Between Cameron and the Pope

10 July 2010

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With preparations for the Pope’s visit to Britain in disarray, the government called in Lord Patten to smooth things out. He tells Damian Thompson why he is up to the task

What the government can’t do, however, is insure against other things going wrong: a PR disaster, for example, caused by a Catholic paedophile scandal that has been saved up by the media for Benedict’s arrival. What will Lord Patten do then?

He responds with the broad, cold smile with which he greets most questions. ‘There’ll also be a problem if Westminster Cathedral collapses. If I could just make this point: I’ve always found that the jobs I’ve done in politics were difficult enough without imagining even more difficult questions than the one I have to answer.’

But the Westminster Cathedral analogy is preposterous, and if Lord Patten hasn’t imagined a paedophile storm breaking over the visit, then he should have. So I press him on it. He starts to say that ‘most abuse of children takes place within families’ but then quickly backs away from that line of argument. ‘Sexual attacks on children [by clergy] are like attacks on Jesus. The way that some priests and bishops dealt with them was indefensible. This is not only a time, as Vincent Nichols and the English bishops have said, for repentance, but also for ensuring full transparency in England and greater dialogue within the Church and between the Church and others.’

True, but various newspapers have tried to suggest that Benedict XVI covered up abuse. Presumably, like me, he regards those claims as unfounded. ‘As far as I know they are unfounded,’ he says. ‘And I’m struck by the fact that somebody like Timothy Radcliffe has been so assertive in defending the Pope after disagreeing with him so vehemently when he was head of the Dominicans.’

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jamesjones950

July 15th, 2010 6:55pm Report this comment

A total disgrace. "State" visit? What State? The Vatican was named a State by Mussolini. Am I right in saying that the UN does not regard it as such, witness the fact that it enjoys Observer status only? Is it not simply the HQ of the Catholic church, a small enclave within the city of Rome? Does any other religious HQ enjoy the farcical title of "State"? We know the answer to that one. And what was that nonsense about Chris Patten respecting Ratzinger's intellect? So worrying, coming from a member of our Government, in the face of the statistical truth that the higher your IQ, the more likely you are to be an atheist. And from what I've seen of Ratzinger's unbelievably bigoted views (homophobia, condom-phobia, sexism, fanatical antagonism to secularists) I don't rate his IQ very highly.
Spare us from being governed by people who still cling to medieval beliefs, and allow those beliefs to influence their politics.

jamesjones950

July 15th, 2010 7:08pm Report this comment

Sorry, forgot to ask: Why oh why do we have an Ambassador to the Vatican? With a residence, to boot!
How much does this cost?....and more to the point, what precisely does he do all day (apart from a high degree of forelock-tugging)?
The only light on this particular horizon is that Ann Widdecombe may be appointed to the post. At least it would get her out of this country for a while.

Frankie

August 16th, 2010 12:57pm Report this comment

It's a pity if the Pope's visit is hijacked by any interest group or issue (whether self-inflicted or not). I pray that millions of ordinary Catholics find that their deeply-held, rational and spiritual beliefs are strengthened by his example. God bless the Pope, and god bless the Queen.

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