I am not uncritical of the Pope, or of the Vatican, and in my urbi et orbi message on the Feast of All Fools suggested they smother the old boy.
However I have been increasingly supportive of his visit to the UK, in part because of the flood of feminists and lefties complaining that he doesn't approve of abortion or women priests, just like all his predecessors (He's the Pope, for God's sake). I don't see why we should only invite people to this country that we agree with, or rather that the bien pensant army of right-on lefties agrees with.
Two little snippets of information caught my fancy: The ANSA news agency says that British bookies are taking bets on the possibility of the Popemobile having a puncture or being involved in an accident (currently 26-1 and 67-1). I don't know: it's a Mercedes, not a 1956 FIAT 500. I hope these odds aren't based on inside knowledge: this is a spiritual visit, not a Pakistani cricket match.
The second, reported in the Telegraph, is that at 2pm on the day of the Holy Father's visit, all the bars in the Palace of Westminster will be closed. Why? They don't close for the State Opening, attended by the only other person in Europe who is Head of State and Head of a Church. Are they worried the old boy will join the line for the early evening G & T and stay a bit too long?
That must be it.
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