Holy Smoke! The Pope is Catholic!

Pope Benedict XVI has declared the world in need of saving - from homosexuality and gender bending. And this, two days before Christmas!  Has the man no taste or decency? The press is understandably in an uproar - it has been after all a fairly slow news week thus far, with the juiciest story being Joe-the-Plumber's foray into capitalism by the release of his book (zzzzz...).

Actually, when all the brouhaha has died down, the Pope didn't actually declare war on George Michael, though, as Carl has pointed out in these columns in the past few days, any whiff of negativity toward homosexuality is destined to be viewed as homophobic. What the pontiff actually said was that if the human species is to have a future, sexual relations between a man and woman (Oh, and only within marriage - an even more pre-diluvian notion). Which is, come to think of it, not just "plain ole Catholic teaching" but common sense too.

This, on the day when CNN are running wild with stories about single gay men raising children born of "gestational carriers." Professor John O'Callaghan (Notre Dame) is telling the faithful to "read what the Holy Father actually said" and warns - it's long and not a page-turner.