The Times again

I would like to ask the Gentle Reader not to support the newspaper called The Times even so far as to wipe his bottom with it.

This vicious anti-Catholic rag, which I urge the Gentle Reader neither to buy, nor, unless he has to, to read - and then, if possible, to borrow it so that he need not buy it -, has published a story, apparently, about the Archbishop of Westminster, accusing him of harbouring a paedophile. I have not read this story; if the Gentle Reader must read it, it was published on the front page of that thing on Saturday.

The Archbishop of Westminster, I am glad to say, is considering legal action against the paper - for defamation.

I am fed up with this newspaper. These words are taken from the bull of Pope Leo X of the 15th of June 1520 "Condemning the errors of Martin Luther:

Moreover, because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the books or writings of Martin Luther, we likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin, whether in Latin or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them; and we wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected. We forbid each and every one of the faithful of either sex, in virtue of holy obedience and under the above penalties to be incurred automatically, to read, assert, preach, praise, print, publish, or defend them. They will incur these penalties if they presume to uphold them in any way, personally or through another or others, directly or indirectly, tacitly or explicitly, publicly or occultly, either in their own homes or in other public or private places.

If I were Pope, I would say this:

Moreover, because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the said newspaper, "The Times," We likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely all the writings of the said "Times", whether in English or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them and We wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected. We forbid each and every one of the faithful of either sex, in virtue of holy obedience and under the above penalties to be incurred automatically, to read, assert, preach, praise, print, publish, or defend them. They will incur these penalties if they presume to uphold them in any way, personally or through another or others, directly or indirectly, tacitly or explicitly, publicly or occultly, either in their own homes or in other public or private places.

But I am not Pope.