Uncle Benny

[poliphilo]

The Foreign Office can grovel all it likes to the Pope, but that leaked memo-  which jokily suggested he might use his visit to Britain to launch an new range of condoms and bless a gay marriage-  accurately sums up what we think of him and his office.  And when I say "we" I suspect that includes a lot of British catholics too.  It's not that we hate him; we don't; it's more that we regard him with a kind of amused distaste.  He's our shuffling, exasperating, slightly unwholesome Uncle Benny. The FO has issued a grovelling apology, but you can't take back a thing like that. Hatred would be easier to deal with- hatred can be turned around-  but no-one ever recovers from the perception that they're funny.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, and with good reason. What would happen if the Pope visited Ireland now? Would it be seriously embarrassing for him?

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

There's a lot of anger right now among victim support organisations around the fact that he's *not* coming to Ireland. As Christine Buckley said, "he can take the time to go to Malta - to bless a boat."

Though I can't see what would be in it for him to go. It wouldn't be like 1978, that's for sure.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Malta is relatively safe territory for him, I believe. They were telling us on the news that it's the most catholic country in the world (whatever that means).

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

There is also an increasing momentum behind a movement to recognise and expel the Vatican as a hostile, invasive foreign power reigning in Ireland

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I like it.

[mud-faerie.livejournal.com]

Wow! That would be amazing. It's shocking he's not going there, cowardly.