Friday, 16 January 2015

Papal Punch & Judy

Insulted by some words?
"Resort to violence", says the Pope.

If I'd made up that headline, it would be mildly amusing but that is exactly what the Pope said yesterday in the Philippines. It is OK to throw the first punch if someone has offended you.
It is incredible isn't it?
I'll give you the full quote.
Translated from the rather sinister breathy Italian that he delivered it in.

"If my good friend Dr Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch. It's normal. You cannot insult people's faith"

In the middle of this, his left hand around the microphone, he mimes at full speed a punch with his free (and pretty tasty) right-hand in the direction of his "friend".
It is the punch of a man who has punched before.
It's as fast as it is cowardly.

It's graphic. It's dumb. It's insensitive. And it's pretty incredible.

That's the way a 78-year-old Argentinian who represents millions of people thinks it is OK to react and preaches about it. His election in view of Argentina's behaviour in the Falklands War (which killed 255 British servicemen) was a controversy which eventually died down.
But he was only elected less than two years ago. And he goes on camera after an international elevation in acts of terrorism by religious radicals, and says it's OK to resort to violence if the words hurt you enough.

It's hard to know what to say.
But if it was Judge Judy against the Pope. I know what the outcome would be.
She take him down to Chinatown.

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