The PenOpticon

I know I shouldn’t say anything bad about the Pope, although technically I’m half Catholic, so I suppose I have some small right to tear a strip off the old guy. In his defence, however, at least he has appologized. It’s a few days and a few riots too late, but speaking from the balcony of his summer palace, Pope Benedict finally distanced himself from the controversial text of Manuel II Paleologos.

Sure, he was making a valid point: that religious extremism always perverts the message it pretends to promote. What is truly distressing, however, is that the Pope felt the need to prove his point by quoting a 14th century text critiquing Islamic fundamentalism. He could just as easily have picked — oh I don’t know — the Spanish Inquisition (though no one would have expected that!). Or the Crusades. Or the genocides committed against the Incas and the Aztecs by “good” Catholic Conquistadors. Then there is the small matter of the global epidemic of pedophile priests — admittedly a different kind of extremism. See the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) for the latest in this heart-wrenching travesty.

Instead, the Infallible, Unflappable Pope made a little boo boo. But why? Was he deliberately turning a blind eye to the very rich history of Catholic extremism?  Or, as learned man, was he demonstrating scholarship by cadging an obscure example from a Byzantine emperor?  Whatever his reasons, it smacks of poor judgement.  Although some fundamentalist Islamic groups have already responded with violence, let us hope they quickly see that this is a Pope who simply needs to be ignored. Millions of westerners — including good Catholics — do this every day.

Of course the vast majority of Westerners also simply ignore the anti-western, anti-semetic ravings of people like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Few westerners would waste a perfectly good weekend rioting over anything he has to say. So today is a good day for all good Western Secularists and Islamic Fundamentalists to stay home, put your feet up and relax with a good book, or maybe take a nice long walk to see how the fall migration is coming along — just leaving now for the Leslie Street Spit!