Ben Blasts Benedict As Grey Smoke Rises
It was hard to tell whether the smoke rising from the chimney of Greyfriars JCR was black or white on Sunday night following the first meeting of term. The gathering of Greyfriarians uncharacteristically featured a stand-off regarding a joke motion offering new Pope Benedict XVI ‘lifetime honourary membership of the the JCR with full voting rights and use of facilities.”
First year English student Richard Hardiman brought the motion, but the assembled members didn’t see the funny side, disagreeing with clause three of his motion, reading: ‘This house belives it is always advantageous for a JCR to have celebrity honourary members.’ Not amused was the JCR President, the legend incarnate who is Ben Eyre (frequently to be found propping up the Union bar), who was livid at the appointment of Josef Ratzinger as the new Pontiff.
On the white smoke from St Peter’s Basilica, Ben removed the trademark cross, which usually adorns his Tom Jones-esque chest, and renounced his Catholicism. A conclave crisis at Greyfriars was averted when the meeting went inquorate and the motion actually wasn’t voted on in the end. Press secretary to the Archbishop of Westminster, Austen Ivereigh, was hugely amused when I told him of the news. “Pope Benedict has already demonstrated himself in Oxford to be a sign of contradiction.”
Theology students will understand, apparently.
28th Apr 2005