nyt: France Urged to Skip Official Papal Honors

[Citizen Jane]

PARIS, April 7 - France may be a predominantly Roman Catholic country, but it is also officially secular, with separation of church and state one of its most sacred tenets.

So while the death of Pope John Paul II has brought widespread mourning, there has also been pressure on the French Republic not to honor him officially.

For the moment, the political instinct to please voters has won out: the government is marking the pope's passing in a variety of ways across France, and President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Bernadette, will attend the funeral Mass at the Vatican on Friday.

But defenders of the country's republican tradition as well as some foes of the center-right government have charged that by doing so, the French state is violating a 100-year-old law dictating church-state separation. They contend that any gesture that gives the appearance of favoring one religion over another is forbidden.

<snip>...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/international/worldspecial2/08france.html?hp&ex=1113019200&en=ebe3735f5f5272f3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

***What, separation of church and state? You can't favor one religion over another? Mais non! </sarcasm>

(Edited because I forgot to add the link--DOH!)

[rocktivity]

1. But the U.S. is secular, too. Why was Bush invited?

:crazy:
rocknation

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Maybe it's not so bad. After all, if the pres can't show favoritism

just think how busy he'll be going to the funerals of chuch leaders across the world. Anyone know the the health status of the leader of the LDS? The Archbishop of Cantebury? The CEO of Scientology?

Might keep the shrub out of trouble.

[hippiechick]

4. Maybe someone was hoping he'd get struck by lightning ...

... or have the sudden urge to confess ???

:shrug:

[many a good man]

3. Vatican City is an independent nation state

All these countries have formal diplomatic relations. There's nothing wrong with attending the funeral of an ex-head of state.

Governments shouldn't go any further than they would for any secular head of state's passing. The rest is just pandering.

[shadowknows69]

5. proof that we're a theocracy