So: you're against an organization that stands for the moral code that is the basis of modern society. (The Ten Commandments). I congratulate you on your great wisdom.

What you have something against burying people? You want them laying in the streets of Rome while they rot. I don't think the people of Rome would like that much. He may have been a gangster in life but funerals are for the living and not for the dead. They bring closure to the families. To the wife and to the children.

What a great crime the church committed we buried someone so they wouldn't stink up Rome while they rot.

Stonedog your a moron. You act like every Priest is raping children. A school teacher near my town was just arrested for molestation does that mean all school teachers are rapists? You don't need the Catholic church well guess what we don;t need you. Good luck with that. You need to find God before you die and then the Devil finds you!

The story isn't about the Church stonedog, it's about the mafioso buried in a church. But then you never do care about the actual facts do you? You just always look for a chance to badmouth someone's religion, seems to be how you get your jollies.

Good answer Stonedog. Again, I ask people to actually READ their bible from word one in the OT to the last word in the NT. And then do your research esp. re: the council of Nicea. The bible is a group of books assembled by committee. Oh, and it's not the only holy book. Check out Buddhism and Hinduism and Taoism. Catholicism does not have the last word, indeed, it's quite late in the list of religions to pilfer the human mind.

stonedog

What's funny is that I can live a life in strict adherance to the ten commandments just by treating others as I would like to be treated.

I've read enough of your post to know you do NOT follow all the 10 Commandments. You probably follow the last 6 for the most part, but you obviously have no use or respect for the first 4 so I'm callin' BS on your comment.

what they think thay would find ... hoffa

Kathy, the Bible isn't owned by the Catholics. It's for all people who wish to know God. That goes for anyone of any religion, including Protestants who basically use the same Bible as the Catholics.

I always have to laugh at people who feel the need to rant whenever a topic that even mentions religion comes up.

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't, no proof will ever be enough.

I thought this article was about a mobster who may or may not have killed a young girl, not a debate about religion, church, etc., and how much someone hates them. Or did I click on the wrong article? Maybe that's it.

@ Mark
As this happens in Rome this makes headlines, but hundreds of girls killed since 1999 and taken does not desturb anybody.

There's more to this than meets the Eye-Tie.

Why do people keep saying that what if a teacher or a fireman or a cop or a garbage man, etc....were molesting kids would that make all people in that profession molesters? Of course it doesn't and all priests are not molesters either, BUT the organization of the catholic church has been well known to sweep these things under the rug and have been doing so for hundreds of years. In the past, when a priest has been accused of sexually assaulting a child, the church simply moves the priest to another church. In many cases the priest goes on to re-offend and gets moved again. It's been well documented and finally Pope John Paul II started to address the issue because so many people were leaving the catholic church (as well as the money that they were donating). Let's not get into the catholic churches involvement with the Nazi's. That's a whole different discussion.

What makes me laugh is the fact that this Maffia guy gets to be buried in this special place, but only AFTER his family wrote the check for something like $600,000. So, it seems like all is forgiven for the right price.

Just like a friend of mine who had to get divorced (long story). She and her husband were Catholic, so by divorcing they would be excommunicated. She talked with the local Bishop, and he said there was a plan where they petition to Vatican, and they come back with a fee the woman would have to pay (several thousand dollars), and she could stay a Catholic but not be excommunicated. No check for the Church, then she was out of the church for ever. What a joke!!

mountainbike8265 : Thank you for your thoughful reply and respecting my right to voice my opinion. What a wonderful display of toleration!

Evelyn Huber: Indeed. Or that in two days, more children are aborted in the United States than American soliders killed in Iraq over a decade. (Not that their deaths are any less tragic.)

The Catholic church itself needs to be indicted for all of it's law breaking ( you know like tresspassing and trying to break in to Obama's campaign hq ). The vatican is corrupt and close to being vial. They do no practice what they preach. Instead of advising their female parishoners to practice abstanance, and havinf faith that they will do so, they now want to be able to refuse to have the insurance companies they do business with provide family planning and birth control pills. They have become backward and out of touch. If they really wanted to help poor catholics they would melt down some of those 24 K gold statues and buy food for the poor. Oh wai, t that's why Martin Luther left the catholic church; he felt they had become too involved with idoltry, wealth and their own sense of self importance. He recognized that the priests were not preists and not fathers, they were just ordinary men. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm what a concept

lmc007,

Actually pope john paul 2 did nothing. By the time the scandal broke in Boston (2002) jp2 was already physically and mentally diminished. He did nothing to address the abuse when he became peope,and the fact that cardinal law was allowed to escape to Rome tells us all about the vaticans desire to hide, lie, and deceive everyone for as long as possible.

