The Spirit of Henry VIII Lives in the British Foreign Office

I know Damian Thompson's question is rhetorical. Most of us would answer that we would expect exactly what was found in that memo. It captures perfectly the mindset of not only the Foreign Office, but a lot of people on both sides of the pond towards the Pope & the Catholic Church.

& do I think the apology is really sincere? NO I do not. Despite what the Foreign Office spokesman said: “This is clearly a foolish document that does not in any way reflect UK Government or Foreign Office policy or views." , it does reflect them. Clearly, as Thompson points out, the culture is there that would allow a memo like this to be created in the 1st place. The only "serious error of judgement" was not being more careful that this wouldn't get out.

“The Foreign Office very much regrets this incident and is deeply sorry for the offence which it has caused." The Foreign Office only really regrets getting caught.

Back in 1967's version of Casino Royale there was a joke* that was based on the fact that the initials for the Foreign Office, FO, stood for something else in British slang, (F*#% Off! for those few of you who are innicent to not get it). & that is exactly what the FO has told Papa Benedetto & the Catholic Church, "As far as we are concerned, you can FO!"

The Foreign Office's sick attack on the Pope: what did you expect?
By Damian Thompson

Pope: insulted by Foreign Office (Photo: PA)

A magnificent scoop from my colleague Jonathan Wynne-Jones, who reveals in The Sunday Telegraph that Foreign Office proposals for the Pope’s visit to Britain included suggestions that he should bless a gay marriage, launch papal-branded condoms and open an abortion clinic.
David Miliband has apologised; the Catholic hierarchy is furious, accusing the FO of “disrespecting” the Pope. (Yup, Malcolm McMahon, the bishop in charge of education, used “disrespect” as a verb.) My reaction is to say to the Bishops of England and Wales:
NOW do you finally understand what sort of snide, cheap and ignorant prejudice has flourished under this Government and its civil servants – wall-to-wall secularists for whom the Roman Catholic Church is at best an antiquated irrelevance and at worst a sick joke? And has it occurred to you that this document was probably being drawn up just as your own bureaucrats at Eccleston Square were turning a blind eye to the Magisterium so they could “work with” Ed Balls?
Oh, sure, the Foreign Office says: “This is clearly a foolish document that does not in any way reflect UK Government or Foreign Office policy or views” – and, of course, most of these proposals wouldn’t have seen the light of day.
But reflect the attitudes of Brown’s government and its politically correct employees is precisely what the document does.

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* Basicly the joke is this. The Taxi driver who took Mata Bond from the MI5 offices in London to the the Mata Hari Dance & Spy School in East Berlin later comes in to rescue her during a fight. He identifies himself saying his name & FO. Mata gives him a dirty look so he clarifies by saying "Foreign Office". Apparently these days the 2 meanings ARE synonymous.