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The Pope's visit to Britain


paddy

Is the Pope's visit to Britain a good thing?  

122 members have voted

  1. 1. Is the Pope's visit to Britain a good thing?

    • Yes and I AM a Catholic
      15
    • Yes and I'm NOT a Catholic
      19
    • No and I AM a Catholic
      10
    • No and I am NOT a Caholic
      78


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Police have arrested a sixth man on terrorist charges over an alleged plan to assassinate the Pope.

Police earlier arrested five suspected Islamist terrorists, working as street cleaners in London, during raids at 5.45am at a rubbish depot in central London based on an intelligence tip off received overnight.

The suspects, aged 26, 27, 36, 40 and 50 were arrested by officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

They are said to be from a variety of nationalities including a number of Algerian origin.

The sixth man, aged 29, was arrested at 1.45pm at a house in north London. Police said they were searching eight homes in north and east London and two businesses in central London.

The depot where the street cleaners worked they worked is less than a mile from Hyde Park where the Pope was due to hold a prayer vigil tomorrow evening.

As street cleaners they would have been able to move relatively freely and inconspicuously through the London crowds.

Westminster City Council said the men worked for Veolia Environmental Services, a contractor which employs 650 on-street staff to keep Westminster's streets clean and free from rubbish.

The men have been taken to a central London police station where they will be interviewed by detectives.

Searches are being carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 at the rubbish depot and at residential premises in north and east London.

Sources said that initial searches had not uncovered any bomb-making or hazardous items.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made after they received “information” and added: “Following initial inquiries by detectives a decision was made to arrest the five men.”

Pope Benedict XVI’s security arrangements were reviewed following the arrests and Scotland Yard said “we are satisfied that our current policing plan remains appropriate. The itinerary has not changed.”

There was no change to the terrorism threat level which remains at “severe” meaning that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

The Pope continued with his engagements, unaffected by the developments.

The Pope has been informed of the arrests, Vatican spokesman Fr Lombardi said. He told reporters there was "no need to change anything about the programme with the Pope and the security for this trip".

"The Pope is calm and happy and we go on with this trip with courage and joy," he added.

"We are totally confident in the work of the police and Scotland Yard."

A multimillion-pound operation is in place to protect the Pope during his tour of Scotland, London and the West Midlands, with thousands of officers involved.

The pontiff is also protected by members of the Swiss Guard.

He often travels in the Popemobile, which has a bulletproof glass enclosure. The Vatican abandoned the use of an open-topped vehicle after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981.

A spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales said: "We have absolute confidence in the security operation to protect both the Pope and the public.

"The Pope is enjoying a wonderful visit, warmly welcomed wherever he goes."

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Assuming those blokes were planning something (which currently seems rather unlikely), surely the Pope should be mildly pissed off they were stopped. I mean, if anyone's off to the (snigger) Good Place, it's him, god's number one arse kisser and PR man?

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"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a 'reductive vision of the person and his destiny' "

Virtue?! **** virtue?! The leader of the biggest paedophile cult in the world wants to lecture people on virtue?!

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"As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a 'reductive vision of the person and his destiny' "

Virtue?! **** virtue?! The leader of the biggest paedophile cult in the world wants to lecture people on virtue?!

If I believed in hell I'd love to see him burn for eternity in it but I don't because its **** make believe designed to scare and control therefore I just wish him to endure some good old fashion earthly suffering the self sanctimonious, hypocritical prick.

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Sorry he didn't just fix it. He fixed it after he was dead. Some guy prayed to him (didn't know people prayed to cardinals but it seems they do) and then his back got better.

Can't beat indisputible proof like that.

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