Amnesia?

In a visit to Spain today (Aug 19, 2011), Pope Benedict lamented that modern society has a certain "amnesia" when it comes to God.

Spain, of course, was once a staunchly Catholic country. This influence of Catholicism has dwindled greatly since the end of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1978. Like in Nazi Germany, the church supported the fascist government in Spain in exchange for domination in public education.

The pope went on to say "This is all the more important today when we see a certain eclipse of God taking place, a kind of amnesia which albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity,"

Perhaps, Herr Ratzinger, neither the Spanish people or modern society have amnesia at all.

Perhaps we remember that both you personally and the church that you lead have covered up the rape and torture of children by your clergy.

Perhaps we remember that over the years your church has formed alliances with those who would deny us our freedoms.

Perhaps we remember that millions of  people in Catholic countries, especially in in Africa, are dying of AIDS today because you think your "God" doesn't like condoms.

Perhaps we remember that while your church claims to stand against poverty, it does all that it can to make sure women are forced to produce children whom they cannot feed.

If the world has any amnesia at all, it is in the heads of whatever people still come out to mass every Sunday. People who have left your church, sir, seem to remember things quite clearly.