Catholic Archbishop Gets Pied at a Belgium University

MAY 2011

The man in charge of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium had custard pies thrust in his face 4 times at Louvain-la-Neuve Catholic University early in April. In an event similar to those held at Australian universities, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard was an invited speaker for a debate between himself and a professor of theoretical physics, on the topic "Reconciling science and faith - is it reasonable? "

The archbishop raised the ire of the Belgium queer community last year when he said that AIDS is an "intrinsic judgement", and suggested homosexuality is an affliction by comparing it with Anorexia. 

A video posted on Youtube by "The Glooper" in April shows the Archbishop being pied as he arrived for the debate, and then being plastered again as he stood before the audience. Applause is heard from some of those in attendance, while another is shown staring in surprise. The AFP news agency has reported that one of the attackers explained that "for all those homosexuals who daren't tell their parents they are gay, for all those young girls who want to have an abortion, he absolutely deserved it."

The archbishop is one of a growing number of high profile Christians who have claimed that various recent catastrophes are a result of cultures not following biblical principles. Typical of these was television preacher Cindy Jacobs blaming the Japanese tsunami suffering on the US military changing its policy to now employ open homosexuals. Jacobs preached that the idea of natural disaster following widespread "sin" is outlined in the Bible, and cited the 4th chapter of the section called Hosea. Jacobs' remarks were reported widely in the queer press, and are now parodied on YouTube.


http://youtu.be/1tyXQfQKHwg