Benetton Miffs Pope

The Vatican has thrown a wobbler over the latest United Colors of Benetton advert, which shows Pope Benedict XVI snogging Egyptian imam Ahmed el Tayyeb - a Photoshop job -, and has threatened legal action. Benetton swiftly withdrew the advert. The aim of this silly ad campaign is supposedly to "battle the culture of hate". Tell that to the Vatican. It's probably paranoid about male snogging, due to all the child abuse scandals concerning Catholic priests and monks in recent years. The former abbot of Ealing Abbey in London jumped bail to evade his trial on child sexual abuse charges and is currently on the run in Italy (CLICK). That Britain doesn't have an extradition treaty with the Vatican is a lot more shocking than one silly advert from an unfamiliar brand. (It's an Italian clothing firm: title link.) If Father Laurence Soper makes it to Vatican City, he can't be extradited.