@ Janine - Well said!

let-me-just-say-1-thing,

You're right. JP2 didn't actually do anything to stop the abuse and punish those involved, but all I said was that he started to address the issue. Which means that he said that there might be a problem. Until then they just denied everything.

@MarkFromBridgeport:

Obviously you've never read The Bible or you would not make the assertion that our morality comes from that heinous book.

Do you believe genocide, slavery, rape, murder, treason, and theft reflect good moral values? These are all acts committed by and endorsed by your God in the Bible; read it!

There are actually 618 commandments (not just the ten popular ones), many of them give explicit instructions for owning and maintaining slaves and subjugating women. Which ten do you refer to?

Do you believe in handing over your daughters to a group of rapists? God does. God even called the man who did it "good and righteous." What about later on? Would you think it was "good and righteous" to have sex with your daughters? God does. Look up the story of Lot some time.

Do you have children? Is there any crime they could possibly commit which would cause you to build a torture chamber in your basement and torture them forever? Your God thinks this is o.k. Infinite punishment for finite and petty crimes (sins).

Would you send your only son to be tortured and murdered even though you had the power to change things? Your God thinks this is o.k. Look up the story of Jesus some time. Particularly John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, (although He screwed it up to begin with and He had the power to change it) He sent is only begotten Son (to be tortured and murdered).

You're more moral than your God.

markfrombridgeport,

"Wrong again. Death with dignity? You mean licensed murder. What part of "thou shalt not kill" do you not understand?"

I see that you're an advocate of prolonging life no matter what the dying patient wants just because the chruch does not believe that a person has the right to end their suffering? That patients must endure all manner of medical intervention even if it means pain and suffering?

If your "god" is so merciful he would not want one of his creations to suffer what passes for medical care that is more concerned with playing god then the good of the patient.

Your church "dogma orientated" viewpoint of life is, quite frankly, out of date otherwise we would still be thinking that the earth is the center of the universe. Also if I am correct any other "religious belief system" (the worshiping of pagan gods for instance) is wrong because it does not go along with the cathiolic viewpoint. What makes the catholic viewpoint the "only" correct one?

All of you people attacking stonedog for his short-sighted comments had better look in the proverbial mirror! If you believe that your are the defenders of the Catholic Faith, you are very mistaken, in my opinion. Your retorts to stonedog are ANYTHING other than Christian (Christ like). The Catholic Church is nothing more than an organization of fallible men and women, with certain beliefs which they cannot prove true, and a claim of moral certitude that they find imossible to both "live up to" or to enforce upon their laity or heirarchy. Stonedog is not any further from the absolute truth concerning the morals and motives of Roman Catholic Church as any of you seem to be. As for the Mafioso buried in the Catholic Church, his wife paid for the space with 600,000 USD. I guess you could say she tried to buy respectability and a place of honor for someone she loved.

Richard: So out of all my points, it's only the "death with dignity" one you disagree with. Marvelous!

Am I out of date, or are you outside of Christian morality? In my opinion, there is no timestamp on right and wrong. As for prolonging life, if you don't want to prolong it... leave the hospital. Take your own life if you want, but have it on YOUR hands, not on another's. If you can't take their own life, how can you be in a position to correctly think that you can tell someone else to?

I'm glad that you can contemplate infinity and decide what "my" God would and would not do. Now go use your infinite reasoning capacity and end all war and cure all disease, won't you?

Where did I say that it's the only correct one? I'm saying that murder is murder. If you don't believe that killing is wrong, that's your perogative.

Captain Jack Wigal

Nota bene: I've read the Douay-Rheims Bible twice now. I want to congratulate you on not even bothering to discern between the Old and New Testaments, you obviously have a future in Congress.

