[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Um, the Crusades were fought to defend the Holy Lands and Christianity against the Muslim invasion. During WWII the Pope sheltered and saved several hundred thousand Jews. We may be guilty of some things but not the two you mentioned.

[Maeve]

I really hate to wade in on this one because I don't have first hand knowledge of this but only what I heard from my grandparents. This current Romanian Byzantine-rite prelate was widely rumored to be an agent of the former Communist Romanian equivalent of the KGB. I believe that explains his outburst pretty clearly. We have family who live not too far from the Romanian Catholic cathedral.

[Almondjoy]

Uh........ first off the crusades are defending a holy land that didn't need to be defended.. back in those times as does now the true people of that land never owned it.. It was fought over by imperalistic powers. It had nothing to do with being just or holy.

In reference to the pope in WWII.. you better go back and do your homework.