Omigod omigod omigod somebody insulted the Catholic church!! And even the pope!!! Omigod omigod.
The memorandum, apparently written by staff planning events for the four-day visit by Pope Benedict XVI, suggested he might like to start a helpline for abused children, sack “dodgy” bishops, open an abortion ward, launch his own brand of condoms, preside at a civil partnership, perform forward rolls with children, apologise for the Spanish armada and sing a song with the Queen.
But it’s all right, the somebody’s bosses apologized and apologized and apologized.
Jim Murphy, the cabinet minister overseeing the visit and a practising Catholic, failed to see the funny side of it, describing the memo as “absolutely despicable. It’s vile, it’s insulting, it’s an embarrassment”.
You bet! It’s just beyond words terrible and appalling and evil that some young whippersnappers suggested that the pope should do some decent reasonable generous things.
The ludicrous nature of some of the memo’s suggestions did not prevent some within the Catholic church demanding apologies for a disrespectful slur rather more urgently than senior Vatican officials have offered apologies over children abused in church care.
Quite so.
Comments
8 responses to “Teasing the pope is much worse than raping children”
Beg pardon – I didn’t mean to close comments!
Somebody should tell Jim Murphy to listen more fully to his own voice — as he could be talking about child abuse when he says it’s “absolutely despicable. It’s vile, it’s insulting, it’s an embarrassment”. Why is “victimhood” continually turned around in favour of the pope? Methinks there could be deliberate orchestrated spin-doctoring going on here. The Vatican is famous for its media stunts. JM is RC – – so it would be unsurprising.
Tim Minchin has a few choice words about Ratzo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRDfut2Vx0&feature=youtube_gdata
Don’t play this at work!
I was very glad to see my taxes being used for this, and ever so disappointed when the Foreign Office grovelled in apology over it.
Thanks, Shatterface for the pope link – the animation is absolutely terrific. I loved the crosses that pelted down on the princes and brides from the Godless sky. They must be severely bruised and battered in the aftermath. There should be an Irish Riverdance version of it – – or even better still one with an international flavour.
Cardinal Keith O’ Brien from Scotland had this to say about the pope’s impending UK visit
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/bishops.welcome.confirmation.of.popes.uk.visit/25504.htm
Moral issues? Bedamned. Aye, I can now see where JM is coming from – indeed.
Jesus and Mo have a perceptive comment on this.
My only objection to the memo was its use of the revolting euphemism “abuse”.
The priests didn’t “abuse” children; they raped children.