NGLTF assails new pope's record of "venomous hatred"

>Tuesday, April 19, 2005
>The Task Force On the Election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope
>
>MEDIA CONTACT:
>Task Force Communications Department
>Roberta Sklar, Director of Communications
>media@thetaskforce.org
>646-358-1465
>
>National Gay and Lesbian Task Force On the Election of
>Joseph Ratzinger as Pope
>
>"Today, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church elected as
>Pope a man whose record has been one of unrelenting,
>venomous hatred for gay people, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
>In fact, during the reign of John Paul II, Cardinal
>Ratzinger was the driving force behind a long string of
>pronouncements using the term 'evil' to describe gay people,
>homosexuality, and marriage equality. As a long-time
>Catholic from a staunchly Catholic family, I know that the
>history of the church is full of shameful, centuries-long
>chapters involving vilification, persecution, and violence
>against others. Someday, the church will apologize to gay
>people as it has to others it has oppressed in the past. I
>very much doubt that this day will come during this Pope's
>reign. In fact, it seems inevitable that this Pope will
>cause even more pain and give his successors even more for
>which to seek atonement."
>
>- Matt Foreman
> Executive Director