In the midst of the fall from glory of numerous politicians and Hollywood moguls it is good to be reminded of a 2013 quote of Pope Emeritus Ratzinger.
"...deviant behaviour should not be ostensibly presented as a filthy crime which only exists in the Catholic Church."
By now, this should be a fact which is obvious to all. But it should be repeated and it should be kept in mind!
Here is the fuller quote which ends on a very positive note regarding the immeasurable grandeur of the saints and the Christian culture produced by the Catholic Church.
"If we may not remain silent about evil in the Church, then neither should we keep silent about the great shining path of goodness and purity which the Christian faith has traced out over the course of the centuries. We need to remember the great and pure figures which the faith has produced — from Benedict of Nursia and his sister Scholastica, to Francis and Claire of Assisi, to Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, to the great saints of charity like Vincent de Paul and Camillo de Lellis, to Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the great and noble figures of nineteenth century Turin. It is also true today that faith moves many people to selfless love, to service to others, to sincerity and to justice. You cannot know how many forms of selfless assistance to the suffering are realized through the service of the Church and its faithful. If you were to take away everything that is done from these motives, it would cause a far-reaching social collapse. Lastly, neither should one keep silent regarding the artistic beauty which the faith has given to the world: nowhere is it better seen than in Italy. Think also of the music which has been inspired by faith, from Gregorian chant to Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Bruckner, Brahms, and so on."
_Painting_by_Philippe_-_(MeisterDrucke-1002935).jpg)
