The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has brushed off any concerns that there is a lack of enthusiasm for the Pope’s visit. Archbishop Vincent Nichols said he was sure “Catholics are looking forward to this visit very much indeed”.
The archbishop’s comments came after it was revealed that thousands of tickets remained unsold for events during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK.
David Cameron said he was offering the Pope a “very warm welcome.” The prime minister added that Pope Benedict’s four-day stay, the first ever state visit to the UK by a pope, was “incredibly important and historic”.
“These will be a very special four days not just for our six million Catholics, but for many people of faith right across Britain, and millions more watching around the world.
“Of course, not everyone will agree with everything the Pope says, but that shouldn’t prevent us from acknowledging that the Pope’s broader message can help challenge us to ask searching questions about our society and how we treat ourselves and each other.”
The largest organised event during the Pope’s visit to England and Scotland is an open-air Mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on the opening day of Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the UK.
The capacity has been reduced to 80,000 after a slow take-up of tickets.
Dioceses in England and Wales have also reported thousands of unfilled places for a London vigil, and the service to beatify Cardinal Newman in Birmingham.
– BBC News
* Glasgow’s protestant Scots (Tams) traditionally support Rangers, whilst Glasgow’s catholic Scots (Tims) traditionally support Celtic. The reason Rangers have more supporters than Celtic is because it’s easier to shout “F*ck the Pope!” than it is to shout “F*ck the Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland!” from the terraces.
37 Comments
More great image fu from DEM 🙂
She is just fantastic, isn’t she? My favourite picture is of the angry nun.
The other bit I love best is the comment about the Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.
I’m rather taken with the papal condoms, in part because they seem to be in better taste than much of the official merchandise.
Great compilation, but I’m confused. Is that a papal vibrator next to the papal condoms or is it perhaps a light to lighten the heretics?
Is that where “Tim Tams” (a much over rated biscuit) comes from?
that shouldn’t prevent us from acknowledging that the Pope’s broader message can help challenge us to ask searching questions about our society and how we treat ourselves and each other
David Cameron is such a muppet. What should prevent us from acknowledging the benefits of the Pope’s broader message is that challenge to ask searching questions is non-existent.
Hugivza: DEM assures me that — condoms apart — everything else in that frame is genuine merchandise sold as an adjunct to the tour.
Oh yes, and the Rev. Iain Paisley is doing a counter-protest today in the Grassmarket (Old Town). He WILL get his picture taken. By me.
Monty Python ruined His Eminence’s eminence for me – The Pope and Michelangelo skit – “only ONE Christ?” but this runs a very close second. Thanks for the smiles.
I hope an unruly mob tar and feather Pope Benny, or at the very least give him a good old fashioned wedgie. I really do hate that old buzzard.
Well yes, I should point out that my latest anti-papist outburst is prompted by Pope Benny’s whinge about a Belgian police investigation into the Catholic pedophile racket- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7857506/Pope-condemns-deplorable-Belgian-child-abuse-raids.html
Hard to give a bloke in a skirt a wedgie.
KiwiinOz @ 5 – I wondered the same thing, but apparently, no, Tim Tams are named after a horse called Tim Tam.
It’s a flashing plastic candle for pilgrims going to the masses. Health and Safety means they’re not allowed to take in open flames … though from the ‘holy spirit’ picture, I can kind of see their point. (And yes, apart from the condoms, every single piece of tat you can see is genuine tour merchandise. There’s even a ‘heart speaks unto heart’ baseball cap. http://www.papalvisitstore.com/ ).
I’d have to disagree. Speaking as one who is forever reaching behind her to pull her knickers out of her bum because she married Peter Pan, just send my husband in. He’d probably toss him like a midget for good measure. He’s always wanted to do that and heavens knows I never let him have any fun – I ‘ve had to stop him from tossing a midget three times in the last four years. But I would let him toss the Pope.
