Pope May Cancel Trip to UK Due to Anti-Catholic Government Memo

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: A recent British internal government memo indicates what many of us have known for a very long time. Elements within the British government still harbor deep anti-Catholic bigotry. That should be no big surprise to any of us. The English government has been anti-Catholic for nearly five centuries now, and the more things change the more they stay the same. Granted, the focus of British anti-Catholicism has changed a bit. Doctrinal issues on matters of faith once took center stage in the Anglo-Catholic divide. Now that has shifted to moral issues, particularly in the realm of sexuality, but one thing that has not changed is the bitter animosity. We Americans can thank our British ancestry for the rampant anti-Catholicism that has blighted our land. (Lord knows we didn't get it from the French or the Spanish.)

Now as the backlash to this anti-Catholic memo reaches the Vatican, there are hints the pope may cancel his trip to the UK all together. In all frankness I doubt this will happen. The pope is far more likely to ignore it and proceed with the trip anyway. However, I almost hope this doesn't get glossed over. I almost hope the Vatican uses this as a way to kill two birds with one stone. First, to spare the Holy Father the humiliation of having to get off the plane in England and immediately be greeted by rabid anti-papal protesters. Second, to teach the British government (through their own humiliation) that this kind of bigotry by government officials has got to stop. Come on folks, it's been five-hundred years now. Don't you think it's time to grow up?

Nevertheless this is what I think will happen. The pope will visit the UK. He will remain there for most of his planned four day visit. When he steps off the plane there will be the faint sound of protesters jeering in the distance, drowned by the overwhelming cheers of supporters nearby. Of course the media will focus on the protestors almost exclusively, as we would expect of such anti-Catholic gœbbels. In time however, as the protests continue in the distance, the media, the government, and especially the queen, will be shocked to see the overwhelming numbers that will come to see him, cheer him on, and chant his nickname "B16! B16! B16!". It will be quite the phenomenon you see, and when he leaves the so-called elites of the British isles will be left scratching their heads and wondering what just happened.

Followup 4/26/2010....
Vatican announces pope will visit UK in spite of bigoted memo.