Will Pope Benedict Condoms Be “More Popular Than Jesus?”
Via The New York Times,
The leaked memo suggested, in effect, that the visit be used to draw critical attention to the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings on sex and marriage, and to highlight the scandal that has enveloped the Vatican over the sexual abuse of children by priests and child care workers.
Drafted by a junior diplomat, the memo suggested that Benedict use the visit to “sack dodgy bishops,†and that he promote healthy living with a public gymnastics display to include “forward rolls†with children.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the memo had been a foolish attempt to joke about the church’s troubles, and had not been seen by any high-ranking Foreign Office officials before it went out to other departments.
Needless to say, the internal memo, leaked to the media, was an inappropriate attempt at sarcasm. The Catholic Church, The Times wrote, tried to down play the episode.
“The Rt. Rev. Malcolm McMahon, bishop of Nottingham, said that the memo showed “appalling manners†but that it would not trouble Catholics in Britain too much, “as they are getting used to a bad press.â€
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