I love the merchandise too. I said NO. (still snickering)
Presuming, of course, the Pope hasn’t adopted the Scottish practice… where there’d be nothing to, ahem, ‘wedgie’.
What I love about this blog is the high intellectual tone of the comments…
Perhaps all those not enamored with the Pope and what he attempts to
sweep under the carpetprotect should go and buy lots of federici icecream – based on the ads apparently banned in advance of the Pope’s visit.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1307140/Pregnant-nun-ice-cream-ad-faces-ban-Catholic-outcry.html
and
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/862006–ad-featuring-pregnant-nun-banned
There are a number of ads (tags in brackets) … pregnant nun (icecream immaculately conceived), nun and priest (yielding to temptation) or two priests looking like they are about to kiss (we believe in salivation) .
Of course, with /this/ Pope’s apparent attitude to authority v Vatican2, Tom Lehrer’s “Vatican Rag” song *wont* be the official music.
given that scots have such a tradition of being innovative, I wonder if someone will celebrate the pope’s visit with a naughty or heretical act in public so novel that everybody exclaims “now /that/ is an original sin”
Dave, LOL – I really wouldn’t put it past the Scots.
A little OT – But a funny clip with David Cameron displaying his Muppet acumen.
Good if you’re a Pulp fan too.
Adrien – priceless. I do love a bit of Jarvis. I even suggested calling our son Jarvis, but Mr Eagle vetoed it.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/09/14/could_britain_arrest_the_pope
Interesting arguments in Foreign Policy mag from precedent under British law (including House of Lords on Pinochet) for prosecuting a head of state arguing that it is legally possible, though unlikely, for the Pope to be arrested and prosecuted.
Thoughts from those with legal smarts?
“… for the Pope to be arrested and prosecuted/”
That’s much too sophisticated.
I’d prefer to see him undressed and prostituted.
I don’t understand the particular vituperation poured out towards the Pope in regard to sexual abuse. I think this is a problem faced by most organised religions. In fact, it’s also faced by other kinds of organisations (eg, Boy Scouts). And all of these organisations seem to handle sexual abuse claims badly, it’s just that they are not centrally organised like Catholicism.
The problem for religious organisations, I suppose, is that they are constantly saying that they are more moral, and when they are proven to be disappointingly human, they come across as supremely hypocritical.
But I suspect the Pope is a target for outpourings of anger about religious sexual abuse for the same reason that there are more fans of Rangers than Celtic – it’s easier to shout “F*ck the Pope!” that it is to shout “F*ck the Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland!” Hell, I wouldn’t have even known what the head of the Free Church was called! I wouldn’t know whether they’ve had problems with sexual abuse either. By contrast, the Pope is highly visible and everyone knows who he is, and everyone knows that the Catholic Church has handled sexual abuse allegations very badly. The Catholic Church needs to totally change the way it’s set up and run, but arresting the Pope ain’t going to do it.
We have discussed prosecuting the Pope here before. I also recommend this excellent post at Online Opinion by Ben Mathews on the subject of the Vatican and sexual abuse.
Nonsense, LE.
Here in Victoria it has been widely reported that of the 100 Catholic priests known to have perpetrated sexual abuse a grand total of just one has been defrocked. Many others still serve in official church positions. Can you name one scout group or other secular organisation that keeps so many sex abusers on their books?
Pope Benedict also recently blasted the Belgian police for invading church property during their investigation of approx 500 abuse claims involving over 450 priests. There is no way a head of a respectable secular institution could adopt such an attitude and keep his job in this day and age. See here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704212804575332552935857776.html
Two things: (1) the Rev Paisley was a no-show (one could have fired a cannon down the Grassmarket when he was supposed to front).
(2) The Catholic Church has huge institutional problems, but then so do all the monotheisms. Believe me, the rabid behaviour of many Muslims is not evidence for a healthy polity, psychological or otherwise. The reason I wrote that earlier post was because I find the glee with which the Pope is being pursued disturbing. Okay, Church doctrine is a true case of ‘you fail evolutionary biology forever’, but having everyone else standing around pointing and giggling is not helping.
