Pope will face questions from UK ministers
UK ministers are expected to raise the Vatican’s opposition to the use of condoms for the prevention of HIV Aids during talks this week, as the UK prepares to welcome Pope Benedict VXI for a four-day visit this Thursday.
The Pope will meet both Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg next weekend, as a visiting head of State. The UK Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Campbell, told Scotland on Sunday that the question of condom use in fighting HIV Aids is an area of “fundamental disagreement” and is likely to be discussed.
However, ministers are keen to avoid any diplomatic row between the UK and the Vatican during the visit, which takes place amid a backdrop of expected protests, and will raise any matter of controversy “respectfully”.
http://news.scotsman.com/news/Pope-faces-questions-on-Aids.6526826.jp
The British Humanist Association as part of the Protest the Pope campaign is asking members and supporters to write to their MPs encouraging them to pass questions and concerns about the Pope’s state visit and the policies of the “Holy See” on to party leaders.
Raise maters of controversy “respectfully”?! How does on “respectfully” point out the fact that the Catholic Church’s stance on condoms is killing people…that their position on artificial birth control is condemning millions to poverty? In the real world, this disdain for people’s rights to have their health and life protected would result in a charge of corporate negligence towards the company’s directors.
If I were Nick Clegg, I would take the opportunity to ask the Pope – respectfully of course – if he really believes there is such a thing as a god, or is he simply content to go along with the idea, as it has given him such a cushy job with lots of trappings (I wouldn’t mention the downside of the funny clothes, though).
Then, if he were able to convince me that, yes, he really really does believe there is a god, I would have to ask him – respectfully of course – if he doesn’t realise how arrogant it seems. to set oneself up as the representative of that god, here on Earth, where he is just one member of a species of ape known as Homo Sapiens, which is but one of countless species of apes, which in turn represent but a fraction of the billions of species of life existing here on our tiny tiny speck of a planet.
Oh, yes, nearly forgot, your “holiness”: with respect, what about the condoms issue?