Lets look at the popes visit as an opportunity to

[Mick Mac]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Pah! What would you know? Philistine.

WHL Obviously jah. Take it easy.

[giggirl]

I think you'll find that the Philistines worshiped Baal*. Or somebody. In the words of Bob D, "You?re gonna have to serve somebody".

Back on topic - pope's a wanker.

* I'm available for pub quizzes

[kpc]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> The Pope is a fecking homophobic.....

Ironic then that he will be canonising somebody who was almost certainly homosexual.

[????]

George Clooney is being made a Saint?

[kpc]

Thought he already had been!

[DJKillaQueen]

Whilst repeating the statement he made that homosexuality is as big a threat to the planet as the destruction of the rain forests......yep I guess that DOES make him a homophobe after all.

[huncamunca]

I would like to see the nasty old bigot take to task when he arrives

Unfortunatley, the UK doesnt have a good track record at doing much with Vile old nazi tourists. Pinochet slipped back to Chile with a spring in his step after his extended British home stay.

[DJKillaQueen]

Ok I'm offering to assassinate the Pope. Anyone got a sniper rifle I can borrow?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Anyone who thinks there aren't people putting the boot into Islam in the "liberal" press isn't reading it properly

But if you are wondering why there isn't as much of it as you might like, from a comedy angle

Stewart Lee explaining possible reasons

I feel I can (and will) berate the Catholic church as much as like, because that's what I was brough up in - I know the codes, the vocabulary and the hypocricy intimately.

All that said I wouldn't stop the pope from coming here - let him come and generate debate

[Keef]

I have no issue with people's issues about the pope / catholic church. My only issue is with people calling him a Nazi, because he was in the Nazi youth. I'd have liked to have seen them refuse to go along with it at the time.

I know some people did, and I'd love to be able to say I'd have told them to do one, but realistically, when people are being dragged off here there and everywhere, can you blame people for sending their kids along, and keeping quiet?

[mockney piers]

word keef.

I'm no lover of catholicism or religion in general, but that is just a cheap shot.

There is something slightly worrying about anti-catholicism, which has an atavistcally deep-rooted nature in this country.

The levels of ire it generates seems to be out of all proportion of the levels of bad it manages. I'd put the church today roughly on a par with, say BP and even its nastiness in the past didnt come close to the evils done by secular power, but from what you read from forums, blogs, press and literature (you should see the lunatic fringe hatchet job 'history' book my dad gave me to read, i fear he may have lost it too) you'd think people really were talking about the Nazi party.

[giggirl]

I suppose we can look forward to lots of pope souvenir tat. Just found this link. Loving the pope on a rope.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-world/2008/04/18/pictures-the-wacky-pope-souvenirs-on-sale-in-the-us-to-mark-his-visit-115875-20387269/

[kpc]

GG

Get yourself the tour jacket.

Official Pope Merchandise

[brum]

Itching to know what the 'Pope's Cologne' smells like. Any guesses?

Though my favourite bit of tat has to be the 'Pope Nutcracker'.... ouch!!

[kpc]

Incense.

[Jah Lush]

My sister converted to Catholicism many many years ago and I've never understood why. And she can't wait to see the Pope on tour. I have to admit I'm completely flummoxed by that.

[brum]

Essence of Incence. Should be a World-beater.

[RosieH]

What Keef said, and Mockney. I don't know if there's anything to this, but I wonder how much the level of vitriol aimed at the Catholic church has to do with our history as a protestant country: one in the eye to the pope back then, and one in the eye to the pope now.

And Jah, as for your sister, I can see there's a great appeal to Catholicism, to the idea of confession and redemption - doesn't do it for me, but I can see there's potentially a lot of comfort to be found there.

[Brendan]

I have little time for Catholicism and the idea of believing in things generally but it is worth pointing out that there is an increasing body of people within Catholicism who oppose the autocratic, conservative interpretation of the modern church.

Especially bullshit like papal infallibility (an idea cooked up at the first Vatican Council only about 100 years ago for political expediency)

In fact there has for the last half century been a vocal group of Catholics calling for the church to follow the principles from the second Vatican Council which were solidly squashed by the last pope.

While I fully support criticism for the institution and its leaders a lot of this is bordering on intolerance towards a group of the population based on their religion. And that?s a different kettle of fish entirely.

[edcam]

RosieH Wrote:

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> What Keef said, and Mockney. I don't know if

> there's anything to this, but I wonder how much

> the level of vitriol aimed at the Catholic church

> has to do with our history as a protestant

> country: one in the eye to the pope back then, and

> one in the eye to the pope now.

>

No - the vitriol here is very much directed at this Pope - not Catholicism per se. Although it has to be said that it is one of the more unpleasant religions when it comes to oppression, moral hypocrisy and all the other reasons why organised religion has no place in a modern society.

People object very strongly to this Pope as he is more reactionary than any in his place for quite some time, when he could actually be doing some good in his position (as bizarre a concept as that might be!)

I (along with many others) also strongly object to paying vast sums of money for his protection while he is here. I thought I was annoyed about cost of the Olympics but in terms of a value:money ratiothis one leaves that particular travesty in the shade!

[Jah Lush]

What edcam said.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Anyone worried about anti-Catholocism in this country should rest assured the picture is MUCH better than it was 20-30 years ago. Back then one of the main characters on Corrie being a Catholic was an an entire story-line. These days Catholics are everywhere and no-one bats an eyelid by comparison

I?m sure the anti is well ingrained culturally as well, and that many protestors are just using the occasion as an excuse to vent but I don?t think catholics are cowering in their beds.

[edcam]

There's a link here re the Protest the Pope March on the 18th and a link to email your MP protesting the visit/encouraging the government and leaders of the main parties to tell him he's a knob.

[RosieH]

tautly argued Jah.

edcam, I do agree with you in regards to this pope, but I also think there's a broader anti-Catholic sentiment that bubbles under in this country and I wonder about the history (see what Sean said).

[giggirl]

I'm catholic. It never occurred to me there was an anti-Catholic thing going on. I must be really thick.