The Foreign Office Sniggers

You’ve seen news about the British Foreign Office memo , which suggested events for the pope, on his visit to England—including opening an abortion clinic and apologizing for the Spanish Armada.

The New Statesman points out

People think it is a joke. That is to say, it was written as a joke. This is unsurprising, given the range of suggestions . . . . In fact, I am reliably told by a senior Whitehall source: “This was not written as a joke. It was meant to be a serious brainstorming by various people designed for a meeting. I know it is hard to believe but it is serious.” In which case, the memo says more about the mind-set of what one official calls an “aggressive secular fundamentalism” that is entrenched in the Foreign Office, than it does about the Papal visit which, for all the Vatican’s faults, remains a good thing.

Hard to disagree with the conclusion: “childish and frankly idiotic provocations of some sniggering officials with too much time on their hands is an embarrassment to Britain.”

The Foreign Office has now apologized .