How I hate the Vatican.6f02/1232993055-picture_13.jpg

With unusual speed, the Vatican has condemned Obama’s Jan. 23 repeal of the ban on U.S. funding for foreign family planning aid groups who offer abortion services…

The same day [the ban was repelled], the secular Milan daily Corriere della Sera published an interview with a top Vatican official lashing out at the new U.S. President. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told the newspaper that the repeal of the abortion-funding ban was done with “the arrogance of those who, having power, think they can decide between life and death.” Troubled by the swiftness of Obama’s pro-choice move, Fisichella brushed off earlier vows by the new president to try to cut the number of abortions, while ensuring a woman’s access to the procedure. “On ethical questions, you can’t play with words,” said the Italian Archbishop, considered close to Pope Benedict XVI. “Hiding behind sophisms isn’t worthy of he who has a responsibility towards citizens. People want clarity.” (See pictures of Pope Benedict XVI visiting America.)

How I hate witchdoctors.8ae1/1232993013-picture_12.jpg

Witchdoctors in Tanzania are defying a government ban announced on Friday, intended to stop the killings of people with albinism for ritual medicine.

A BBC correspondent has seen at least 10 witchdoctors are working openly.

It comes days after the latest murder of an albino man in Tanzania brought the national death toll to at least 40 since mid-2007.

The killers reportedly sell albino body parts – including limbs, hair, skin and genitals – to witchdoctors.

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said on Friday the government was revoking the licences of all traditional healers with immediate effect.

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...

10 replies on “The Original Haters”

  4. Good thing we don’t have a pope for president. Any US politician who follows that nutjob over the POTUS should not be a US politician.
    I remember hearing about the albino thing on the NPR station here. Scary.

  5. “…the arrogance of those who, having power, think they can decide between life and death.”

    Archbishop Rino Fisichella displays a wonderful mastery of irony. On a totally unrelated note, I wonder how many AIDS deaths a repeal of the Church’s condom ban could have prevented?

  6. The Pope is an ignorant asshole and he should keep his ugly lackeys out of U.S. internal affairs and business. Next up; stem cell research! Let the Pope eat shit!

  7. When I grow up I want to be…
    the witchdoctor pope!!!

    I wanted to be the Grand Vizier of Tonga but I hear they kinda sorta had one and he turned out to be an asshole so they probably won’t want another one. Even though I’d be way cooler.

  8. poor little popey boy. pontiffs used to have so much power. if there were to be some medical break through as a result of human stem cell research people lik ratzi would be the first in line to take advantage of it. I do doubt his sincerity on that issue and all others. dopey popey’s people lost all bllot issues on abortion last fall in the U.S. The global gag rule is gone and the vatican can do nothing bout it. Washington voters thumbed their noses at the catholic leaders and affirmed patients rights to make end of life decisions. This puts their noisy outburst about the gag rule in perspective.

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