Should the Pope be given the honour of a UK state visit?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.c...k-state-visit-protest

So /// Stephen Fry, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman and Richard Dawkins are among more than 50 public figures who have signed a letter to the Guardian arguing that the pope should not be given the "honour" of a UK state visit.///

Roman Catholic, Religious or not,

Why should the Pope not be given the honour of a UK state visit, just because of the Vatican's record on 'gay rights', 'abortion' and 'birth control'?

Would they also criticise other religions on their various records of their faith?

[mike11111]

"We are not talking about some ethnic groups..."

Methinks that your post (infra) somewhat belies the above statement.

"History shows that you must never put one of the teutonic race in charge of anything..."

[zita-green]

I have nothing against Catholics; I was one myself. I am against a pope who will not address the abuse

[Prudentia]

clearly pope benedict prefers to at best turn a blind eye to paedophiles, at worst to condone them, anyone feel like defending the indefensible, saddo's form a cue! He casts shame on the catholic faith. Prudentia.

[Thomas]

Bet the Muslims are lapping it up. It lets them off the hook for a while!

[zita-green]

Thomas, that's a bit insensitive. Abuse takes place in any closed system: children's home, prison, residential school, religion etc because there's an imbalance of power and a lack of accountability. Remember the outcry over the play 'Outrage'? The demonstrations against it was not because a rape had taken place but that it had had taken place in a Sikh temple. Rape's ok but not in a temple; it's the same mindset. The bloke on Channel 4 news tonight shows that the catholic Church STILL doesn't get it.

[anneasquith]

GROMIT,, " afew million bog trotters ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,maybe you would like to elaborate on that statement.

[zita-green]

Watch the film 'The Madeline Sisters' for an inkling of what the nuns did to thousands of us, not just in ireland; they exported their 'faith' to England, too.

[anneasquith]

madeline ?

[123everton]

We gave Ceaucescu one, he sat next to the Queen in her carriage and everything, the Pope's not as bad as him, surely?

[zita-green]

Magdalene. Does my spelling matter?

[anneasquith]

with reference to a film that some people may want to watch, yes i think it does,zita

[zita-green]

The spelling's not important (if you google it) the film is.

[anneasquith]

o k zita. youve made your point.

[ummmm]

'sigh'

[Backdrifter]

@R1Geezer - "the whole Catholic church is a disgrace." - I don't suppose you'd elaborate on that dizzyingly sweeping statement?

@B00 - "sausage jockeys"?

@sp1814 thanks for posting the Madonna video which, although really stupid ("So you see, he didn't do it!"), is great viewing as she has rarely looked better than that.

ummmm I think I'm with you on that last post above.

[Gromit]

@anneasquith

6 million UK residents have a Irish grandparent, while 800,000 people living in the UK were born in Ireland.

It is those few million who will be flocking to see the geriatric in a dress.

[mike11111]

I think that to equate catholicism with Irishness is rather naughty. Many noble families of England, including the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal and England's premier peer, have retained their RC faith whilst still professing their loyalty to the Hanoverian succession. My maternal grandfather was Irish (d. 1917 before insulin was discovered). Apparently this makes me 25% Irish and thus qualified for an Irish passport. (Might come in useful some time if I need to flee the country in a hurry).

[Gromit]

6 million is also the number of people in the UK who are Catholics.

That does not prove that they are the same 6 million who come from Irish familes, but my guess is the majority of them will be.