Pope's advisor calls UK a third-world country, pulls out of visit

  Quote

One of the Pope's senior advisers has pulled out of the papal visit to Britain, after reportedly saying the UK is a "Third World country" marked by "a new and aggressive atheism".

Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, made the remarks in a German magazine interview.

 

The Vatican said the cardinal had not intended "any kind of slight", and was referring to the UK's multicultural society.

 

It added that he had simply pulled out of the Pope's visit due to illness.

 

They are saying it is ill health, but I wonder if that is the fact. I wonder if he has been dropped because he is an embarrassment”

 

The German-born cardinal was quoted as saying to the country's Focus magazine that "when you land at Heathrow you think at times you have landed in a Third World country".

 

He also was reported to have criticised British Airways, saying that when you wear a cross on the airline "you are discriminated against".

 

Vatican sources said Cardinal Kasper - 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.

 

The Pope is spending four days in Scotland and England, starting on Thursday.

 

The BBC's correspondent in Rome, David Willey, said the cardinal's reported comments were "a slightly clumsy thing to have done on the eve of the visit".

 

However, he added that he did not think it would have much effect on the Pope's trip to the UK.

 

Clifford Langley, from Catholic newspaper The Tablet, said the cardinal was "obviously talking nonsense".

 

"I don't think he believes Britain is in the grip of secular atheism, and he shouldn't have said so," said Mr Langley.

 

"They are saying it is ill health [that has forced the cardinal to drop out of the visit], but I wonder if that is the fact. I wonder if he has been dropped because he is an embarrassment."

 

British Airways said the cardinal had been "seriously misinformed" in his claims about the airline.

 

"It is completely untrue that we discriminate against Christians or members of any faith," it said in a statement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11317441

Fun Graph:

I'm surprised to Israel score so low.

Due to the Pope closing all of the bridges and walkway on the motorway here in Glasgow today, College was shut due to large amounts of staff suddenly being unable to make their commute to work realistically....

So I get extra time to recover from this hangover and listen to some tunes..... :D

It could simply be he has a strong sense of entitlement and being treated equally instead of privileged is more than he can bear.

The ironic thing is most third world countries are more religious.

cool, fuck off and dont come back innit

apparently they (the daily mail) blamed it on Stephen fry being an atheist

http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/09/16/dailymailhate/

  On 9/16/2010 at 3:11 PM, Gocab said:

I'm surprised to Israel score so low.

yes, the fact that this seems surprising is unsurprising.

FTP

the pope can suck my... no wait!

"Visit" is kind of a weird name for a 9 yr old - German?

i was trying to think of something along those lines but gave up and let you do it.

I couldnt get over the £25 ticket fee to listen to the masses, how very fucking christian. Popes a bawbag.

Heres another bawbag, but amuses me none the less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoCU6Clpkxk

the first 8 headlines are just like one punchline after another lol

What makes them think saying that it was because there were a bunch of scary dark people around is an adequate cover up?

hmm... so a lot of developed countries with 1000+ years of dealing with the church... I think I see a trend... go sweden!

  On 9/16/2010 at 3:11 PM, Gocab said:

I'm surprised to Israel score so low.

people most places in israel other than jerusalem don't give a fuck. esp in Tel Aviv. They're just israeli, they subscribe to enough bullshit already.

  On 9/16/2010 at 3:25 PM, karmakramer said:

The ironic thing is most third world countries are more religious.

why is that ironic?

don't mean to challenge, just curious as to your reasoning

Motherfuckers scatting all over Eggheads.

  On 9/16/2010 at 6:55 PM, doorjamb said:

  On 9/16/2010 at 3:25 PM, karmakramer said:

The ironic thing is most third world countries are more religious.

 

why is that ironic?

 

don't mean to challenge, just curious as to your reasoning

because the bishop was complaining about the uk looking like a third world country. so he was basically insulting his most devoted followers.

i see where you're coming from though, i think you might've misinterpreted the context of his comment. it does make sense that people in third world countries turn to religion, because of the harsh poverty they have to go through. at least religion gives them hope of a better afterlife.

thanks, yeah you're right I read it out of context

shouldnt GOD be popes adviser???

  On 9/16/2010 at 2:59 PM, karmakramer said:

lol

I'm glad the fuckwit didn't come over here. Keep all the religious fucking nonsense away from here.

Religion's the cause of everything that's every gone wrong in the world.

Including David Cameron becoming Prime Minister....... Fuck me our luck's gotta change at some point.

  On 9/16/2010 at 8:41 PM, spratters said:

Religion's the cause of everything that's every gone wrong in the world.

I love how any topic that might even kinda pertain to a religious subject eventually degenerates into this.

In any case, lol @ paying for a ticket to see the pope.

we ARE a third world country, i mean sometimes they can't get the fucking foam on my mochaccino foamy enough.

qed.

  On 9/16/2010 at 9:26 PM, loganfive said:

we ARE a third world country, i mean sometimes they can't get the fucking foam on my mochaccino foamy enough.

 

 

 

qed.

And only three bars on my mobile? Puh leeeeeeeeeeez.