Hmm... interesting window
The British Foreign Office apologised to the Vatican yesterday after a memo was leaked about the Pope’s planned visit to the UK in Sept. The memo suggested among other things that the visit would be a good time to launch a brand of “Benedict” condoms. It also suggested that he open an abortion clinic and bless a gay marriage during September’s visit. And given the recent scandal about covering up child abuse in the church, the memo proposed that Pope Benedict should sack “dodgy bishops”, and launch an abuse childline. My favourite suggestion is that Pope Benedict sings a duet with the Queen for charity.
I am sure that it has all been a misunderstanding – much like the stained glass window here. Apparently the memo was the result of a brain-storming session where civil servants were asked to consider “some blue-skies creative thinking about how to make the visit a success”, but their discussions had become “a joke that has gone too far”. I am sure that Father Ted would have seen the humour in it all, but on top of the demonstrations about child abuse expected to take place in September and the alleged plan by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins to have the Pope arrested, one wonders whether this visit will still go ahead.
brucemhood.wordpress.com 
I think that all of the suggestions, except for the duet, are wonderful and see no reason as to why the proposed agenda shouldn’t take place. I mean I would certainly help to alter the belief that the Pope is completely out of touch with reality.
No wait. I don’t think that anything can do that…
Love the stained glass.
Very funny with the window. Quite the teen-age sense of humor.
As a former Anglican, now Catholic, I challenge you to prove the source of this window. I know Anglican windows when I see them, and this IS one. If you want to make a salacious point, at least be accurate, you religion-hating ass.
Former Anglican, now Catholic, eh?…. you’ve already proved you have a sense of humour.
Just try letting it loose on occasions.
Like this one.
Thanks JTA…I do try to keep youthful! Anglican you say.. thanks for the info. I don’t get round to visiting many churches. But you must admit, it is quite funny. BTW I don’t hate religion though I can appreciate your misunderstanding.
The Catholic Church seems to be very much under the hammer – aw poor babies – but what if Dawkins and Hitchens (as suggested in your entry) WERE able to arrest The Pope for his involvement with crimes? Is the Pope above the law? Would such an arrest represent a definite change in general attitude toward religious credulity?
I have no idea where this stained-window comes from, but it should be easy to find out: the window in question was filmed in the final episode of season 1 of “Six Feet Under”. Apparently, the series was very popular (never seen it myself though). Now if anyone has it on DVD, they can check the credits to see where it was filmed.
Also, Andrew, that is an excellent question. According to this article he can, and should. Now, this article is biased (this is actually the fellow who is taking the initiative). Though the first section isn’t the most coherent (really a discussion on whether the Vatican is actually a state or not), the real meat of the article is this: “The ICC Statute definition of a crime against humanity includes rape and sexual slavery and other similarly inhumane acts causing harm to mental or physical health, committed against civilians on a widespread or systematic scale, if condoned by a government or a de facto authority. It has been held to cover the recruitment of children as soldiers or sex slaves. If acts of sexual abuse by priests are not isolated or sporadic, but part of a wide practice both known to and unpunished by their de facto authority then they fall within the temporal jurisdiction of the ICC – if that practice continued after July 2002, when the court was established.” Others however disagree on legal grounds, as there isn’t an actual papal plan to abuse kids.
Ah, but even just discussing religion with a sense of humor and without the proper deference will get you accused of being a hater. Remember, if you think the Pope is fallible, you hate the Pope.
Bruce, your final sentence may have been prescient… the Vatican now is threatening to cancel the visit over the leaked memo. Good riddance, I say! (I may not hate religion per se, but I have no respect nor sympathy for many centralized religious organizations, including the Vatican… and I’m not afraid to say so. The end of Catholicism could only be a good thing)
http://barnaville.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/leak-foreign-office-memo-funniest-attack-on-pope-benedict-could-hardly-be-a-mistake/ Funniest story in ages, this one.