To have had enough of the Pope and his lackeys now?

[FellatioNelson]

In the news this morning: The Pope's adie will no longer be coming with him to the UK after making an unfortunate comment that:

On arriving at Heathrow it's like being in a third world country'

and:

Britain is in the grip of an agressive new atheism'.

Well the last comment is obviously a pathetic attempt to try and justify the anger directed at the Vatican over the disgraceful handling and cover-up of rife paedophilia and other forms of child abuse in the RC church. Clutching at straws methinks. As thought he only reason we would oppose to any of that is because we don't beleive in God.

But on earth are we to make of the first comment?

Yes, actually wonder if he meant third world as in heathrow is a bag of shit, or third world as in most airport staff he encountered were of ethnic origin.

Piss off, anyway, whatever you meant.

I would love to have the time and money to travel to London to protest the pope....who says people have fewer morals nowadays?......most people i know are honest,hardworking and do the best they can with what they have,do not judge without cause and try to teach their children to be tolerant of differences in other people.In the 'good old days',people like myself,an unmarried mother of three were routinely put away in institutions.......i agree with op that these comments are diversionary tactics to distract attention from the sex abuse scandals......i also think it's very rude to visit a country which is paying for your stay and then insult it.

I think that the Third World comment was a not very well-disguised racist comment on what I would call the wonderful example of integration and multiculturalism which thrives in our fair island state. I don't think it was infrastructure he was refering to, God knows there's some terrible infrastructure in parts of Italy so he can hardly talk.

And if Dawkins, Tatchell and half of mumsnet (apparently) are 'aggressive atheists' then sign me up please! At least these people are being aggressive about something worthwhile and rational.

barrygarlow, I am reading your comments today with increasing and puzzlement. Yes, if only we all had the same moral compass as the catholic church everything would be much better - wouldn't that at the very least make us all apologists for child abuse? I have no problem with people holding beliefs of any kind, but organised religion (of all flavours) has been the cause of more suffering than good in the world.

I didn't realise he could have meant that most of the staff were of ethnic origin!
As if we want him here anyway.
No thanks mate, don't bother.

Oh thank god goodness for this "aggressive new atheism". People are now thinking for themselves, standing up for themselves and organising their own lives without being dictated to by an elderly virgin.

In case there's any doubt that he just meant Heathrow was a bit of a hole...

"he remarked on Britain's multi-cultural inhabitants, telling the magazine that someone landing at Heathrow airport might think they were in a "Third World country" as there was such a variety of faces there." (from [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pressure-grows-for-third-world-cardinal-to-say-sorry-2080811.html here).

Chili already said it, but it bears repeating.

Cocked up the link, apologies

Oh, and I presume they will be flying back to Fiumicino airport in Rome, but if they were to go to their other "international" airport, Ciampino, they would see the shanty town of temporary housing that permanently homes immigrant farming workers.

I honestly had not realised he said that - I thought he meant the airport was a dump.

Heathrow Airport is grim - fair point there.
Aggressive atheism - not huge amounts but feels like there's lots because the chattering-class media contribute to it and bang on about it all the time. And it is there - it's aggressive in a nasty way, not because of heated emotions. Seen it here, seen it in real life, seen it on other forums. There is more vilification and plain ol' nasty mockery from non-theists than in any debating from theists. I've been reading these sorts of debates on forums for nearly nine years, and the non-theists have become steadily more rude and aggressive.

But - it was a stupid thing for the aide to say to anyone nethertheless.

I don't think most third world countries have much ahem variety in that respect, so they? I don't see people of all colours anc creeds rushing off to live in any of them any time soon.

What a poorly veiled euphemism that was.

Pope flew from Ciampino airport.

Anyway, he should be grateful for the third world - if it were not for them he'd be pretty much out of a job altogether by now.

Ah ... okay.

Yeah, then he's defo being a nob.

I have been aggressive on religious school threads on here when someone has said something (re prayer time in school) 'it is only a small part of a school day, you have to accept that religious observance is required in schools'.

No, why should I accept that. You lot have your churches. Why can we not have a choice of non-faith schools. It does make me angry.

FallatioNelson - good OP.

The British might have their faults but we're learning to wise up to emotional blackmailing comments like that - "in the grip of aggressive atheism".

It doesn't work no more!!

The Vatican can't dodge this one: -

Deal with the sexual abuse then you might get our respect!!

Usually visiting heads of state (and yes the pope is considered to be one) do not arrive at one of the normal Heathrow terminals. There is a separate one for them, complete with red carpet. So the aide would not have seen the grotty terminals that we have to put up with.

I do find that there is (particularly on MN) an aggressive atheist group/movement and I don't think it's wonderful, because the way some of them carry on is incredibly disrespectful and arrogant. Believe/don't believe whatever you want, but don't be such a nob about it. That's what riles me - as someone who does believe, I can totally respect and accept that some people don't, but for a lot of people, it doesn't go both ways.

Well it certainly will be costing lots of money - I have just been in town for a meeting, am now safelt home and intend to stay here, but saw loads of police. Underground running every 3minutes already! He isn't even due in Glasgow until 5. Friends Mums road (and many surrounding road been closed since yeterday and won't be reopened until Friday! Police and lots of staff in high vis wandering around tube stations, which idn't seem any busier than usual.

Agree with Abs of Croissant.

I read a great article in the Sunday time last week. It has made me rethink my former attitude about the pope, which was less than favourable.
It made a good point that the Vatican is run my staffers who only get there by nepotism. So they only ever employ those who think like them. This has produced a generation of very hardliners who see the rest of the world as a big threat to their power and riches.
The pope was a reformer originally but was shocked by the 1960's and turned into a more traditionalist. He is supposed to be incredible intelligent and warm and has been traumatise by the whole peodophile priest scandals, all of which passed through his desk.
I do not like the way the Catholic Church runs itself. I despise the way my mum was treated in Ireland by the church.
I do not really like organised religion of any kind.
However, we should respect the office of the Pope regardless of our feeling towards the church he heads!

Pauline is obviously a genius

Oh yes there is a special VIP area at Heathrow run by a braying woman with spectaularly 80s hair and make up (remeber it from that fly on the wall series based at heathrow).

I am really enjoying the image of Pope, aides, cardinals etc all standing around the luggage carousel at Heathrow T2, wondering where their bags have got to...

"Have the baggage handlers nicked my thurible? Oh no, here it comes now,in with the pushchairs."

"Where's my monstrance? Bet it comes out last, my stuff always does."

AbsofCroissant, I think the reason you see a lot of aggressive atheism on here (and I am one of them) is that it's not as clear cut as 'you believe what you want, I'll believe what I want and we'll respect each other'.

In public life the church has a huge huge role in the UK - the proliferation of church schools of all kinds, the fact that the Queen is the head of the CofE, that bishops sit in the House of Lords, I could go on and on. It is completely integrated into our way of life and for people who don't believe in any kind of God, you can understand that it's quite galling to say the least. There are some crazy religious Americans out there but one thing they have got right in the US is the complete separation of church and state.

People who don't believe in any kind of God are also quite rightly annoyed to be seeing so much of taxpayers (ie: our) money spent on a visit from the head of a church, any church. Especially when that church has presided over some frankly horrifying shit and propounds views which are abhorrent to anyone who believes in human rights. I don't believe that I am a lesser person because I am a woman, nor do I believe that my gay colleague is a lesser person because of being gay. These equalities are enshrined in UK law but the Pope doesn't agree and yet we are funding him. Not to mention the vast wealth of the catholic church - surely he and his faithful hoards could pay for it themselves, in which case tbh the visit would be much more palatable.