As Captain Alberto Bertorelli, one of the characters in Allo Allo used to say!
It seems like the Pope is in trouble again, this time for comments he allegedly made about Islam.
I suspect his comments were taken totally out of context, but it just goes to show how volatile the situation is between Islam/Christianity/Judaism/ and western culture at present
3 comments:
Ah, they have the 'offending' bit here - it turns out to be completely innocuous (as one might expect from a Pope nowadays). If one can't even *quote* passages critical of Islam, made 600+ years ago, as part of a speech apparently designed to forge links and spread harmony (though, as an atheist, I can only go so far in supporting it), I think we have a big problem!
B4L,
Modern popes are not afraid of being controversial. Pius X (1904 - 14) waged a war on modernism, John XXIII (1958 - 62) set up Vatican II, Paul VI (1962 - 78)wrote Humanae Vitae (on birth control), John Paul II, amongst other things, told women they cannot be priests and the matter was no longer open for discussion, put down (rampant) capitalism and failed to yield on the Church's strict beliefs on contraception. If there is a view that the popes are not controversial, I think it is because the press is partial in its reporting of papal speeches/writings etc.
I trust that as an atheist you can only go so far in supporting religion, not harmony!
Pax.
dúnadan
ps: hope my dates are correct as I am writing from memory
pps: keep up the good work on b4l
Being a pedant Malcolm, but Pius X started his reign in 1903 and John XXIII died in June 1963, and was succeeded by Paul VI later that month!
Aside from that, I agree, anyone who expects a Pope to be passive and cuddly is naive!
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