I've got some problems with the new guy.

OK, remember the part where I said I hadn't made up my mind yet on the new pope? Well, consider that position amended, and color me officially not happy. Andrew Sullivan, who's been a lot more fun to read ever since he wised up and realized that the current Republican Party's claim to being "conservative" is a colossal Orwellian joke, has the goods (third item down):

I am personally convinced that the constant presence in the press of sins of Catholic priests, especially in the United States, is a planned campaign, as the percentage of these offences among priests is not higher than in other categories, and perhaps it is even lower . . . One comes to the conclusion that it is intentional, manipulated, that there is a desire to discredit the church.

(Pope Benedict XVI, 2002)

Ummmm . . . yeah. When the new pope turned out to not be all about the birth control and the female priests and whatnot I couldn't really get excited because that's different from the past 2,000 years of Roman Catholicism how again?, but when the new pope looked at an epidemic of pedophilia on the part of American priests and responded to it not only by saying "Molestation? I don't see no molestation" but also trying to play the flippin' victim card . . . you know what, Pope Benedict XVI? It gives me no pleasure to say this, but you're kind of an asshole.

Great. Now I have to go to confession next week . . . but it was worth it.