Foreign Office Officials Mock the Pope

[Palisadoes]

Maybe English can apologize for all the kiddy-fiddlers they executed.

Fixed!

Go fuck yourself.

I'll have to - there's not many priests left!

[grumbler]

Maybe English can apologize for all the priests they executed.

The problem with that is that those passing the memos would have to be aware of such an event.  All they know is what's on the news.

Since the UK has apologized, there seems little reason for English to do so as well.

[garbon]

I read that the Church in Glasgow actually wants Susan Boyle to perform for the Pope.

[The Minsky Moment]

Silliness aside, the memo is indicative of a serious problem of the Church as an institution.

Just today, I read in the paper that the Vatican was backing some kind of ethical investment fund. The first thought that popped into my mind was: Hasbro, Disney, Mattel,  . . .

When JPII was Pope, whatever one thought about the Church , it was something that demanded to be taken seriously, and that sometimes played a significant role in world events.

Now it cannot avoid being victimized by the most dangerous enemy of any large institution: sustained mass ridicule.

[Sheilbh]

What do people mean by gotcha journalism?  Because this just looks like journalism to me.

[Martinus]

What do people mean by gotcha journalism?  Because this just looks like journalism to me.

I haven't heard the term before, but I assume it means journalism that focuses on juvenile and harmless missteps like this, rather than on issues and important events.

[Warspite]

What do people mean by gotcha journalism?  Because this just looks like journalism to me.

I haven't heard the term before, but I assume it means journalism that focuses on juvenile and harmless missteps like this, rather than on issues and important events.

I'd say the Foreign Office passing memos like this around other major government institutions including the executive is a pretty fucking big deal.

Then again, perhaps we just have higher expectations of our diplomatic corps?

[Sheilbh]

I haven't heard the term before, but I assume it means journalism that focuses on juvenile and harmless missteps like this, rather than on issues and important events.

I've only heard it from Palin.  I thought she meant aggressive questioning to get a 'gotcha' moment when the pol fucks up. 

It could mean over-the-top jingoism like the Sun 'GOTCHA!' headline.

Neither of those seem to be the case though.  Maybe you're right, in which case I don't think they're mutually exclusive.

[Fate]

I haven't heard the term before, but I assume it means journalism that focuses on juvenile and harmless missteps like this, rather than on issues and important events.

I've only heard it from Palin.  I thought she meant aggressive questioning to get a 'gotcha' moment when the pol fucks up. 

It could mean over-the-top jingoism like the Sun 'GOTCHA!' headline.

Neither of those seem to be the case though.  Maybe you're right, in which case I don't think they're mutually exclusive.

It's far easier to interpret it as "journalism I don't like."

[The Brain]

the Sun 'GOTCHA!' headline.

[alfred russel]

The Vatican should display its famous sense of humor and leak a memo making fun of the British.

[The Brain]

It's a bit strange that they did it. If you work in any large bureaucracy surely you learn that the number one rule is don't mock the pope.