13 February 2014, The Tablet

‘Any story about the Pope comes with the presumption of being feel-good’


Christopher Howse’s Presswatch

 
It is not always easy to tell if the puns that the Sun enjoys so much have been stretched too far. “A life-size chocolate version of Pope Francis is unveiled – in Toble-Rome,” it reported next to an alarming picture of the sculpture. One can only imagine that sentence in the Sun being read out in the tones once familiar from Look at Life, the upbeat documentary shorts that used to bulk out visits to the cinema. The same might be said for the intro to The Independent’s online report: “Here’s hoping that Pope Francis has a sweet tooth.” But we already knew that, as the Mail Online pointed out, “he is said to favour frugal, healthy meals made up of fruit, salads and skinless chicken”.The point was, though, that any story about the Pope at
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