ProgressOhio

At the risk of confronting a self-flagellating albino hitman from Opus Dei at my front door, I've just got to say Pope Benedict XVI has been a bit disingenuous lately.

Pope in Australia will highlight climate change

DARWIN, Australia (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI began a pilgrimage in Australia Sunday, saying he wants to use his visit to raise awareness about global warming and to address the crisis of clergy sexual abuse.

Benedict's plane landed in the northern city of Darwin in the morning after a more than 20-hour flight from the Vatican. His plane was making a brief refueling stop before flying to Sydney, where he will lead celebrations at the World Youth Day festival.

Benedict, 81, will spend three days resting at a retreat in Sydney before taking part in the festival, including a vigil service with thousands of young people and an outdoor Mass....

Benedict said politicians and experts must be "capable of responding to the great ecological challenge and to be up to the task of this challenge."***

Is there any possible way to address environmental threats without also discussing human population growth?

No. As WOA! explains:

"Overpopulation is a serious problem getting worse every year: if we continue at the current rate, population will double to over 11 billion by 2035. Overpopulation is the root of most, if not all, environmental and many economic issues, timber overharvesting, loss of arable land, ocean depletion, food shortages, water shortages, air pollution, water pollution, flooding, plant and animal habitat loss, global warming and immigration."

As long as the Catholic Church prohibits birth control, it can't effectively respond to "the great ecological challenge." People cause pollution, and there's no getting around that.

It's our American tradition to allow people to practice their religion freely, as long as they don't affect nonbelievers adversely. I've merely been annoyed by Jehovah's Witnesses, but Catholic policies have caused me personal tragedy.

I don't think it's out of line to criticize the pope for choosing to overlook world overpopulation and the negative effects that it certainly will have on my children and grandchildren.

And, oh yeah, don't forget to apologize to those thousands of Australians who were molested by priests, XVI. I know you've got a lot on your 81-year-old celibate mind.