We all know that the Pope refuses to use a condom, no matter how much you beg him. He's famous for it. On his African tour he has been speaking on the sex issue saying that "A Christian can never remain silent". Good job the Vatican's got thick walls then I suppose, don't want to keep the nuns awake any more than we have to.
Benedict XVI (pictured here dispensing sex tips) was greeted on the first leg of his tour by Cameroon's President Paul Biya who has been President for almost 27 years, surrounding himself with much the same people for his entire rule. But his aging government has not retained power through murder and torturing political opponents. That would be wrong, it's just their hobby.
However, Biya may be a murderous strongman but this doesn't stop him being a "staunch catholic" and having a hearty welcoming ceremony with the Pope on his arrival. Just because Cameroon is the second worst for journalists in Africa should not blind us to the fact that it clearly isn't the worst then! Hurray for democracy.
Although the Pope could have used the flight over to bone up on Amnesty International's reports on Cameroon he spent most the time telling journalists how many friends he has in the church (oh oh) and defending his decisions over bringing right wing screwballs back into the fold. Isn't the Church full of that sort already? Did the Church really need a top up?
Anyway, when Benedict XVI isn't rubbing shoulders with the local elites he's looking after the interests of the poor and the needy by telling them off for having sex with each other. After all, if he didn't do his best to prevent the AIDS epidemic what would he tell his grand kids? That he just flounced about in a dress all day? For shame.
The other good news is that because the Catholic Church does everything for the benefit of the poorest and most needy in the world they have decided to donate their huge fortunes to the efforts to do good works in the world. That's right - they are selling off the palaces, the huge tracts of land, the art works, emptying out the the Swiss bank accounts, the lot. Well, I expect they'll announce that anytime soon.
They'll get right on to that directly after they've finished with the sex tips. For example, one Vatican official said that in the Church "The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing". Maybe that way it feels like someone else is doing it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Does the Pope shit on the poor?
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3 comments:
They never cease to amaze me with their outlandish comments, like the claim the pill makes men infertile.
I laughed out loud at your claim they're selling off their wealth. They'll do that when the rich bear their fair share of economic crisis.
Killer last line, we need to get you on the Mark Thomas podcast.
Heard a little arguing over this on R4 this morning, but like all R4 arguments it was totally underwhelming. Super-Catholic claimed that Uganda proves abstinence plus lack of condoms reduces AIDS, and SA proves Condoms don't help AIDS. Catholic in favour of birth control claimed that first catholic was being disingenuous and cherry-picking. What are the facts?
I can conceive of m where a 'moral' line might work better than a 'condoms' line, but it doesn't seem very likely.
Warning: jumble of thoughts.
It's probably not an entirely fashionable view but I don't actually think the Catholic Church is responsible for all the probelsm of the world.
I think people often get this out of perspective - understandably because it makes them so angry to hear people being irresponsible.
Some of the facts are that only 17% of Africa's population are Catholics and I suspect a lot of them don't practice a strict adherence to the teachings of the Church.
Some of the worst hit countries in Africa actually have a lower still Catholic population.
BUT - that does not mean it has been responsible for the Catholic Church to preach against condoms - but more so it is their impact on social policy, particularly through the US that has been very damaging.
Something I happen to know a little about - many prostitutes in Africa say that clients refuse to use condoms "because they are Catholic" - so many of these people find the Church convenient to cite when wanting to forgoing safe sex, but ignore it when it calls for abstinence outside of marriage.
I guess that's what people are like!
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