Sim-O

An interesting use of words from the Express…

ISLAMIC terrorists disguised as street cleaners allegedly hatched an audacious plot to blow up the Pope.

(screenshot)

Six men have been arrested in relation to a plot to assassinate the Pope. Allegedly. The Express from the first line of the above article acknowledges that they might not have been planning to help the pope meet his boss, but in the wording used the Express is saying for definate that these guys are Islamist terrorists.

The Express is saying these six guys *are* terrorists but may *not* have been plotting to kill the pope.

That’s quite an interesting assertion when the information that prompted the arrests was…

…not the result of intercepts or undercover work, but was, sources said, more akin to an overheard conversation that could be interpreted as posing a threat.

So the source of the intelligence that got the ball rolling was unlikely, in my opinion, to have heard what organisation, if any, these six suspects belong to. Details of a plan maybe, but not the parent organisation.

Anyway, if these guys, from North Africa, are not terrorists, then Immigration are bound to get them…

An investigation is also under way to determine if the foreign nationals had entered Britain legally and were entitled to work here.

Curiously enough, that line only appears in the Express as well.

18/12/2010 22:20 Update.

BBC…

A senior Papal adviser has pulled out of the Pope’s UK visit after saying arriving at Heathrow airport was like landing in a “Third World” country.

Cardinal Walter Kasper reportedly told a German magazine the UK was marked by “a new and aggressive atheism”.

Oh, cheers. Thanks for that.

Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction? Being here in the UK is like being in a third world country and yet we are in the grip of Teh Eeeeviiiil Godless Ones? The impression I got, and as you know I’m not really one for sniffing out stats, so correct me (with links) if I’m wrong, was that third world countries were quite religious.

The Vatican said the cardinal had not intended “any kind of slight” and had simply pulled out due to illness.

So it was a fucking compliment, then? In what way, ever, has being like a third world country not been a compliment? You can’t even think of one way can you?

He also criticised British Airways (BA), saying that when you wear a cross on the airline “you are discriminated against”.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! What a fucking old cunt. Has he travelled with BA? He probably has. Did he get discriminated against? I’d bet my right testicle he didn’t. Has any one who’s travelled by BA whilst wearing a cross been refused service or stopped from using the toilet or been denied anything at all? Get to fuck have they.

If this deluded dipshit is referring to that woman that wanted to wear a cross but was told not to because it was against BAs’ uniform policy. Well, it’s not like wearing a cross is one of the central tenets of christianity like say, a Sikhs’ turban.

Vatican sources said Cardinal Kasper [for it is he…] – who stepped down in July as the head of the department that deals with other Christian denominations – was suffering from gout and had been advised by his doctors not to travel to the UK.

That’s fucking handy, isn’t it? The cardinal calls the country he about to visit a bunch of cunts and suddenly he’s had an attack of gout and can’t go. Obviously I don’t know if the cardinal really has gout, or has been advised by his doctor not to travel, but what is it from Rome to London? 3 hours? 4? Hardly a long haul flight.

A bit of a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?

The more I hear Tim Minchin, the more I like him.

via PDF

The pope has written a letter in response to all this business about child abuse by Irish Catholic churchmen.

It starts off by waffling on about how Irish Catholics have had a hard time over the centuries but there have been some outstanding chaps in that period too.

He continuous with bits aimed at the people who were abused themselves, their parents, bishops, Catholics in general and the vicars, or whatever they’re called, who did the abusing. All pretty obvious stuff with suitable a apology/condemnation/words of support in the right places.

Then, Gods elected right hand man says…

I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation.

So what does he suggest? Shopping his pervy colleagues? Changes in the procedures to be followed when a priest is accused of or found to be fucking with the kids in their care?

At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness of God’s own truth, for it is the truth that sets us free (cf. Jn 8:32).

No. More fucking prayer. More places and opportunities for prayer and worship. Whoopie-fucking-do. More of the same.

Oh, and more talking…

I also propose that a nationwide Mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious. It is my hope that, by drawing on the expertise of experienced preachers and retreat-givers from Ireland and from elsewhere, and by exploring anew the conciliar documents, the liturgical rites of ordination and profession, and recent pontifical teaching, you will come to a more profound appreciation of your respective vocations, so as to rediscover the roots of your faith in Jesus Christ and to drink deeply from the springs of living water that he offers you through his Church.

That’ll do the fucking job, won’t it? Give your priests a “more profound appreciation of [their] respective vocations” because that is exactly what the cunts that abused, not only, their position in the Catholic church was missing. If only those priests truly knew what sort responsibility they held and where it came from then they wouldn’t have fucked up so many lives.

After the pope has attacked the Equality Bill ahead of his coming visit there then comes this…

Harriet Harman has backed away from a confrontation with religious leaders over who they can employ, making clear that she will not force contentious amendments to the Equality Bill through Parliament.

Those contentious issues are the re-wording, an amendment, of the Equality Bill to make it clear that exemptions from the bill applied only to religious posts within an organisation. Which is fair enough. It would be like appointing an interpreter that couldn’t speak the lingo.

But this exemption is not enough for the God Squad.

What gives them the right to discriminate? What is the difference between discriminating on the grounds of religious belief and discriminating against someone on racial grounds?

Nothing at all. They’re both beliefs, both are grounded in fantasy. It’s just that one is more acceptable than the other… apparently.

h/t chrisplol

I’m not so sure the Pope is all too worried about the fornicators, homosexuals and unfortunates that have caught AIDS or are at risk of catching AIDS and is more worried about incurring the wrath of his boss, because as we all know…

Hopefully the vid works and is what I think it is. I can’t actually see myself from my work pc. If it doesn’t, I’ll sort it later.