Friday, February 25, 2011

Pope probe

Education officials in Catholic Poland have ordered an enquiry after a group of students at a school made a short video showing a drunk Pope John Paul II.

The two-minute video shows the group of teenagers parading through the streets of the southern city of Jastrzebie Zdroj, Poland, in a mock ‘Popemobile’ while one dressed as John Paul II waves at fellow drivers and pedestrians.

The former Pope is revered throughout the country and the lack of respect has infuriated Church elders and education officials.

A team of "eduvcational advisors" has now been sent to the school to probe the background into what motivated the teenagers to make the video in which four guards are seen running alongside the Popemobile dressed in suits and shades as church organ music plays in the background.

Towards the end of the film, the camera zooms in on a student dressed as the Pope as he sits slumped against a wall drunk - with a bottle in his hand.

"The film has been circulating around for some time now, but it was only brought to the attention of the school’s directors a few days ago and they informed us right away. Of course, we acted immediately " said Anna Wietrzyk, a spokeswoman for Katowice’s Board of Education.

"The students have since been punished and on top of this, the Board will be monitoring the school’s Social Education lessons to see how they are being implemented and will conduct a review to see what topics have been discussed in past lessons."

The matter is also being investigated by the police and the students may find themselves facing court for causing a traffic hazard on the road - and offending religious beliefs.