They’re celebrating Good Friday by attacking the New York Times, saying the newspaper is on a crusade against the Church.

The NY Post reports,

The Vatican yesterday delivered an extraordinary, scathing blast at The New York Times for going into “attack mode” over Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church’s role in sex-abuse scandals.

Rome’s doctrinal chief said the Times “lacks fairness” and was “rushing to a guilty verdict” by alleging the then-future pope failed to defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys in Wisconsin more than 30 years ago.

And that was downright reasonable compared to the statements of some other Catholic higher-ups.

Meanwhile, an Italian priest and exorcist went even further in condemning the Times — saying its coverage was “prompted by the devil.”

“Because he is a marvelous pope and worthy successor to John Paul II, it is clear that the devil wants to grab hold of him,” said Father Gabriele Amorth, 85.

The devil? Hmm. Since the Times is owned by a Jewish family, I wonder if there’s an anti-Semitic tinge to this assault on the newspaper on behalf of an ex-Hitler Youth pope?

Which makes it all the more ironic that today a high-level Catholic priest compared newspaper reporting on Church cover-ups of pederasty to…um…the Holocaust.

[Pope] Benedict sat looking downward when the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, who holds the office of preacher of the papal household, delivered his remarks in the traditional prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. Wearing the brown cassock of a Franciscan, Father Cantalamessa took note that Easter and Passover were falling during the same week this year, saying he was led to think of the Jews. “They know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognize the recurring symptoms,” he said.

Good thing that’s not offensive—you know, in defense of an ex-Hitler Youth member and all.

It’s what you might call a love-hate relationship with the Jews! On the one hand, you blame them; on the other, you claim empathy with one of history’s greatest horrors.

Because, yes, it’s the priests who are the real victims here.

I will give the CC some free advice (free, ‘cuz I didn’t invent it): It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up, that brings you down.

Someone has to grab these senile old fools by the cassocks and shake some real-world sense into them.

____________________________________________________________________

Clearly not a reference to *all* Catholics, just the ones discussed above.