- LONDON: Britain's Foreign Office says it has issued an apology to Pope Benedict XVI after publication of an internal memo in which officials suggested he could open an abortion clinic during his four-day visit to England and Scotland in September.
The document, published in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, proposed the pope could bless a gay marriage, or launch a range of branded condoms during his stay.
Junior officials, who wrote the memo during a brainstorming session, said the pope could mark his visit by acknowledging the clerical sex abuse scandal.
The ministry condemned the document as “ill-judged, naive and disrespectful.” It said an official apology has been offered to the Vatican, and that one individual responsible has been transferred to other duties.