Benny and the bets

Paddy Power, (the Irish bookmaker, not the beer muscles), apparently thinks Pope Benedict XVI will resign over the sex abuse scandal spreading across Europe. On Friday, the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, where Benedict was archbishop from 1977-1982, admitted making “serious errors” in allowing a priest who had abused children to return to pastoral work, […]

Paddy Power, (the Irish bookmaker, not the beer muscles), apparently thinks Pope Benedict XVI will resign over the sex abuse scandal spreading across Europe.

On Friday, the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, where Benedict was archbishop from 1977-1982, admitted making “serious errors” in allowing a priest who had abused children to return to pastoral work, whereupon he raped/molested a few more.

The archdiocese said the Benedict, then known as Joseph Ratzinger, approved therapy for the priest, who is identified only as “H,” but didn’t know about the pastoral return. Earlier this month, the pope’s brother, Georg Ratzinger, admitted slapping some boys in the choir he ran for 30 years, but denied knowing anything about the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred under his watch.


So, long story short, you could say these are not the best days of Benedict’s papacy. Some say he has lost his moral authority, others that he is being tarred by an unscrupulous media, and many are betting that he will resign.

Reuters reports: “Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, which has branches in Britain as well as Catholic Ireland, said it had cut the odds from 12 to 1 to 3 to 1 following a `cascade of bets.'”

“The dark clouds of clerical abuse scandals show no sign of abating and recent reports from Germany are surely a little too close to home for the Pope,” the company said in a statement.

Good news for Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, though, who bettors believe is the clear favorite to succeed the pontiff.

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!