RC Church has "Lost All Credibility!"

Rowan Williams has said that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost "all credibility" over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests."

What an amazing statement from Rowan, especially given the timing (Easter) and the fact that Bennie will be visiting his (Rowan's) patch later this year. This Easter act of reconciliation and peace seems to me to be a great equaliser and perhaps even a winner in the dialogue over Rome's alternative Anglican provision.

Bennie's already under a great deal of pressure over his handling (at many levels) of the paedophile priest issue and this isn't going to help his case. Then again, having heard one of the Vatican spokesmen baldly state that Benedict and the RC church were facing the same collective violence that the Jews faced, anti-semitism now having become anti-catholicism. Mmmm, don't think so geezer!

I love the News the morning, especially the bit where Rowan is quoted as saying that Bennie would be welcome to the country as a 'valued partner' but that's 'about it!'.

Seems both of these two chaps might be at the helm of sinking ships, one through institutional errors and the other through his own lack of action and leadership. Seems to me that even though Rowan's got a good punch in (at last) and re-iterated the view that few would swim the Tiber, he hasn't managed to do anything for ecumenical relations (which don't really appear to exist in this context anyway).

But what great news for the press and media - back to the playground and that buzzing circle encolsing two combatants chanting the words, "fight, fight, fight . . . "

Rowan 2 Bennedict 1? Christianity ?

ps. listening to some of the broadcast, seems Rowan has, as ever, spoken extremely reasonably ;)