Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Yep whilst not a catholic or really in any way religious I do find this pretty offensive and remarkably stupid.

I shudder to think what didn't make the list. Maybe arrange for him to perform an abortion? Or give him a tour of some red light districts?

Hopefully an ex-junior member of staff.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

I'm sorry but we had a giggle over this one :rofl::D

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

I would prefer it if the pope apologised for being a Nazi when he holds an address in this country.

I bet he still has his uniform.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Boredom is a terrible thing.....

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

The sort of banter that one could laugh at with mates over a pint but ffs.........:rolleyes:

... and we taxpayers are paying for such brainstorming sessions.:mad:

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Perhaps Prince Philip Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glucksburg could give him a few tips on how best to brush over such rather embarrassing histrionics?

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Herr Ratzinger (sp) was a member of the Hitler Youth (as where most German boys in the Nazi era). If I remember correctly he was also a Leutnant der Reserve in Das Heer, but I've no recollection of his being a member of the Nazi Party.... Perhaps someone can supply info that proves/disproves this ?

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Come on Derek lighten up,:) a few back-room boys having a laugh and a joke and they get caught out...would you "really" have taken offense if it wasn't Labour in power?
Also tell me there are never any amusing e-mails at the expense of senior officers in your station, I very much doubt it.;)

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Hitler Youth/Nazi Party where exactly is the defining line.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Why not do some research and find out instead of acting like a troll.

Following his 14th birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was conscripted into the Hitler Youth — as membership was required by law for all 14-year old German boys after December 1939[7] — but was an unenthusiastic member who refused to attend meetings.[8] His father was a enemy of Nazism, believing it conflicted with the Catholic faith. In 1941, one of Ratzinger's cousins, a 14-year-old boy with Down syndrome, was taken away by the Nazi regime and killed during the Aktion T4 campaign of Nazi eugenics.[9] In 1943, while still in seminary, he was drafted into the German anti-aircraft corps as Luftwaffenhelfer.[8] Ratzinger then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigours of military duty. As the Allied front drew closer to his post in 1945, he deserted back to his family's home in Traunstein after his unit had ceased to exist, just as American troops established their headquarters in the Ratzinger household.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedic...927.E2.80.9351

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

It wasn't a labour MP who came up with the list, it was a member of the foreign office who was getting paid (probably quite well) to come up with ideas for the popes visit and instead decides to extract the urine.

Well there aren't thanks to an extremely effective email filter. :erm:

I would expect this from private eye etc. and would probably laugh at it but not in a semi-serious document like this.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Not acting like troll in the slightest, as he does fit in with Catholicism with its beliefs and strict regime it probably made him feel right at home especially the bit where they get to treat people badly who fail to do as the church says.;)

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Funnily enough one of the other suggestions that he: "open an abortion clinic"

The news said he was moved on to other duties, presumably pending investigation and termination.

I'd guess it was a protest against the pope and the influence he has on others but there's a time and place, surely.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Yep. Considering the document also had some sensible suggestions makes me even more incredulous.

If it was an out and out ****take I could accept it as a bad joke but to have a 'blue sky thinking' session hijacked into a wannabe comedy writers roadshow at taxpayers expense astounds me.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

I'm just glad that the Pope's boss didn't over react. Releasing a bit of ash over Iceland might have incovenienced us but just think what s/he could have done.:shocked:

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Nothing, he doesn't exist. ;)

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

You were acting like a troll and despite being proved wrong you're now trying concoct a new scenario to try and fit your baseless allegation. The Pope has plenty of faults and can be called all sorts of things, being a Nazi isn't one of them.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Regardless of what you may think as far as I am concerned the pope is a Nazi and everything else is just a cover up and being a member of the catholic church is very apt.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

Civli Servants should know better with regards to who they send Spam such as this to, if unsure then they should not send it, simple job done and no possible red faces all round.

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

This wasn't a joke around the water cooler though, was it. It was an official memo. Civil servants are all now supposed to be aware that a FOI request could place anything they put in writing in the public domain. At the very least, this was an act of monumental stupidity by the person concerned and they need removing from any duties where their lack of judgement could cause any further embarrassment to HMG (whichever party happens to be running it at the time).

Re: Popes visit to the UK. The Foreign Office shows their respect.
 

A nice summing up on the BBC website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8645126.stm