Tag Archives: foreign office

Pope Could Cancel UK Visit

The Pope could cancel his planned visit to Britain because of a “hugely offensive” Foreign Office memo mocking his stance on abortion and birth control. I am trying to understand why this would be a bad thing.

Here’s the image of the claimed memo, published by the Telegraph.

pope2_1623149a

I was expecting a whole list like the condom item, but many of these are serious issues on which the world’s Catholics are diverging further and further from their leadership. Why shouldn’t these issues be on the agenda for a visit by the Church’s leader to a modern, civilized nation?

In text format:

  • Launch of ‘Benedict’ condoms
  • Review of Vatican attitude on condom use
  • Bless a civil partnership
  • Reversal of policy on women bishops/ordain woman
  • Open an abortion ward
  • Speech on equality
  • Statement on views over adoption (change of stance)
  • Training course for all bishops on child abuse allegations
  • Harder line on child abuse—announce sacking of dodgy bishops
  • Vatican sponsorship for network of AIDS clinics
  • Meet young unemployed people
  • Apologize for…
  • Canonise/pseudo canonise a group
  • Announce whistle blowing system for child abuse cases
  • Go to job centre
  • Debate on abortion
  • All catholic schools should be free entry to all
  • Speech on democracy
  • Vatican and C of E funded committee on dialogue
  • Launch helpline for abused children
  • Why is the UK so eager to make nice with someone who heads an organization with so much to answer for?