In preparation for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Great Britain, a group of British diplomats circulated a memo offering suggestions for a to-do list of sorts for the Pope including launching a new line of ‘ Benedict’ condoms, inviting the Pope to open an abortion clinic or bless a gay marriage.
Nice, huh?
While the British government quickly offered an official apology many sources in the British government and media seem to be saying that anyone truly offended by the memo simply lacks a sense of humor. Mind you, I’m a fan of satire and humor. Over at my blog Creative Minority Report we keep things pretty light. But what the British Foreign Office did this week can’t really be dismissed as a bit of satire as it hardly rises to the level of intelligence to be called satire. Calling it “sophomoric” is an insult to fourth graders.
Sadly, I think the memo says more about the state of Great Britian than it does about the Pope. The fact that it took many minds in the Foreign Office to create this imbecilic list almost has me less concerned about their anti-Catholicism than their lack of intellectual originality.
But what concerns me most is the shared underlying assumptions of those in the Foreign Office that sneering and mocking is the default position towards Catholicism or that the Pope’s views are automatically backward or mock-worthy.
Ask yourself if the Foreign Office would distribute a similar memo for the arrival of other state leaders of import.
But is it any surprise that this is happening right now? Secularists who seem to inhabit government offices of Western civilization seem to feel they have the Pope on the defensive and they fully intend to press their advantage. Secularists don’t wish to get into a logical argument with theologians or clergy or the Pope as many don’t have the intellectual capability to compete in the world of ideas so they resort to to the always available and potent weapon of ridicule to demean the Pope and the Church.
Expect this to get worse in the near future.
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Are you surprised? I’m not. Britain has a long history of anti-Catholicism.
“Secularists who seem to inhabit government offices of Western civilization seem to feel they have the Pope on the defensive and they fully intend to press their advantage.”
Obviously, they do not understand who they are insulting. Our Holy Father will rise to the occasion. He does not have thin skin.
They’re just sore because of the mass exodus from King Henry’s church. And I’ve heard rumors about the mating practices in that small island nation though it is fallacious to generalize. In this case though, I highly suspect that the writer of that infamous memo has the mental abilities of someone whose parents are biologically related thus having common recessive genes.
I think we should all be praying for them - would you join me in starting a spiritual bouquet for these people as well as all the enemies of Christ?
It was a joke. An ill-considered joke, and one that the 23 year old author may alternately be proud of while regretting. But, people in their late teens and early 20s do this kind of thing, and get negative flack, and live and learn. And while it points out that many think the only safe “group” to attack these days is Catholics, I am curious why Catholics would be calling for this person’s dismissal. Actually, the senior civil servant that approved it’s sending is to blame for not reigning in this youthful exuberance, and in fact he has been “re-assigned.”
But this is a teaching moment for everyone. Steven Mulvain can learn that poking fun at people and religion is ill-advised when in the Civil Service. He can also learn that some things are not funny. If Pope Benedict were to meet with this lad, all kinds of good things could come of it.
Remember the cartoons poking fun at Islam, and the resultant violence? Catholics can respond with love and forgiveness, pointing out an alternate world view. Etc.
I don’t know that Mr. Mulvain is an enemy of Christ because he came up with this memo. I could have written this memo when I was in my 20s. The irony of Benny the 16th condoms would have seemed funny to me at that age. Why? Because I would be dealing on the surface, and going for shock, just like virtually every comedian on stage in America today.
Anger and shock? Really? Let’s do Love and Compassion instead. And understanding of the folly of youth, and let’s teach this kid what Catholics are all about. FB
Catholicism , its leadership and its people are the targets of attack by these perverts They do not know the meaning of decency, toleration, human, hurt, sentiments, civilization etc, They will know only if binladen becomes their teacher. We catholics have Christ the innocent sinless crucified to save all including these perverts. They will never dare to ridicule any other religion because they are afraid of guns and bombs. Let us pray for wisdom to these anti christ and blessings for repentence
I’d love to see a counter memo from Pope Benedict. I’m sure it would put that one to shame in one sentence with Pope Benedict’s level of intelligence. When will these fools learn that they will never win? When you mock the pope you mock over a billion people and worse you mock God and God’s plans. Here’s a bit of news people, the war’s over, God won. Your little sqirmishes for the evil one are worthless.
It has been observed that when someone lacks intelligent arguments, he resorts to tom-foolery and name-calling. Once upon a time, British diplomats ruled the world. Now, they reduce themselves to adolescent mischief. Sic transit gloria britanniae.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM BRITAIN ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE, AND THEY WILL USE WHATEVER TO POINT FINGERS SPECIALLY AT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. I THINK THE WAY TO HANDLE THIS IS: SMILE AND KEEP ON SMILING. REMEMBER: DON’T WRESTLE WITH THE PIG, YOU BOTH GET DIRTY AND “HE” LIKES IT.
@ Isabel, “WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM BRITAIN?”
Too broad a term used here me thinks since there are many devout Catholics here in Britain, some even work for the Government. I assume you meant specifically the Foreign Office personnel responsible for the memo, and not Britain as a whole.
On a similar note, I think the Vatican’s response was spot on, a shining example of how to deal with mistakes made by a respected institution, following the media hype and overblown charges against the Pope and the Church in recent weeks.
Some things just aren’t funny no matter what. It is not out of the realm of possibility that such “humor” can be written here. These people are SO going to rot!
Invite the ingrate British officials to a St. Thomas Moore Bash. They can be invited if they pledge to out eat Fat Henry. “Fetch me a wench.”
Shame on you,childish British diplomacy!!!
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