Any passage you care to talk about specifically? Or should I point out that those same acts are shown on cable television every night, and most of the time in a FAR better light than they deserve.

If you're Jewish, sure. The 613 are not Christian. Enough with the willing ignorance, or are you just pedantic? You know what 10 I mean.

Feel free to quote the passage, you might gain some enlightenment.

Again, feel free to quote the passage.

If you don't understand that basic tenet of the faith, I might as well be discussing hang-gliding with a dolphin.

I doubt it.

So, for a mere $600,000, the Vatican will sell it's soul.

Mark from Bridgeport:

RE: your posts #1.28 and 1.29

Mark I believe more people will respect your posts and opinion expressed therein, if you would stop being so damn sanctimonious in your approach. Try talking 'TO' other people reather than talking 'DOWN' to people. You may find you get much better results and for sure they will respect you more. Have a GREAT day!

Uhhhhh......Rod_Father. This guy wasn't buried at the Vatican. The Cardinal in charge of the church where De Pedis was buried said that he was married in that church, repented while in prison, as well as donated monies to charities. Obviously the decision to bury him there didn't sit to well with many of the local Catholics. In the end though, they do not make the decision. The person who had the authority to make that decision made it.

I imagine that no matter what the "Church" does or says, you will always find something that you can deride them for. In this instance, at least get your insult directed at the correct target.

Do people really believe what the Catholic Church says? Last week it was investigating the Girls Scouts, this week it's linked to mobster burials? It's always getting investigated for pedophiles, banking practices, etc. It didn't want the nuns in the US to be social justice conscious to the expense of Church Doctorine, what, 2 weeks ago?

Maybe if the Girl Scouts came up with $600,000.00 the Vatican would stop investigating them!

Vatican and mobster in the same sentence sounds like an unholy alliance

Why wait 30+ years to 'investigate' the disappearence of a young girl? Whatever the reason, the Church's track record of timely cooperation toward investigations are once again suspect... or at least curious.

I got a bar saying MSNBC is having problems with the stories text part. I was able to get it so go back to the top it maybe there now.

Thanks. You were right. I was getting suspicious that something might be wrong when the next 3 stories I opened after this one also had the same issue.

Its a mafioso getting exshumed I guess they thought the dead guy was going to confess and do the work for the police in his casket.

Morning reb, Why would they think someone would place a body that's been missing for seven years in his casket? I wonder how they divvied up the 600,000 grand. YOU ARE FORGIVEN!

No, it continues to this day. Right to the well meaning person who buys a mass card for a deceased loved one.

Kathy 531928,

You are so right about the mass card scam. They are not individualized, by acknowledging the deceased persons name, during any prayer intentions. At best, if at all they will only mention "those who have asked for our prayers". So the sisters, brothers, and priests are not specifically praying for your loved one. I should know as I was regrettably a sister once.

As for the Mass cards, in my church they list them in the program. They don't announce them during the prayers, but their names are printed in the Mass program for that service.

I paid 10 euros to the St Francis of Assisi church in Italy to say a prayer for my just deceased Dad. I even got a receipt for it. Now I'm curious if they really said a prayer for my Dad or for me and many others (there were line) to come back again and make another offer? Hmmm

It depends on the church I think because our church mentions their names.

Hey guys. I do prayers cheaper than the Catholics. Just send me a check to......................

Oh, and by the way, my prayers come with a 30 day guarantee.

If Jesus were still in his grave he'd be a tossing and a turning over what a whore his Roman church has become. Should have put "pervert" in there too. Whenever the leaders of the church know about pedophilia and choose to hide it, then they are guilty all of them.

That's not an indulgence, it's a real estate deal. The article did not say she was buying him forgiveness it only said she paid for a plot.

Find your conspiracies anywhere you want but at least attempt to keep the details relevant to the article at hand.

@It's what we do, dude EXCELLENTLY PUT! I like how the late Archbishop Sheen said it: "There are not 100 people in the world who hate the Catholic Church; but there are millions who MISTAKENLY hate what they THINK the Catholic Church IS."

