priests are able to receive confessions of crimes but are not allowed to divulge the information to the authorities, which is accepted by the state. Furthermore, we can observe how an institution has the ability to surpass state authority, which is uncommon in the international level.
ReplyDeleteThe history which the church is dealing with now may well be the end of the church today, or at the least bring about a radical change in the way it works. It exemplifies how important it is for us to take history into account. It is also a good example of how people were afraid or felt unable or unjustified to come out against the priests until recently. It is similar to the situation we saw in sex among allies in some ways. The priests felt as though they had enough power to get away with these things without punishment
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