[email protected]: “but then so do all the monotheisms”
Well, Abrahamics, yes. As to the others (I know one), I haven’t heard of any problems – but then, I don’t know if zoroastrianism has much in the way of institutions (proselytism is frowned on… so no need to put on shows to recruit customers)
” … I find the glee with which the Pope is being pursued disturbing.”
I might agree if rabid mobs of atheists were killing priests and burning churches but that is not happening.
What is happening is people are mocking the Catholic Church with a mixture of humour and outrage and this is much like the banter that goes on in the secular world of politics. I find this current trend a welcome breath of fresh air and in no way harmful. It is free speech at its finest.
But by all means, if you think the Catholic Church and the collected works of L. Ron Hubbard belong on a special pedestal, knock yourself out.
[email protected]: “people mocking the Catholic Church with a mixture of humour and outrage”
Aaah, but as in those ads, the humor *causes* outrage, and gets governments coming down hard on the jokers. Compare those ads in the UK with the Danish cartoonists depicting Mohammed (which is a big no-no because Islam sees any depiction of holy figures, Jesus included, as risking idolatry). How did the action of Nordic and UK governments differ? What is the difference in *doctrinal* offence from the humor?
The Danes gave the Muslims the finger (quite rightly, too). Everyone else, not so much. Very annoying that in Australia the cartoons were only reproduced in one paper (the Daily Telegraph), and only as part of a Tim Blair opinion column.
I seriously want someone to do a ‘Life of Brian’ on Muhammad, if only to get up the noses of people who are too precious by half.
I don’t think anyone’s imaginary sky-fairy doctrine should be taken seriously, or otherwise it does lead — as Mel alludes to — a situation where everyone’s sky-fairy doctrine has to be taken seriously.
Trying to arrest the pope, though? Naah, too silly and stunty, and difficult to sustain legally, as I’ve discussed elsewhere.
Dave @ 27 – interestingly, when I stayed with some friends in Thailand a few years back, the guy was saying that he was totally disappointed with organised religion because of the hypocrisy of certain Buddhist monks (wearing wigs and going into brothels or some such). I was surprised (at that point I had an idealistic view of Buddhism – this was before some novice monks had attempted to pick me and my friend up!). My Thai friend glumly shrugged and said, “They’ve all got problems.”
[email protected] “I don’t think anyone’s imaginary sky-fairy doctrine should be taken seriously”
Does the category “sky fairies” include invisible hands and animal sprits?
‘Pends whether those animal spirits are related to football teams…never seen a clearer case of animal totemism than the footy.
[Talking of footy: commiserations, Dave, I had high hopes. Thank goodness I won’t be around next weekend (visiting my aunt). If those Collywobblers win…I shall have to hide under a rock or something.]
Ah, you’re familiar with Cyril the Swan then?
[email protected] I my defence when charged with animal totemism, that practice is associated with a special relationship with that animal in the real world.
Howver, I detest Felis sylvestris in the real world, and love communing with Gymnorhina tibicens, some of whom /have/ protected me (by flying around to ward off other swoopers when I’ve been walking a kilometre or two through the patches of other magpies). QED I’m innocent of the charge of totemic woo.
Geelong’s blue/white hoops represent sunlight on waves of the bay (cats hate water), with the woo and totem change really being the rise of luck after the burial of a cat in the middle of the home oval. (Ascension after burial and a labelling with the name of the buried? Parallels with the Pope’s team?)
Dave, LOL. I like the real gymnorhina tibicens as well, just not the fans of the football club. I can’t really say whether I like the real panthera tigris, although I did once meet a lovely tiger in Laos called Phet. The main reason I barrack for the Tigers is because my favourite Grade 2 relief teacher did so.
I think this thread is the definition itself of ‘un-Australian’ haha
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