I was raised a Baptist and converted when I was 21. I have seen a few things as a Baptist. Am I then to criticize the Baptist organization? Shall I lay claims of conspiracies? No...I recognize that there are things that are done by individuals, that aren't "policy." People like mystery and conspiracy theories, and then some moron makes movies with no basis in fact, which feed that. In the end all things will work out, so I don't worry. But it does sadden me that people believe all of this stuff that isn't true, when the true beauty of the Church gets lost. After all, Jesus did found this Church.....

I went to Catholic school and a Catholic university. I taught in Catholic school for over 20 years. I know the Church.

What other burial have you ever heard of that cost this much, as a fee to the Church? I notice neither of you mentioned the fee, only your believe that I am looking for conspiracy and that I don't understand that this was a real estate deal.

You appear to be blind.

Sam

Good one! I was actually thinking the same thing!

@sam

I gave you a vote for that awesome Geraldo reference. Well done

Seriously? What on Earth were they looking for?

A signed confession tatoo'ed on his @ss? lol.

I would and do. They are well protected but how would you know that right? Just another big mouth that hides behind a computer and judges what they know nothing about! You think your so smart because you watched a show on the history channel. Go back to you video game Big Mouth! the Catholic Church is the Church that Jesus himself founded. It is the one true church. If you don't know that you should educate yourself!

Jesus founded the Catholic Church? Heads up, Jesus was a JEW. At the time of Jesus death the Romans were occuping the Jewish homeland. The Jews were a bit pissed off about this. How could any independant thinking adult actually believe that somehow God decided to have Jesus give these same people the divine right to be the true church?( and in their opinion rule the world) Do you believe in the Easter Bunny? Santa Claus? Just readiing stuff like you wrote makes most people see the need for birth control. I really think all the folks that want to see humanity last a few thousannd years longer need to give some hard thought to the value we place on all religious nuts and demigods who think they have a divine right to rule us.

Rob 1699252,

And I'm sure Jesus is asking how did it go so very, very wrong!!!

All Christians, not just catholics, are part of the church Jesus founded. Don't drink too deeply from the vatican kool-aid. And yes I am catholic, Roman catholic.

Smarter, not all priests attacked children. I have 6 brothers and all of them were alter boys at one time or another. None of them were ever abused.

It was a tragic chapter in the life of the Church. Very few organizations that have been around for any length of time haven't had similar or other offenses committed. The Troop Master for my sons scout troop left under similar allegations. Lately it's been teachers and athletic coaches. It's unfortunate, but the people who will prey on children go into fields like teaching and such. It's something we need to be a lot more aware of.

The Christian religion has been around for 2000yrs. Hitler reigned for what? 12yrs?. Stalin for 20 or so? That's comparing apples to oranges. I'm not using this as an excuse. Just that we need to understand that all organizations, religious or otherwise are run by people. We are weak and fallible. We make mistakes.

The Church today is paying for those mistakes. But we can't hold the Church accountable and not hold other organizations as equally guilty.

The Church does great good in our world today. Many orphanages and hospitals in 3rd world countries are sponsored by the church. In our own country the Church sponsors food banks and shelters for the poor.

Yes, Jesus was the founder the Catholic church by creating the Christian faith, and his followers knew that to spread this new faith, it had to be taken to Rome. And smarterthannothing, the Catholic Churc has not been responsible fo more murder then Hitler and Saddam. Secularists like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and Mao murdered more people in the 20th century the all the centuries before combined. By the way, it is Knights Templar, not nights, smarterthannothing, and the Church turned against them because they had become money changers, like the ones that Jesus had that little argument with at the temple. They were the first international bank and as I remember my history it was the French King and other rulers who plotted the attacks on them to escape their debt. The Church went along because the Templars were acting outside of church teachings and had begun incorporating what was considered heretic symbols and ceremonies in their worship. Read a book. Church leaders are not perfect, and good thing for them they aren't, because you secular dumberthanamoebes tortured and nailed the last perfect human(Jesus) to a cross.

I am not a Catholic or even a practicing Christian, but history clearly shows that the RCC schools, hospital and charity work were the models for most of our modern institutions. The RCC, one of the most civilizing influences in history, has made some mistakes but not the deliberate evil of secular leaders like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mengele or Herod and their leaders are smarterthanu.

