The Pope's Visit

[Rhodes]

The hostility and negative reaction that many British people are rightly voicing towards the four day 'state visit' of Pope Benedict XVI has apparently shocked Church Officials in Rome, they say it has far exceeded anything the Pope has encountered when travelling previously, even to non-Christian countries such as Turkey. There was also a call for the Pope's arrest upon his arrival in Edinburgh by Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University who stated that he would try to make a citizen’s arrest himself of the Pontiff, Dawkins claims that the Pope bears responsibility for the ongoing child abuse scandal and for sweeping it under the carpet and you have to say that he has a valid point. The cost of the four day visit is also an astronomical 10m to British taxpayers when we are already in a deep recession, I will be interested to hear members views although I can hazard a guess at what Loosely's opinion will be.

[Hookey]

You cannot arrest a "Head of State", they have diplomatic immunity. Even Peter Tatchell recognised this.

[Rhodes]

The Pope isn't a Head of State though is he

[Hookey]

The Pope isn't a Head of State though is he

 

Er, Yes he is. The Vatican City has been a sovereign state since 1929 and the Pope is the head of it. Thought you knew that Rhodesy.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited September 18, 2010 by Hookey

[Eastside Urchin]

how can he be a head of state when officially there is no population to rule over???

[Hookey]

how can he be a head of state when officially there is no population to rule over???

 

According to Wikipedia, Vatican City has a population of just over 800. I can't see them going to war with anyone!!!

[Eastside Urchin]

I am pretty sure that although it has a "population" of 800 these 800 are made up of people from all nationalities and none are actually naturalised as vatican citizens,it is basically a working population

 

 

[Big J R]

I'm told that the 'prophets' from Vatican business is astounding !

 

 

[officialspokesman]

I am pretty sure that although it has a "population" of 800 these 800 are made up of people from all nationalities and none are actually naturalised as vatican citizens,it is basically a working population

 

 

 

 

Its not that unusual to create a new state, mostly for tax evasion purposes.

 

With regards to the popes visit I find it offensive when a celibate 83 year old former member of the Hitler Youth Movement, who has allegedley been involved in covering up child abuse by catholic priests, condems the use of condoms in Africa making the aids situation even worse, and who rejects the rights of woman to becoming priests, then has the cheek to liken atheists like myself, who believe most religeous teaching to be no more than superstitious nonsence, to nazies.

Edited September 19, 2010 by officialspokesman

[Rhodes]

I gather the Pope has just flown off from Birmingham Airport following his hypocritical visit, good riddance!

[Horace]

I gather the Pope has just flown off from Birmingham Airport following his hypocritical visit, good riddance!

 

I expect that ,with his connections, he didn't need an aeroplane!

[Basil-Don]

Oh what a shame, ive only just seen this thread,although its no longer topical i owe to the regular readers of these forums to give my opinion, yes the pope is a nazi paedophile but what i most remember from his visit was the remark from his official spokesman that the UK is now a 'backward,secular nation' coming from a man who believes in 'virgin births' who clearly has no sense of irony i had to chortle at this.

[proxious]

i think this is the beginning of the end

[Eastside Urchin]

we are doomed

[officialspokesman]

we are doomed

 

 

Not more money problems, I hope.

[cantos]

Oi! i will have the bloody lot of you.

 

Up The Benedict

 

Amen.

[Rhodes]

Incredibly the Pope has announced that the use of condoms is 'acceptable', when taken to task about the Vatican and Catholic Church's complete turnaround on the subject the Pope went on to 'waffle' "she of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality. The sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalisation of sexuality, where sexuality is no longer an expression of love but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves". Does anybody know what an earth he is on about.