On the cover of the March 2-8 edition of the New York Press, a free New York weekly, there is a picture of Pope John Paul II. The story is titled, “THERE’S NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT THIS MAN DYING—OR IS THERE?” The story contains 52 of the most crude and vulgar jokes about the pope’s death. Here are a few examples:
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Beetles eating Pope’s dead brains.
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Gurgling sound during embalming process; real fluids in dead Pope’s body sucked out into jars.
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Doctors examining the body discover that the Pope was not only a woman, but also Hitler.
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Can’t move. Can’t reach penis.
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Throw a marble at the dead Pope’s head. Bonk!
Catholic League president William Donohue released the following statement about this story today:
“There are many in our society who have long been threatened by the teachings of the Catholic Church, especially those which address sexual ethics. Take the New York Press, for example. Its celebration of libertinism leaves it squarely at odds with the sexual reticence favored by Catholicism. It also leaves it squarely at odds with nature, which explains why attending funerals is not an uncommon experience for those who work there. But like a dopey dog who doesn’t recognize his master, they plod along never learning from the wisdom the Catholic Church has to offer. And, of course, they hate the pope. Which makes sense: he is the one man whose commitment to the truth has literally driven them over the edge.”