Rob - Think you need to re-read the Bible ... and if you like you can read just the last 200 pages. Jesus was a Jew. Born, circumsized, Barmitzvad, called 'Rabbi' by his followers ... and yes, died a Jew. He didn't know anything about the religion named after him. Matthew was written at least 80 years after the death of Jesus.

You have much tyo learn, young man. Start by readinbg the Bible yourself ... and start ... "in the begining!"

The objective is to have a personal relationship w/ God ... no middle man needed!

Peace & God Bless

HAHAHA!!!! Jesus founded the catholic church?!?! Where do you come from? My major was actually art history and my minor was anthropology. Everyone knows the catholic church is corrupt. If a church makes you pay to be absolved of sin then I would say that church is corrupt. Jesus Christ died on the cross, his blood was a propitiation of Gods wrath and we now have him interceding for us daily. Martin Luthers 95 thesis was a blast on the Catholic Church and they tried to kill him for it, just like they tried to kill everyone who went against them. I'm not even religeous, but I grew up Catholic, then non-denominational. Religeon is a tricky thing Mr. Rob.

@smarterthanu11 I am so sorry that you grew up Catholic and didn't receive a proper education in the Faith. Yes, Jesus DID found the Catholic Church (Mt. 16:18)...only the word "catholic" (or "universal") wasn't used until later in the first century by one of the early Church Fathers. Ironically, the Lutherans still say the Nicene creed in which is stated "we believe in one Holy catholic and...." note the un-capitalized "catholic" here. there, as in ours, it is intentional. It was sad that Martin Luther had a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions. He was given many opportunities to appear in person to retract his false statements and beliefs, which were against the Faith (heretical?). He refused to appear. At last, after giving him (a monk) a long time, Rome finally excommunicated him. And even then, should ML have retracted his heretical statements, the excommunication would have been lifted and he would have been once again in full communication with the Church, and welcomed back with open arms. I don't believe anyone tried to kill him. He had been given safe passage to appear. ML had some fanatical advisors, who whipped him into a frenzy. Plus ML wasn't all there either, mentally. In the end, ML didn't retract and even wrote a scathing book, calling the Papacy something that was founded by the devil. Doesn't look good for ML, does it? Ever wonder WHY Jesus, in praying before His suffering, prayed to the Father, saying "MAY THEY BE ONE, FATHER, AS YOU AND I ARE ONE?"

Jesus only wanted to found ONE Church...He didn't intend to found 150,000 Christ-ian churches. And of course Jesus was a JEW and that doesn't matter! His church is the fulfillment. I am not surprised at all how people treat it.

I am just saddened, like I said before, that people believe the drivel that people have said, in movies and books, because they want to believe that the RCC is a big, bad, behemoth. They don't want to believe that it's ultimately trying to do good. Why doesn't anyone at least try to pray for the RCC and its members? Doesn't anyone realize that the devil really tries to attack those in religion? (especially through the media...he IS the father of lies) Instead of criticizing and wasting that time, why not spend that time each day, praying for priests, nuns, and the Pope? Pray for the Church. Even if you don't believe...pray as if you do.

Milgram ------- what a jughead statement, in one day alone over 6,000 French Huguenots were slaughtered by the Catholics in the 16th century and the pope lit bonfires in the streets of Rome to celebrate. The Spanish missionaries found over 2000 years of written history of the Aztec and Incas in South America, said it was the work of the devil and destroyed it. They also destroyed those civilizations because they refused to convert! Religion is the root of all that ills the world. More people have been killed in the name of the christian god than any other religion.

Jesus didn't say to build a fortress in Rome that should torture and kill people of other faiths, because they wouldn't convert. He also didn't create the position of Pope another false idol. Catholics sin every day when they pray to mary, the saints, and ask the pope to absolve them.

Rob,

Turn the other cheek.

As a catholic myself I know my church and the horrors it has committed and continues to commit, so don't ignore that side of our church. People have every right to be outraged at their action/inactions. When the catholic church begins telling the truth and releases all the files regarding the abuse it has committed then maybe, and I mean maybe, it will begin the process of living up to the morals they demand of others. Yes, there are good people still in the church who do wonderful things for people, but our church is sick and unless all catholics start calling for the hierarchy's accountability to it's members and the world it will never heal. The days of blind obedience is over, and the vatican knows the power it thinks it wields is gone as well. They did it to themselves.

