Damn, I wish I'd been at *this* xmas eve mass...

[Scrapheap]

French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, was standing a few metres away and fell and broke his hip during the incident.

What's so funny about someone getting hurt?

When it's someone in an orginization that, as a whole, has been a force of evil in this world, then it's a good thing and worth laughing at.

The Catholic church is currently killing millions of people in Africa by telling them to not use condoms and thus spreading Aids even more.

['andersom']

I'm not a catholic. But I do see things happening in the catholic church. Here in the Netherlands we had the Dutch catholics. Catholic, but not believing in the pope, or the hierarchic structure. Guess the spirit of JP (I) lasted long here.

Under JP II the church tightened the grip on the church. All kinds of liberties were taken from the believers. There were huge actions against JP II here when he visited the Netherlands in May 1985. And it started a movement against the oppressive hierarchy that lasted for years. One of the main slogans of the critical thinkers was "They won't get us out of the church" But, the movement slowly died, people getting old, and others leaving the church. And also because from higher up all critical studies in RC faculties were cut down, I think. Before JP II, they were there. And they were good.

Benedict will not be the one to give anything of the freedoms back. Result is churches are more empty than ever here. All the communions that had their own celebrations, and own thoughts are being restricted more and more. So, the active members lose what they have, and leave. Leaving only a few people there.

But, not being fond of JP II or Benedict at all, I don't think running them over is funny.

[El]

I'm not a catholic. But I do see things happening in the catholic church. Here in the Netherlands we had the Dutch catholics. Catholic, but not believing in the pope, or the hierarchic structure. Guess the spirit of JP (I) lasted long here.

Under JP II the church tightened the grip on the church. All kinds of liberties were taken from the believers. There were huge actions against JP II here when he visited the Netherlands in May 1985. And it started a movement against the oppressive hierarchy that lasted for years. One of the main slogans of the critical thinkers was "They won't get us out of the church" But, the movement slowly died, people getting old, and others leaving the church. And also because from higher up all critical studies in RC faculties were cut down, I think. Before JP II, they were there. And they were good.

Benedict will not be the one to give anything of the freedoms back. Result is churches are more empty than ever here. All the communions that had their own celebrations, and own thoughts are being restricted more and more. So, the active members lose what they have, and leave. Leaving only a few people there.

But, not being fond of JP II or Benedict at all, I don't think running them over is funny.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the church" and "the church" (you seem to mean two different things), or what RC faculties are.  I find this interesting- I don't think JP II had at all the same effect in the US (thuoght I could be wrong)- but am not sure of the lingo you're using.

[El]

I don't think old people getting assaulted is funny in general, but I'm not gonna let the fact that some other guy got bashed in the process ruin such a beautiful moment

Maybe she will do better next year eh - third time lucky?

'at's sort of how I feel.  Wrong or not, my schaudenfreude isn't going anywhere.

['andersom']

I'm not a catholic. But I do see things happening in the catholic church. Here in the Netherlands we had the Dutch catholics. Catholic, but not believing in the pope, or the hierarchic structure. Guess the spirit of JP (I) lasted long here.

Under JP II the church tightened the grip on the church. All kinds of liberties were taken from the believers. There were huge actions against JP II here when he visited the Netherlands in May 1985. And it started a movement against the oppressive hierarchy that lasted for years. One of the main slogans of the critical thinkers was "They won't get us out of the church" But, the movement slowly died, people getting old, and others leaving the church. And also because from higher up all critical studies in RC faculties were cut down, I think. Before JP II, they were there. And they were good.

Benedict will not be the one to give anything of the freedoms back. Result is churches are more empty than ever here. All the communions that had their own celebrations, and own thoughts are being restricted more and more. So, the active members lose what they have, and leave. Leaving only a few people there.

But, not being fond of JP II or Benedict at all, I don't think running them over is funny.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the church" and "the church" (you seem to mean two different things), or what RC faculties are.  I find this interesting- I don't think JP II had at all the same effect in the US (thuoght I could be wrong)- but am not sure of the lingo you're using.

