There’s something a bit mad about Pope Francis and I think I like it. The idea of him calling his old newsagents in Argentina to tell him that he is stuck in Rome for a while is a pretty cool thing to do. Cool and yet extremely practical. What else would you do?
One day you are Tango-ing around Buenes Aires and then your mates in the conclave light a big fire with white smoke in your honour. What would you actually do? That’s what Francis seems to be showing us. He is having fun showing us the boring, human bits of life that come with any job. We’ve seen him search for a flat, work out the bus route to work and re-do the office.
He’s stuck on a long flight surrounded by boring Curia heads? What does he do? Walk back and get down with the hacks following the tour. OK, it was filmed and ever so slightly staged but you can see him with a bottle of Sol in his hand chewing the fat with a journo or two. Yes there are issues that I have with the church but as a Hombre, Francis gets a free pass for the next few months.
---------------------------
Bradley was found guilty. He got 25 years. He says he is now Chelsea and that’s her name from now on.
I was brought up on James Bond, the Cold War, and the Cambridge Spy Ring. We heard tales of moral vetting and enemy seducers sent to blackmail spies.
Bradley was obviously a sensitive soul so you have to ask how the Army recruited him in the first place and why he was allowed access to such sensitive information?
He was put in a job that obviously caused him sleepless nights. While he isn’t blameless, surely his employers recruiting policy must be questioned.
As regards to his request to be called Chelsea, my gut reaction is not until the operations have begun. There was something akin to jumping on a bandwagon with some of the reaction. I am thinking of the protests outside the Embassy last night. More to do with the people trying to be cool rather than concern for Bradley’s welfare, methinks.
---------------------------
So that’s the UnDaunted week. Enjoy the weekend.
