Interesting - Meeting with the pope

Now this is really interesting. A completely defferent point of view to the spin which we were given in our press, by the pink one no doubt.
Read it on MCF, hope they don't mind me bringing it over, but it does deserve viewing. Old but gives us a new insight.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]




Thursday, May 31, 2007
A meeting with the Pope
I was perplexed when I got the call to cover the visit of Kate and Gerry McCann to the Vatican. The story about their missing daughter, Madeleine, is huge in the UK and probably in Portugal, but over here in Italy and in the rest of Europe it has been mentioned only on a few occasions, and I wondered why the Pope would single out this particular missing child over the hundreds (if not thousands) who have disappeared around the world.

As a matter of fact there are three prominent cases of missing children here in Italy, and we never heard a word about them from the pope, not even on International Missing Children's Day (May 25.)

I made a quick call to the Vatican, and soon discovered that the McCanns were not going to be received in a private audience, but would instead attend the Pope's weekly general audience, which is an opportunity for tens of thousand of faithful visiting Rome each week to see him. I was also told the pope was not going to mention their presence when he greets pilgrims from around the world in various languages, but that he would offer them an "affectionate greeting" at the end of the audience.

The Vatican arranged for them to be seated in an area closest to where the Pope speaks from. It's a good spot because usually at the end of the audience if the Pope feels like it, he walks to the barrier and greets dozens of them who take along all sorts of gifts, pictures and other personal objects, as a present to him or simply to have them blessed. The McCanns brought along a picture of their missing daughter which the Pope blessed.

To any devout Catholic this a great opportunity to meet the pope up close and personal. But I think it is also a private affair, a moment in which people seek and obtain spiritual strength and guidance. A 30-second photo opportunity is unlikely to offer clues as to where Madeleine may be held, especially if this is being turned into a media circus. Indeed, with the exception of those sitting right next to them, very few in St.Peter's square today knew they were there. Vatican TV did show a few cut-aways of them sitting in the audience, but the Pope and Church officials did not publicly mentioned their presence (as they did for example with the representatives of dozens of parishes and Catholic institutions from around the world.)

In other words, I think the Pope did not want to become the latest player in a relentless media campaign that has seen football players and prominent businessman appeal for her release. But that is exactly what did happen, with headlines such as "Pope invites the McCanns" and "A papal audience" being repeated over and over again.

I don't know what it must be like to have a missing daughter, but I can imagine it is a horrible feeling. I would do anything, anything, to secure her release. The McCanns probably hope that local media here will cover their visit and spread the word around Italy (where as I said most people don't know who Madeleine is.) They know that the longer they can keep her picture on the front pages on newspapers around the world, the better chance they will have to find her.

But I couldn't help thinking whether this over exposure may not be a bit unfair of all those other missing children who have disappeared and don't get this attention.

From CNN's Rome Bureau Chief, Alessio Vinci
Posted by In The Field Online Producers: 1:08 AM


So much for all that audience with the pope, and a meeting with him eh??

Rome is already preparing itself

Kate McCanns diary 27th May

Does anyone remember the incident with the alleged butterfly landing on Kate? Was that actually true?

ufercoffy wrote:Does anyone remember the incident with the alleged butterfly landing on Kate? Was that actually true?

From Daily Mirror 31st May (thanks to Mccannfiles)


snipped
During the ceremony, a butterfly landed on the ribbons in Kate's hair. It flew off - but came back again to settle on her lapel. Kate later said: "It was really strange but lovely - like a symbol of hope."

Thanks for that Candyfloss. That was quick! Here's the link for the full article in the DM.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

candyfloss wrote:Now this is really interesting. A completely defferent point of view to the spin which we were given in our press, by the pink one no doubt.
Read it on MCF, hope they don't mind me bringing it over, but it does deserve viewing. Old but gives us a new insight.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Yes, very interesting candyfloss, thank you, and thank you too to the poster who said that Kate's diary said 'Rome is getting ready for us'...is that for real?

[ETA Have checked this out and that really is in the diary, except that the actual words used were: 'Rome is preparing itself...' Unbelievable!]

A couple of other points about the McCanns and the Pope:

1. There is a video somewhere with Mr Clarence Mitchell openly boasting that he arranged the 'audience' in the Vatican with his good mate, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor

2. The Pope had a web-page or part of a web-page devoted to the McCanns; it was wiped on 5 September 2007 (and has not re-appeared) - less than 48 hours before Dr Kate McCann was made an arguido and interviewed

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This report in the Daily Telegraph a couple of days after the visit is also of interest:

By Richard Edwards in Rome
Last Updated: 2:11AM BST 02 Jun 2007

[PART SNIPPED]

It is four weeks since Kate and Gerry McCann last saw their daughter Madeleine. Twenty-eight days of moving between despair and hope - and they still do not know whether they are at the end of their ordeal or still just at the beginning. The couple's physical journey took them yesterday to Rome to meet the Pope, and they will move onwards to Madrid, Berlin and Amsterdam. But it is scars from their emotional journey that are ever-present.