I was using 'the church' for RC congregations. Dutch RC congregations were very liberal before JP II started. Including guests in the sharing of bread and wine. Including them in services. Lots of lay services. And lots of conjoined celebrations with other churches. RC faculties; we have Roman Catholic Universities here. And they have theological faculties. 20 years ago, feminist theology, ecumenical thinking, ethical critical ponderings about Rome were no problem at these faculties. Now all that has been stripped from the curriculum. Rome tries hard to get it's grip on the believers back. Meaning that the vibrant members are leaving now. And local communities are smaller than they have ever been.

[El]

I was using 'the church' for RC congregations. Dutch RC congregations were very liberal before JP II started. Including guests in the sharing of bread and wine. Including them in services. Lots of lay services. And lots of conjoined celebrations with other churches. RC faculties; we have Roman Catholic Universities here. And they have theological faculties. 20 years ago, feminist theology, ecumenical thinking, ethical critical ponderings about Rome were no problem at these faculties. Now all that has been stripped from the curriculum. Rome tries hard to get it's grip on the believers back. Meaning that the vibrant members are leaving now. And local communities are smaller than they have ever been.

Damn, I wish that had spread into the church instead of the church squelching it.

[Blasted]

You all have absolutely no sense of humour 

The Pope falling over is clearly the highlight of 2009.

[Adam]

Hallelujah!

[Lemon Aguilera]

the most pretentious man on earth. it's funny when he gets knocked over. i mean come on, who wouldn't wanna kick the pope?

[Adam]

Some people just have no sense of humour...

[Lemon Aguilera]

it made him more down to earth anyway.

[SleepyDragon]

I still don't hold with crash-tackling of public figures going about their business. Airborne dessert actions, however, might occasionally be appropriate.

From The Action Mill blog:

... Noel Godin, acting under the pseudonym "Georges Le Gloupier," is most famous for pieing Bill Gates. And such flair! Godin's gang for the Gates operation numbered no less than thirty, and only the finest pies (bought from local bakeries) were used. This was well-organized anarchy with a carefully chosen target. And while it is true that Godin and friends have been known to issue press releases, they are superfluous – we all know why someone threw a pie at Bill Gates; it's because we would have thrown one if we'd had the chance. 

Godin (and others like him who are true to the essential nature of pieing) is making a statement about the absurdity of authority in an age when our nightly news anchors report on the First Lady's exposed arms with a straight face. As Godin told The Observer Magazine, describing an operation targeting frequent pie-recipient Bernard-Henri Levy:

"They pick up their boarding cards, as you can see," said Godin, who has clearly watched this shaky footage hundreds of times but, like a footballer reviewing the goal of his career, seems unlikely to tire of it - "then three entarteurs fall on them, with me leading the charge. They shout: "Oh no. Oh not again." I deliver my cake, and he responds with punches. One of my young female comrades flans him again, point blank, while a second woman crushes a layered chocolate gateau topped with creme chantilly over the head of Arielle Dombasle. It was at that point", he added, "that things got out of hand."

What, only then?

[Callaway]

The pope met with and forgave the woman, Susanna Maiolo, who knocked him down and he went to the hospital to see the cardinal whose hip was broken and required surgery.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122519400&ft=1&f=1001

Pope Benedict XVI met on Wednesday with the woman who knocked him over at St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass, and he forgave her, the Vatican said.

Susanna Maiolo, a 25-year-old with a history of psychiatric problems, and her family met in a private audience with the pope at the end of his general audience, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.

Maiolo told the pontiff she was sorry for what had happened, while Benedict inquired about her health and "wanted to demonstrate his forgiveness," Lombardi said in a statement...

A retired Vatican diplomat, French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, fractured his hip in the commotion and had to undergo surgery. Benedict visited Etchegaray in the hospital last week...

[Alex179]

The Pope should not exist.   Catholics are dumb as fuck.

[Adam]

bump