A friend sent a link about the audience Benedict XVI granted to Enda Kenny of Ireland at Castelgandolfo last Saturday.
In this brief video from Corriere della Sera you can see that Kenny is so engaged that, while sitting in the front row, he decides to do some urgent texting in the Holy Father’s and the world’s full view as his host is speaking.
Lesson: If you are a major political figure, and you don’t have the slightest interest in what the Pope says or thinks, let your aide have your phone during papal audiences where you are sure to be recorded on video for the news.
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I think “boorish” is the word I’m looking for.
Once again Enda displays on the world stage his personal unsuitability for high office.
Perhaps this is the beginning of the end for Enda.
There is a story told about Sean Lemass (Irish Taoiseach from 1959-1966) that once in St. Peter’s at a long ceremony (possibly the closing ceremony for Vatican II…?) at one point he absentmindedly took out his pipe and was preparing to light it…! His companion sitting next to him nudged him and said: “If you light that thing here you will make history!”
But for Lemass it was merely absentmindedness. Kenny, on the other hand…?
The end for Enda will probably be the abortion issue; his party did well on foot of promises – one of which was “no abortion in Ireland”. He’s trying to wiggle out of it, not having realised that his junior Coalition partners are only junior because the Prolife lobby told people the truth about Labour’s pro-abortion stance. Enda let us down and embarassed us in public; so it’s just like every other day then…
Like all politicians, thinking the sun revolves around them and everyone/thing exists to stroke their ego.
And sitting in front of him was the representative of the SON around which every knee should bend.
What a tool. But, you know, as this video (hopefully) goes viral and embarrasses him…he probably still won’t see what the fuss is about.
This man has nothing but contempt for the Church and for the Vicar of Christ.
Are we sure he wasn’t taking a picture with his phone?
He was on the Internet buying stuff because he thought it was supposed to be a Paypal audience.
I’m so disappointed it wasn’t a tweet. “OMG this old guy can go for ages. LOLZ and he’s wearing a dress SMH”
^ : P
Well, considering the offensiveness of Kenny’s speech where he insulted and lied about Pope Benedict, I am not surprised at all. Too bad Pres. Obama wasn’t there too with his cell phone…it might have lost him some potential votes.
On the subject of respect, I’m not familiar with protocol, but I was surprised that, from what I saw on the video, only one woman had covered her head. A friend of mine who visited the Vatican as a tourist was asked to cover her head in order to enter. Why not show that sign of respect and humility in front of the Pope? It would be a nice thing to do, especially as BRIAN BOYLE pointed out : sitting in front of [them] was the representative of theSON…
Please, I don’t want to get into the usual kerfluffle about veiling here or compare these ladies with Mr. Kenny, who was undoubtedly and extremely rude. As I said, I don’t know protocol but IMHO, I think it would have been a nice thing to do.
My apologies for repeating myself about being nice…I need to read more carefully before hitting the post button.
Miss Mes, the visit was at the Castle Gondalfo, not a church, so head covering is really not needed.
P.s. tha Paypal comment was golden!
Where are the nuns with rulers when you need them? They would’ve spotted this before anyone.
Oh wait, they’re gone!
BTW: This is the same fellow who was at the Irish Club dinner in Chicago last St. Patrick’s day. Goodie for Cardinal Georgie who gave him the snub and wouldn’t go!! Bravo him.
Tom, they left their rulers in their habits.
Maureen,
Of course you can use your cellphone in a church! We have Cardinal Schonborn to thank for that protocol! :)
http://www.kreuz.net/article.14416.html
I see at the end he whipped it over to his other hand so he could make the sign of the cross! What a panderer. Oh, I’ll text all through this and then at the last minute with the cameras on me make a big production…nice. If Enda had his way, and we had, no Pope, would we still cross ourselves, yes or no?
Ooops.
Well, he might be simply a protege of our “beloved” President. From what I’ve heard, our CINC has time to visit Las Vegas to attend a campaign fundraiser, but not enough time to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Whatever you may think of the Israelis, you’d think he’d have time to at least talk to a Prime Minister.
His priorities are..interesting.
Out of curiosity, how long was the audience and for how much of the audience was the head of state checking his messages? As with the entirely fraudulent Obama “O-H-I-O” screenshot, editing is everything.
Meanwhile the pope was reading a prepared text in a characteristically detached manner.
I think a grasp of the entirety of the situation is necessary before casting aspersions.
“Out of curiousity…
…I think a grasp of the entirety of the situation is necessary before casting aspersions.”
Do you REALLY mean to say this??
I don’t pretend to know or care who Enda Kenny might be, but I DO know that when one has an audience with another who holds a rank either superior to your own or an equal, you don’t behave like he’s a nobody. A near example might be for one of our generals, while visiting the Russian President, asking that President to wait a moment while the general takes a phone call.
Whether the two parties agree regarding anything at all or not, this kind of conduct would not be tolerated very long.
Mr. Kenny has a staff, they know how his schedule works. I can’t imagine anything that could happen that would be so crucial that it would justify ignoring a Pope.
If the text might be somewhat boring and the Pope somewhat detached, well, honestly, everyone involved would surely know to expect THAT too. People don’t get to positions of leadership of any substance without having a pretty good idea of how meetings of this ilk work.
If Mr. Kenny has that dim of a regard for the Pope, perhaps he ought to reconsider having an audience of this nature with him. I don’t think anyone precisely forced him to be there.
How rude and disrespectful of Enda Kenny to be texting in the presence of the Holy Father!
If I were at that audience, I would have smacked him alongside the head! (And probably got busted for assault in the bargain) And maybe knocked the phone out of his hand to boot!
Paypal audience?!!!!!!! Genius.
This is the man who complained of “the dysfunction, the disconnection, the elitism that dominates the Vatican today”? If anyone is going to be so obviously and publicly self-absorbed and politically tone-deaf, I suppose it is better that it be one of the enemies within the Church.
Not surprised, just disgusted.