Mrs McCann summed it up in six devastatingly simple words: "I miss life as it was"...The hardest part, they admit, is the unknown. "Every day is one day too long without Madeleine," said Mr McCann.

"We have got to get a resolution. It is hugely difficult. The first 48 hours was akin to having a bereavement. It was as though Madeleine had died. It was anguish, despair, guilt, helplessness all falling into one. But it is different to a death, where you grieve and try to move on. Madeleine is not dead. We have been thrown into an ongoing trauma, an ongoing crisis of the unknown".

With the visit to see the Pope, the global campaign has reached, in Mr McCann's terms, stratospheric levels.

They flew to Rome in the private jet of Sir Philip Green, one of Britain's richest men, who had offered it for free to help their cause. Prime Minister in waiting Gordon Brown is in mobile phone contact. They are lining up Government ministers to visit across Europe. David Beckham and world footballers have appealed for help in finding their daughter and they have received chat shows requests from Oprah Winfrey an Larry King in the US.

Wherever they go they are treated like royalty, followed by pilgrims, well-wishers and TV cameras. But the attention does not sit easily with them, especially Mrs McCann. The couple are desperate for Madeleine's plight to be known worldwide but they are wary of going too far, of being seen as a celebrity couple courting the publicity.

"It is all about Madeleine," said Mr McCann. Mrs McCann, in particular, struggles to hold in her emotions in front of TV cameras. She wants to remain private, but she also wants to do the best for Madeleine by appearing in public.

"I do not like talking about this publicly but you've got to put your own feelings aside..."

On Tuesday morning Mr and Mrs McCann had to go shopping for a suit. They had to look smart for the Pope. He and his wife spent hours trying to find something appropriate in Algarve resorts dominated by T-shirts and shorts.

When they did, the hems on the trousers were too long and a tailor had to make adjustments. Ordinarily it could have been a welcome distraction, but they found it strange to be fussing over such minor details.

"It was the last thing we needed really," said Mrs McCann. It re-emphasised the truth: they are a very normal couple thrown into something extraordinary.

Mr McCann admitted that Saturday was his lowest day since the early days - the first time that both he and his wife have had a 'bad one' together...

quote last line - daily telegraph

Mr McCann admitted that Saturday was his lowest day since the early days - the first time that both he and his wife have had a 'bad one' together....



Can't believe that line, so they never had a bad day together??

candyfloss wrote:quote last line - Daily Telegraph: "Mr McCann admitted that Saturday was his lowest day since the early days - the first time that both he and his wife have had a 'bad one' together..." -- Can't believe that line, so they never had a bad day together??

Indeed, it was one of two jaw-dropping moments in reading that article.

The other being the all-day search for the 'right' clothes.

Were their beloved twins with them whilst they were traipsing round high-class clothes shops on the Algarve?

Or with others once again?

I remember reading in Kevin Wells book something about he and his wife having different bad days when one would be "up" and the other down.

Rainbow wrote:I remember reading in Kevin Wells book something about he and his wife having different bad days when one would be "up" and the other down.

How can you have an "up" day when your child is missing??

well if Kevin Wells says you can, then you can.

Nobody can spend their life in a black hole, no matter how bad things are. It's physically impossible. Perhaps up is just up compared to down.

candyfloss wrote:

Rainbow wrote:I remember reading in Kevin Wells book something about he and his wife having different bad days when one would be "up" and the other down.

How can you have an "up" day when your child is missing??

You cant of course.I couldnt think of another way to put it which is why I used commas.

"We have got to get a resolution. It is hugely difficult. The first 48 hours was akin to having a bereavement. It was as though Madeleine had died. It was anguish, despair, guilt, helplessness all falling into one. But it is different to a death, where you grieve and try to move on. Madeleine is not dead. We have been thrown into an ongoing trauma, an ongoing crisis of the unknown".

What a spooky statement...you would feel anxiety, frighten, frustrated, helpless...but without seeing a corpse no matter how, psychologically it's difficult to feel bereavement. Come on, even if you know or heard of a death .. .you usually dont feel the sense of irreversible bereavement loss until experience it by either seeing the corpse, coffin, or attend a funeral wake. That's my take anyway.

