Today's Sermon: 'Contempt Of The Pope' Is A Crime

What year is this? Silly me, I thought it was 2008.


Kinda difficult to imagine that "contempt of the pope" is still a crime in Italy.

Punishable by up to 5 years in prison, no less.

Think I'm kidding?

Comedian who satirised Pope could face prosecution

Italian politicians of right and left, comedians and even some priests yesterday deplored a move by prosecutors in Rome to put a satirist on trial for contempt of the Pope.

Sabina Guzzanti, known for her take-offs of the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, risks being jailed for up to five years. The prosecutors recommended to the justice ministry that she be indicted because of a speech she made to a leftwing rally in July.

Referring to the attitude to gay people of the Catholic church and Pope Benedict - the former cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - Guzzanti said: "In 20 years Ratzinger will be dead and will end up in hell, tormented by queer demons - not passive ones, but very active ones."

The 1929 Lateran treaty that created the Vatican city state describes the Pope as a "sacred and inviolable person". It makes insulting him an offence in Italy on a par with contempt for Italy's president, punishable by between one and five years in jail. Indictment, however, requires an endorsement from the justice minister.

Not at all difficult to imagine, though: The Vatican has no problem whatsoever covering up kidnapping, murder, and major Vatican banking fraud (complete with Louis Vuitton bags of cash delivered to an Archbishop).

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today and make no jokes about the pope, but feel free to commit all kinds of heinous crimes condoned by his high... um holiness.

Not really. Don't commit any crimes in the name of the holy father!

I mean it, damn it!




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:






Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.

Here's Donna now...



"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.