Today we learn that the Pope has issued an apology for the lifting of the excommunication of the Holocaust denying Bishop that the blogs un-covered, re-covered and then neatly SCREAMED ABOUT before, during and after the Holly See made its gracious and rather silly move. As the Times says:

The Pope has admitted mistakes over the lifting of the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop and said that the Holy See must modernise its response to future controversies.

In a strikingly humble letter to Catholic bishops, he conceded that the Vatican should have been aware of the views of Richard Williamson, the English bishop at the centre of the row. He has pledged to make full use of the internet to make sure he is not caught out again.

I know what the Pope's problem is. A few years ago my father said he wanted a computer. We drove up to Tottenham Court Road together (he's old school, doesn't like the Tube) and bought his first Mac together (this was pre-Apple store days).

We took it home and I explained how the mouse pad moves the little pointer and how to click on stuff.

A few years later, as he is simultaneously sending me a Word doc and Skyping me from the WiFi connection in a hotel in the US I realise he's become proficient.

And the relevance to the Pope? How many children does the Pope have to help him learn computers?

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