Saturday, May 26, 2012

Vatican Corruption: Free Bradley Manning. Free Paolo Gabriele

Gabriele, bottom left
The Catholic Church is the only religious organization with its own state. This highly centralized organization run by a bunch of old misogynists has been in trouble of late due to the massive coverup of serial rapists.  The cover up extends all the way to the top.  The corruption and scandal that envelopes the organization is also of great concern to international capitalism as the Catholic Church, once the church of Europe's feudal aristocracy, is a voracious defender of capitalism and the free market.

The Vatican finds itself in yet another mess as a Catholic "Bradley Manning" has  been discovered in its ranks.  The pope's butler, Paolo Gabriel,  has been arrested for leaking "confidential" documents to Gianluigi Nuzzi, an Italian journalist. Nuzzi followed up with a book, "Sua Santita" or "His Holiness" sharing the documents with the world. 

"Confidential" documents are documents kept from the public because they reveal what is actually going on in the institutions of society and what concerns the guys that run the Catholic Church business are talking about.  The Vatican has respond by arresting the butler who is sitting in a jail cell within the Vatican's walls.
As a separate state, the Vatican has its own legal system separate from Italy's.

Meanwhile, Nuzzi's book has hit number one in book sales in Italy and the trial of Gabriele will most likely follow.  "He told CNN that his primary source, who he referred to as "Maria" in his book, "risked life and limb" if ever found out." one report says. Nuzzi confirmed that his source worked inside the Vatican.

If the butler did it, he we owe him a debt of gratitude just as we do Bradley Manning.  They have risked "life and limb" sharing with the public the dirty goings on and corrupt internal regimes that dominate the institutions of capitalism.  The book reveals a culture of corruption and money laundering that is "rooted in the management of so many departments" according to one letter the pope received from one of his lieutenants. I am sure we all remember the Ambrosia bank scandal that rocked the Vatican some years ago examples of the cover up of serial rapists within the church are still surfacing.

The Catholic church has a lot of blood on its hands.  Historically it has held back human development and suppressed scientific advancement.  It could not find the will to excommunicate Hitler but has done so with lesser figures as well as persecute women within the church.  It accompanied the imperialist countries in their colonization and plunder of the rest of the world and has supported some of the most ruthless regimes as a defender of capitalism supported the suppression of Latin America's Liberation Theologists.  It is one of the most corrupt institutions on earth.  


We understand there are individuals within this church who are decent, well meaning people.  But, as with Bradley Manning, it is the duty of all Catholics to support Paolo Gabriele and make it clear that if he is the source of this information they owe him a debt of gratitude.

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