Pope aide pulls out of trip after UK 'Third World' jibe

[4me2]

Pope aide pulls out of trip after UK 'Third World' jibe


The Vatican said the cardinal was pulling out of the visit solely on health grounds


One of the Pope's senior advisers has pulled out of the papal visit to Britain, after 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”
Clifford Langley The Tablet


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 criticised British Airways (BA), saying that when you wear a cross on the airline "you are discriminated against".
In 2006 a BA employee was told to stop wearing a cross at work. She took the case to an employment tribunal claiming religious discrimination, but lost, also losing her subsequent appeal.
BA changed its uniform rules in 2007, allowing staff to display a faith or charity symbol.
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.
Not all of the cardinal's comments in the interview were critical of the UK.
He also said: "Everyone who knows England knows that there is also a great Christian tradition there."


'Talking nonsense'

Cardinal Walter Kasper

Born in the German town of Heidenheim in 1933
Ordained as a priest in 1957
Has a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the University of Tubingen
Appointed Bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart in 1989
President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity from 2001 to 2010
Won an award in 2004 for his lifetime's work on improving relations between Jews and Catholics



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

[4me2]

Apparently he has other engagements like:

Children to abuse and fairy tales to pedal.

Actually Cardinal, the vast majority didn't want you or your paedophile clan here in the first place so maybe you can sell off some of your Nazi gold to finance the trip, instead of putting us socalled 3rd world in further debt..

[raelmadrid]

are there any planned protests does anyone know?

[Geko]

Third World because of our freedoms, multi Cultural population and intelligent debates on religion in which most side with Atheism.... I think we have different definitions, as I call that advanced.

[crazyal]

Totally agree with the above comments. Him not coming over is a win for us.
Atheism is good and teaches fact, not utter nonsense and religious hocus-pocus.

[TwoPlAnKs]

I honestly reckon the catholic church have put a protestant in charge of their PR. Every other minute they do something textbook stupid. I mean of all the days to slag off the UK. It's not like this guy or the church in general have a habit of it, their timing literally couldn't have been better.

[cyprus]

I think this Cardinal Cunt is just trying to raise his profile in ecclesiastical circles. Probably hoping to use his comments to fill the coffers so he can build his palace....remind you of anyone?

Spoiler:

[TwoPlAnKs]

are there any planned protests does anyone know?

Biggest in London on the 18th, there are others in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham and Plymouth over the next few days, planned to coincide with his visit to those places (if any)

http://www.protest-the-pope.org.uk/

This page has a run-down of lots of them if you scroll down the page.

FYI to the leaders of all three parties who he is meeting - if you tell him to fuck off you'll win the next election.

[burner1]

I'd rather live in a '3rd world' country than have to get rogered up my pert little arse by any of this lot. Maybe religion is another form of prison so they think it goes with the territory?

[SiE]

There is so much Atheism due to pricks like him.

[BBK]

Religion is for the simple minded who can be controlled. Clearly Britain is no longer a county of that nature, for which we should all be extremely grateful. If that makes us 3rd world and the vatican 1st world so be it, we dont rely on fairy tales and kiddie fiddling over here, and we're all the better for it.

[DJAd]

"feed um' to the pigs Harold"

[GTI]

Have to say I'm not a fan of the German Pope, he's not a patch on John Paul II. Either way I would hate to see his visit marred by protests and violence, its just not worth it.

[Nibb]

"feed um' to the pigs Harold"

Or Errol even!

[flik]

Have to say I'm not a fan of the German Pope, he's not a patch on John Paul II. Either way I would hate to see his visit marred by protests and violence, its just not worth it.

Didn't know he was German. Is he related to Sepp Blatter ?

[Thrush]

I agree with him, when I land in Heathrow I feel I've entered a 3rd world country.

Heathrow is a shithole of an airport.

[GTI]

Heathrow is a shithole of an airport.

Gatwick is the shitehole, if you're ever curious about Air Travel in the 70s.....

[Geko]

I agree with him, when I land in Heathrow I feel I've entered a 3rd world country.

Heathrow is a shithole of an airport.

Don't know when the last time you visited was.... Most has been refurbished now and it is far better than JFK.

[GTI]

Don't know when the last time you visited was.... Most has been refurbished now and it is far better than JFK.

I agree, Terminal 5 is a great place to kill a few hours and get some rather good nosh (read that how you will).

[mug]

I agree, Terminal 5 is a great place to kill a few hours and get a rather good noshing.

Stewardness was it ?