Now, Musket, the main error in your reference to Cardinal Burke, is to assume that the individual speaks for the whole, that any old individual you dig up who wears fancy clothes must be representative of the entire Catholic Church. Even the pope does not represent the whole of Catholic thinking, although he has considerable authority - authority enough to demote Burke to the job of chaplain to a rich boys' club (which means that he has been removed from any position from which he can speak with authority, but he still hasn't shut up).

But you just can't view any diverse group of people and make sweeping judgments of the whole based on your observations of a few.

We Americans still have a very high opinion of Tony Blair, and view him to be the consummate English gentleman, intellectual, leader, and diplomat. We're sorry that he was in bed with George W. Bush like he was; but after all, it is proper to be tolerant of homosexuals these days, isn't it? It's largely because of Tony Blair that we generally have a high opinion of The British. We generally have no idea who served in your government since WWII other than Churchill and Blair; and we secretly believe that Britain is actually ruled by The Queen, and isn't she a nice old lady? And just like Cardinal Burke, she really looks cute when she's wearing those fancy clothes and the crown and jewels and all.

Now if you British knew that's what we Americans know of your government, why, you would probably actually scoff at us.

But we all know that Britain and the U.S. and the Catholic Church / Vatican are vastly diverse and complex, and that it is well-nigh impossible to make simplistic, all-encompassing praise and/or condemnation of any of them.

Or do we?

-Joe-