On one hand he said the first 48 hours feeling was akin to bevearement yet in another breathe he said Maddie is not dead...and that they have been thrown into an ongoing trauma...to me, that sums up the whole story really.

First he acknowledged her demise, then pretended she is not dead...and their charade ongoing....

How could he know abductor hadn't killed Maddie in that 48 hours, or that their trauma is going to be 'ongoing'.........

Perhaps you are reading things into this statement that are just not there, and perhaps that is because you are biased in thinking of this case from only one point of view - that of parental involvement.

GM said it was AS THOUGH Madeleine had died. He's certainly not acknowledging that she IS dead.

He doesn't know that the abductor hasn't killed her, but as her body hasn't been found he's quite entitled to HOPE that she's still alive and therefore can be found. Hope is a Christian virtue and is to be encouraged ....

If they had no knowledge of the child living state or otherwise, and they are ever hopeful she is still alive, why would they feel as if bereaved? I'm sorry I dont buy that - your argument fall flat on its face. Either you are hopeful or you feel bereaved. How can anyone feel as if the dead can come alive or is still alive?

Even if a person logically thinks that a missing child is dead because of passage of time or whatever, they may feel lost and scared, but imo wont feel bereaved unless they've experienced her death hence bereavement emotions.

You are right I am of the view that they were involved.
Those statements were a projection of his repressed subsconscious...

aiyoyo wrote:You are right I am of the view that they were involved. Those statements were a projection of his repressed subsconscious...

There is of course an alternative explanation for those statements by Dr Gerald McCann.

Namely that they were carefuly crafted beforehand in conjunction with their public relations advisers, Clarence Mitchell, Alex Woolfall, Control Risks Group, CCS, not to mention a lawyer or two, Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all.

Chinagirl wrote:...perhaps that is because you are biased in thinking of this case from only one point of view - that of parental involvement.

Unlike the detached, analytical and unbiased view of Chinagirl...

He said the feeling as AKIN to breavment. I have no difficulty understanding this ...

'It re-emphasised the truth: they are a very normal couple thrown into something extraordinary.'

What an ill-informed, sweeping and ridiculous statement for a broadsheet to make.

And people criticise the tabloids for telling people what to think.

Tony Bennett wrote:

aiyoyo wrote:You are right I am of the view that they were involved. Those statements were a projection of his repressed subsconscious...

There is of course an alternative explanation for those statements by Dr Gerald McCann.

Namely that they were carefuly crafted beforehand in conjunction with their public relations advisers, Clarence Mitchell, Alex Woolfall, Control Risks Group, CCS, not to mention a lawyer or two, Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all.

Chinagirl wrote:...perhaps that is because you are biased in thinking of this case from only one point of view - that of parental involvement.

Unlike the detached, analytical and unbiased view of Chinagirl...

I'm sorry, I dont believe those 'conflict of emotion' statements were crafted with help of damage control group. Else. he (GM) would have been advised to give the first bit a miss, because that bit is very open to interpretation, hence damaging, not something advice group would counsel. I still maintain GM could not have avoided his subsconscious and was involuntarily processing his truly experienced feelings and thoughts in order of his experience in those statements. A liar can always be tripped up by his statements.



"unbiased view of Chinagirl"? detached yet analytical? Another conflict? Is that some games she is playing? A person's thought process protrayed in the expression of it, is a reflection of that person.

1. There is a video somewhere with Mr Clarence Mitchell openly boasting that he arranged the 'audience' in the Vatican with his good mate, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor

So much for "Rome is preparing itself"; more like "Rome, here we come"!

The pope is yet another person they had used as diversionary tactics in their charade; and the media frenzy causing confusion is team mccanns ploy all along.

Ruby wrote:'It re-emphasised the truth: they are a very normal couple thrown into something extraordinary.'

What an ill-informed, sweeping and ridiculous statement for a broadsheet to make.

And people criticise the tabloids for telling people what to think.

More like they are 'extraordinary' couple fully capable of twisting normal into something extraordinarily abnormal in mega-proportions.

Sorry if in wrong thread was looking for the one were Kate details butterfly landing on her hair .. because it creeped me !In Irish folklore not just just Irish.. but anyway ..if a butterfly enters your home or visits you it is the soul of recent deceased visiting you .. now maybe a sublimenal slip wanting to tell the truth ??

the Daily Rag wrote:Around her neck, Kate was wearing a set of home-made yellow and green rosary beads with Madeleine’s name spelt in them. During the ceremony, a butterfly landed on her yellow and green hair ribbons, flew away – then returned

minutes later to her lapel. She said: "It was strange, but lovely. It was like a small sign of hope."

Media nonsense. Thread locked.