On the pope in the UK

[sparkindarkness]

The pope is defiling our shores with his hateful presence and this makes Sparky not happy indeed.

I’m not the biggest fan of the Catholic church and certainly not of the current pope (nor, however, do I follow this fawning over the last pope either – he was also a grotesque bigot whose words, actions and policies left deep scars on the land) and I can certainly rant at length at how the millions of pounds we are spending to host this vile man is setting my teeth on edge.

But, yes, people have expressed their rage and contempt for the Pope – but I want to express my ire at something else that is repeatedly happening – the whittering over the ZOMG “DISRESPECT!”

For we are disrespecting the pope and this is a bad thing.  Bad bad naughty people. How very dare you!? Scantily clad gaydar angels? Yumm.. I mean SHOCKING! Homoerotic Catholic themed adverts and pregnant nuns? Take them down right now! How could you do something so tasteless! What has the pope done to earn such… oh… yeah.

Even as he came here he launched an attack on our Equality Laws, one of his aides referred to Britain as a “third world country” and now he has tried to equate atheism with Nazism – we still have people hyperventillating because he is not being respected enough

I ask this again – how much respect does this man deserve? After the ongoing (ye gods, Belgium estimates that the child molestation scandal there has touched almost every Catholic congregation in the country – AND the Pope is outrages… by the investigation) child molestation scandal, the repellent misogyny, the overdone almost to the point of comedy homophobia and transphobia and the, and I say it with no hint of hyperbole, genocidal attitude towards condoms in AIDS ravaged nations (and the rest of the world for that matter). How much respect is this man owed? Because I’m still of the ideas that not screaming obscenities in his face is showing him

In the past I – and certainly others, have referred to the Pope as “Pope Palpatine” and similar labels. I’m not going to do that in the future (though, you have to admit the resemblance is very very good). Not out of respect – but because it’s redundant. You don’t need to compare the Pope to an evil fictional character to demonise him. His own actions are so grossly inexcusable, so utterly wrong – so totally evil – that he demonises himself. His own name, his own self, his own actions is sufficient demonisation for any man – and there is little insult given in comparing him to another – his own actions are more than damnable enough.