Pope, homosexuality, pedophilia, hypocrisy

The Pope is widely reported as saying that the stamping out of homosexuality is more important than stamping out of illegal logging. Something to that effect; the Vatican website has not yet got it together to put his speech up, so I am having to go on hearsay. And I hear nobody on Radio 4 or read in the Guardian the obvious rejoinder to be made - stamping out pedophilia in the RC clergy should be the Pope's No. 1 priority, because pedophilia wrecks lives, and is incomparably worse than consensual physical affection between homosexual adults. Incomparably worse.

What does the Bible say?
For the congregation of hypocrites [shall be] desolate , and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. (Job)
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men : for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

And so on and so forth. 20 references in the King James Version, all against hypocrisy. No texts in favour of hypocrisy. Compare this to 7 texts which can be construed as anti-gay. Of which 3 are in the old testament, and the practice is tabu, terribile dictu along with mixed fibres in clothing, mixed lawn seed, shrimps, and pork.

Here's one I made earlier:



Lines on the Death of John Paul II


"No Popery!" Ian Paisley cried,
and now that John Paul II has died,
there is no Pope,
so can we hope
for Orangemen with peace inside?

Nope.
They just can't cope
without a Pope.
The Papists want a Papacy,
and Paisley needs an enemy.
Without a Pope
they'd all just . . . mope.

It really makes you think:
what if it pushed them off the brink ?
what if it made them turn to drink
or even . . . turn to dope?

Might be a blessing in disguise.
Imagine if the smokes that rise
above the Convocation
(as they all grope
for a new pope)
should symbolise a wider scope
for toleration?

What if the newly chosen Pope,
red-eyed, and reading Rattigan
loped lazily around the Vatican
flashing the peace sign,
Oh wow. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Fine.

But that could be a slippery slope
No-one would want a hippy Pope.

We should not hope
for a doped pope;

But could we simply go for one
that has a well developed sense of fun?
(Maybe when Ratzinger’s gone?)


(c) Richard Lawson
7.4.05