New Commission to investigate Women Deacons

Pope Francis has created a new commission to study the possible ordination of women as deacons in the Catholic Church. As a service to our readers, we present a guide to some of the great minds who will be taking part in this Commission for Feminist Theology.

Dr Morgan le Fay - a veteran British theologian and lecturer on practical sexual studies.

The Foul Hag Sycorax - mother of Cardinal Caliban. Ms Sycorax is believed to have the largest collection of Pachamama statues outside the Vatican, most of which have spirits trapped inside them. Writing a biography of Austen Ivereigh.

Weird Sister One - a representative of the Blasted Heath Coven Convent. Intends to use "Eye of Newt, Toe of Frog" theology to bring in women deacons.

"Hail, Lady Macbeth, thou shalt be Pope hereafter!"

Dame Circe - an uncompromising feminist theologian from Greece who thinks that all men are pigs.

Prof. Minerva McGonagall - professor of Slightly Catholic Studies at Roehampton University.

Mother Grimm - part of the "cannibalism theology" wing of the Catholic Church. Worships in a gingerbread chapel. Holds a doctorate in Gelato Studies from the University of Villanova.

Mother Grimm's Gingerbread Chapel.

The Bride of Dracula - an aristocratic touch is brought to the commission by its inclusion of this Transylvanian Countess, who is believed to be a major stake-holder.

Mrs Black, also known as the Wicked Queen - the implacable enemy of Sister "Snow" White ever since a memorable debate at Notre Dame University.

Cackles evilly.

Jadis - a representative from the Anglican church. Author of the treatise, Was Aslan a woman?

The Wicked Witch of the West - widely believed to be transgendered. A close friend of Fr James Martin SJ.

Ms W.W.O.T. West promises to bring a "new broom" to the Catholic Church.

Catholic Church changes teaching on abortion

Taking advice from Mrs Hillary Clinton, widely tipped to be the next president of the United States, the Catholic Church has decided to change its teaching on abortion. Following her comment that "deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed" so that killing off children is made easier, there has been a unanimous response of "Oh gosh, we never thought of that" from the Church.

Hillary and friends enjoy a webcam set up in Bill Clinton's office.

Mrs Clinton has angrily insisted that for many years she has been negotiating with Pope Francis and his predecessors by e-mail, explaining to them how they have totally misunderstood Catholic teaching, but unfortunately all the correspondence was accidentally deleted. You know how these things happen.

"I'll think about it" promises Pope John-Paul II.

Meanwhile, on these shores Mr Edward Miliband, a well-known atheist and politician, has declared that he wants to meet Pope Francis. Having been leader of the opposition for nearly five years, he has not previously shown the slightest interest in hopping on a plane to Rome (or even hanging around when Pope Benedict XVI visited), but the approaching election has concentrated his mind wonderfully, and he realises that he urgently has to challenge David Cameron for the votes of any so far undecided but gullible Christians.

All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!

Coincidentally, the Pope has expressed a long-standing wish to meet Ed Miliband, in order to decide whether he is real. "Some people find the Christian faith difficult to accept," he said, "but believing that Ed Miliband is a real person is far more of a challenge."

Desert Island Discs

There are rumours that the BBC is planning to change the format of its radio programme Desert Island Discs after a barrage of three complaints from the National Secular Society. At present, "castaways" invited onto the show are invited to take eight records of their choice, together with the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and one luxury item. We asked Terry Sanderson, president of the NSS, to explain his objections.

By popular request: Terry Sanderson exiled to a desert island.

Explained Terry: "It is assumed that people will want to take with them the works of Shakespeare, but in this modern age few people believe in them. I'm not saying that some of the events portrayed in the book didn't happen - for example, most of us would accept the existence of Henry IV, even if we didn't think he came in two parts - but some of the stories are clearly legends that nobody can be expected to believe."

A ridiculous fairy story.

"This book about a midsummer night's dream," he continued. "Obviously a man can go around with an ass's head on him - my friend Richard Dawkins finds this idea totally reasonable - but there are miraculous elements in the story that reduce it to a fairy story."

Malvolio - imprisoned for smugness and "gay" stockings.

"There are may unsavoury incidents in the work," continued Sanderson. "My other friend Stephen Fry is shocked by the story of Malvolio, imprisoned for being insufferably smug and wearing yellow stockings. Stephen rightly says that if the story is true we should refuse to play any sport with Illyria. But my feeling is that the whole thing is a myth."

Polonius - simply a great teacher?

"I'll say nothing against the character of Polonius, although he is generally regarded as a humourless old fool," he added. "For various reasons I feel a natural affinity with him, and his martyrdom behind an arras is truly unpleasant. But it would be wrong to think of the play Hamlet in supernatural terms, and this nonsense about a ghost strains all credulity."

The "King James" edition of Shakespeare has made it a popular book since the early 17th century, containing as it does a mixture of history, moral teaching, instructive legends and poetry. However with the NSS condemning it, the BBC (which regards the NSS in high esteem) is likely to drop it from the radio programme.

The book of Macbeth is similarly fantastical.

A BBC spokesman said last night that they were expecting to drop Shakespeare, replacing it by a suitable secular work, such as The God Delusion or Whitehead and Russell's Principia Mathematica.

Just the thing for a long stay on a desert island!