Wow, there is a righteous man in Soddom....someone tell Lot.

Mother Theresa was a Catholic..lets see someone fill her shoes...

I'm with you on that one lilipop...

I'm also not saying you are a bad person, or your own church. It is just part of history. You can't deny the facts and I'm not talking about the history channels lame view.

Lilipop, you might want to read Hitchens' book on Mother T. He's spot on.

And the United States government pardoned Lucky Luciano to keep the docks open and free from sabotage during World War Two. These facts have long been out in the open. Knowing this, why would you remain a US citizen?

Good one, Bill. I doubt if newsm will have an answer for that, or at least, one that makes sense.

Bill,

Lucky is a criminal and everyone knows it. What was done by the government was done for the safety of the greater masses. He is still a criminal.

The pope is a man of god. He is here to do good, and have the highest moral and ethical standards, unlike Lucky. He touts himself as the leader, an infallible voice, of what is right and stands behind the commandments of god, unlike Lucky who everyone knew was a low down murdering criminal. The pope hides this from his flock to deceive them. He is a phony, an in the closet liar, an impostor having the flock believe he is one thing when he is not. Demanding everyone else live by gods commandments and ignoring them himself. Does that answer your question, Bill and Headhunter22

'

NewsM,

I will entertain your characterization of the Pope as being accurate as soon as you quote me one lie he has told, including when and where it occurred.

Bill,

I clearly stated, "..an in the closet liar,..". How dare you believe the pope is stupid enough to lie outright. He has others lie in his place. Thus a "closet liar". Yet he appointed Scum Bag Cardinal Law, "Cardinal Bernard Law was appointed by the pope on Thursday to a ceremonial but highly visible post in Rome, outraging many in the archdiocese Law left in disgrace at the height of the clergy sex abuse scandal." "Law and other church officials were discovered to have shifted child-molesting priests from parish to parish for decades." I guess you feel Law is not a complicit child molester because he didn't touch young boys, he just sent the pedophiles to happier hunting grounds and the POPE appoints him to a Vatican post as a sign he approves of Cardinal Laws sick judgement.

Or "Bishop Tod Brown is at it again. He's still telling parishioners at St. Mary's by the Sea in Huntington Beach, California--through the pastor to whom he's giving full support-- that kneeling during the Mass is a mortal sin. The diocese and the pastor have decreed that the faithful must stand during the Eucharistic Canon..."

The church is nuts. You, Bill can continue to support the catholic church at Sunday collections, even support them by sending your young children to catholic schools. Not mine.

NewsM,

So, I understand your argument to be that the Pope lies so well that it can't be proved, and that only shows how good he is at lying. Your lack of logic would be laughable if it wasn't tied to the right to vote.

Disabled- They DID get off subject with craziness and inane BS that non-Catholics always bring up. You know what I'm talking about!!!

keep reading--it's coming. Politics, that is.

timlmlmillinois: the hispanic church above the bar is probably not a true sanctioned church if they are doing that. That's outrageous. You aren't even to take a meal til at least one hour after communion. Their hearts are not where they should be.

I agree that mobsters never repent and I think that poor girl is lost to the world forever, probably murdered. She should be burried where that gangsta is, and throw his a's into the nearest dumpster or sink him into the ocean for the sharks like they do to others people...

They don't need NBC, the Catholic Church is its own worse enemy.

"Insults are the refuge of those with nothing intelligent left to say."

What has Obama got to do with any of this??? He's not even Catholic.

They need someone to criticize!

Does the Pope $hit in the woods? Of course they deal with the Mafia. Bad Guys will pay a lot to get into heaven. ( And I wouldn't be surprised to learn of a great deal of money laundering along the way)

So then by extension Gays are not made by God, they are made by the devil? The devil is intruding on God's business of making stuff? Do ya think God should know about this? I would think he would want some sort of tribute to paid by the devil won't you? Or does God refuse to negotiate with the devil, but just lets him round around making bad stuff when ever he wants to?

Nope. All made by God. We get the power of choice though. Our course is up to us. But make no mistake...only heaven and hell await. There is no other choice

I am going to Disneyland!

Pot, meet kettle.