Posted on 04/25/2010 12:37:38 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Foreign Office makes apology to Pope after officials' mock memo about 'Benedict' brand condoms
By Jonathan Petre and Nick Pisa
Last updated at 2:15 AM on 25th April 2010
The Government has been plunged into a major diplomatic storm after Foreign Office officials circulated an offensive memo mocking the Pope's forthcoming visit to Britain.
In the document, staff who were asked to propose ideas for the 'ideal' visit suggested Benedict XVI could launch a new range of 'Benedict' condoms or back a Miss Developing World beauty contest.
Sources in Rome said the document also proposed that the Pope might sing a duet with the Queen to raise money for charity. The pair are due to meet during the Pontiff's visit in September.
The memo, which has dismayed Church leaders in Britain, is also understood to suggest that the leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics could apologise for the Spanish Armada, reverse his ban on women priests and visit an old people's home.
A graphic attached to the document listed 'positive' people who could be associated with the trip, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair and the singer Susan Boyle, and 'negative' ones, such as England footballer Wayne Rooney. All three are Catholics - with Boyle a former singer in her parish choir and Blair converting to the faith two years ago.
To the fury of Foreign Secretary David Miliband, the memo, drawn up last month after a Foreign Office 'brainstorming' session, was circulated to officials in a number of Government departments - including the Department for International Development and 10 Downing Street. From there, it found its way to senior figures in the Catholic Church in Britain and, it is understood, details were passed on to Church officials in Rome.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
And if it was, instead, an IMAM... you’d be too busy kissing his A** than to even consider such a thing.
Just as soon as the Episcopalians apologize for this friggin' travesty.
Is that a contest for the under 14 year old set?
What’s sad is that I was relieved that for once it wasn’t OUR government officials who made the faux pas.
Why should the Pope apologize for the Spanish Armada? BTW: One of my (adoptive) Grandmother’s ancestors was Sir Walter Raleigh, and she was Catholic! So, I find this quite amusing...
This is giving me inspiration for the draw mohammed day cartoon contest on May 20th!
OMG!! If you looked up “GAY” in the dictionary, THAT would be the picture you will see!!
...the source blamed a group of three or four ‘kids’, part of a Foreign Office team working on the papal visit, who had engaged in some ‘blue sky thinking which had gone so far off into the blue sky they ended up in outer space’.
They should all be fired, along with their boss.
It fails the humor meter as well. Not even funny.
People make jokes about all manner of things. Theres nothing much wrong about that.
But an official memo, which goes into the outside world? Someone needs to be fired.
Its all nonsense. You can't keep refighting the battles and injustices of the past or the oceans will be red with blood and nothing will ever be achieved. Yes the pope was wrong to put his name to Fascist Phil's Armada, but that was four centuries ago! The current pope is not culpable for the actions of his predecessors, no more than I'm responsible for some African being snatched and transported across the ocean five centuries back.
We got to all move on folks!
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