Bashing the Bishop

The BBC reports that Argentine bishop Antonio Baseotto, who ministers to the military, has been “sacked”(“de-recognised” would perhaps be a better term, since only the Pope can do a sacking) by the government after suggesting a Pinochet-style execution for Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia, who supports legalising abortion:

Quoting a passage from the New Testament, he said Mr Gonzalez Garcia deserved to have a millstone hung around his neck and should be “thrown into the sea”.

…During the military regime that ruled the country from 1976-1983, political opponents were thrown into the sea during the so-called “death flights”.

Baseotto claims his words were taken out of context. Those tempted to give the bish the benefit of the doubt should note that just recently the main Argentine Jewish group called for his removal, after these 1986 comments came to light:

[Jews go into big businesses] with lots of ability and lack of moral principles…It doesn’t matter the way they enrich themselves. If pornography is a good business, they sell pornography. If it’s drugs, they sell drugs.