Pope Takes German Satire Magazine to Court
Heavenly justice can only be administered by God, but on Earth, it is
a job for the courts. Which is why Pope Benedict XVI has now had a
cease and desist order filed against the German satire magazine Titanic.
Matthias Kopp, spokesperson for the German Bishops' Conference,
confirmed to SPIEGEL ONLINE that archbishop Angelo Becciu has contracted
a law firm in the Western German city of Bonn in the name of the Pope.
The front and back covers of the current issue of the magazine are
illegal and harm the holy father's legal rights, says Kopp. "Titanic oversteps every measure of decency," he says.
On Tuesday, a state court in Hamburg issued a temporary injunction
against the magazine, a court spokesperson said. Under threat of a fine,
Titanic is no longer allowed to distribute the issue and the
picture is not allowed to be published on the Internet. Issues already
in circulation, however, don't have to be recalled, the court ruled.
Titanic cover: The leak has been found!
In the current cover, Pope Benedict appears in a religious cassock
that is soiled yellow below the waist. Above the picture appears the
headline "Hallelujah in the Vatican: The leak has been found!" On the
back cover of the issue, the pope appears from behind and the stains are
brown rather than yellow.
The picture and headline are in reference to the recent scandal that
has rocked the Vatican: a flood of private letters to the pope and his
close associates have been leaked to the Italian media in recent months,
eventually making their way into a book, which has become an instant
bestseller
Titanic editor-in-chief Leo Fischer refutes the claims that the
pictures damage the Pope's personal rights. "Benedict must have
misunderstood," says Fischer. The title, he says, merely shows a pope
that had spilled his drink when celebrating with a glass of soda after
the Vatileaks scandal was solved, he says. "Everyone knows that the Pope
is a big fan of Fanta," says Fischer.
Fischer expressed disappointment following the Hamburg court ruling.
"This is a huge mistake," says Fischer. He noted that satire is given
significant leeway in Germany -- and said he is prepared for a long
court battle.
Read More: http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/pope...
Top Opinion
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martin.schmidt.967806 2012/07/11 22:54:03
He is up to his ears in filth.
Is there a photo of the pope available that doesn't look creepy?
I guess the pope has yet to understand his full participation in all the scandal that has gone on in the past 25 years and how the world sees him.
He's clearly oblivious to the world around him, that even our nuns can no longer take it.