The Catholic Church, the good, the bad, and the ...
Yes. Of course it does. WTD recognizes that there is good and bad in all persons and all societies.
Apologizes for Child Abuse
On 18 April 2008, Pope
Benedict, while in the US, met with child abuse victims and apologised for the Church’s actions and inaction. More. WTD calls
for him to also apologize to Australian victims during WYD.
In 1633 the Inquisition condemned astronomer Galileo for insisting that the earth revolved around the sun. Due to influential friends, Galileo was treated leniently – he was placed under house arrest and forced to recant. 359 years later, the Catholic Church “rehabilitated” him in 1992, acknowledging that it made a mistake. More.
The Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno also expressed liberal religious opinions. Lacking
powerful friends, he was burned to death by the Church in 1600. More. WTD calls upon Pope Benedict to acknowledge this error and to
apologize. Bruno’s legacy is less well known – his stance inspired the founding of the Theosophical Society in 1875, a part of
which acquired a Sydney radio station in 1926 , and named it with his initials (2GB). Although it has since changed hands, it retains
this callsign.
In 1950, Pius XII gave grudging support for evolution when he acknowledged that evolution might
accurately describe the biological origins of human life, but at the same time criticized those who … "imprudently and indiscreetly
hold that evolution... explains the origin of all things". More. Unfortunately Pope Benedict has retreated from this glimmer
of enlightenment. In 2006 he said:
The very starting-point of Biblical revelation is the affirmation that God created human beings,
endowed them with reason, and set them over all the creatures of the earth. In this way, man has become the steward of creation and
God’s “helper”. More.
Runs Charities
The Catholic Church runs a system of charitable institutions in Sydney under the name Caritas. This is funded by donations from churchgoers as well as church-run investments and businesses. People of all creeds are welcomed at their hospitals and charities. More.
Religious institutions receive many financial benefits and do not have to file accounts. WTD wants ALL charitable institutions to be equally treated and equally accountable.