Thread: The Visit of The Pope
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15th Sep 2010, 5:58 PM #1
The Visit of The Pope
Absolutely non-controversial and utterly benign, the forthcoming visit to the UK by the leader of the Catholic Church is set to be a quiet event.
The Pope and his advisors are clearly looking forward to coming to the country:
Pope adviser calls the UK a 'Third World country'
The Vatican said the cardinal was pulling out of the visit solely on health grounds
One of the Pope's senior advisers has pulled out of the papal visit to Britain, after reportedly saying the UK is a "Third World country" marked by "a new and aggressive atheism".
Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, made the remarks in a German magazine interview.
The Vatican said the cardinal had not intended "any kind of slight", and was referring to the UK's multicultural society.
It added that he had simply pulled out of the Pope's visit due to illness.
The German-born cardinal was quoted as saying to the country's Focus magazine that "when you land at Heathrow you think at times you have landed in a Third World country".
Pope's state visit criticised in luminaries' letter
More than 50 public figures have added their names to a letter in the Guardian newspaper saying the Pope should not be given the "honour" of a UK state visit.
Authors Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman and actor Stephen Fry are among those critical of the Vatican record on birth control, gay rights and abortion.
David Cameron has said the Pope's visit will be a "very special four days".
A Catholic spokesman said the prime minister's comments were an "excellent response to this open letter".
Other signatories to the letter in the Guardian include: Professor Richard Dawkins, Ken Follett, AC Grayling, Stewart Lee, Claire Rayner, Lord Foulkes, Lord Hughes, Professor Steve Jones, Sir Jonathan Miller, Lord Taverne, Peter Tatchell and Baroness Turner.
When the Pope stretches out his arms to the masses gathered in parks in Glasgow, Birmingham and London this weekend, the rock star parallels will be exaggerated by the appearance of the adoring crowds.
Some will be wearing the official papal visit T-shirt (£18) while holding aloft an electronic flashing candle (£3).
Others may sport, against the autumn chill, an official baseball cap (£15) bearing the slogan of the newly beatified Cardinal Newman: "Heart Speaks Unto Heart".
In their pockets they may, in prayer, thumb an official papal visit rosary or jangle an official key-ring picturing a smiling Benedict XVI, with mitre and papal cross, lest they be locked out post-pilgrimage.
As activity around the Pope's UK visit intensifies, so the faithful have been flocking to the altar of consumerism, with its mixture of official and unofficial souvenirs manufactured to mark the event.
At the west London warehouse of IVS, the official merchandise supplier, project manager Matt Hassall is overseeing the 75-80 different lines of memorabilia for the visit.
Pilgrims can record the Pope's words with a... Benedictaphone
He won't comment on sales figures but says some profits will be diverted to the church to fund the Pope's visit. The Catholic Church is expected to make a contribution of between £9m and £10m for a visit which could also cost the UK taxpayer £10-£12m, excluding policing.Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
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