Vatican Insiders Call Pope 'a Disaster'

As Benedict XVI continues his pilgrimage in Africa, sources inside the Vatican say that the pope's frequent gaffes and difficulties with modern communication are threatening to undermine him. One member of the Vatican told the Telegraph that Benedict is "a disaster" who is "out of touch with the real world," citing his recent explosive remark that condoms aggravate the AIDS crisis.

Benedict's lifting of the excommunication of a bishop who questioned the Holocaust, along with inflammatory remarks about Islam and homosexuality, have unleashed a torrent of bad press for the Vatican. The Holy See's reluctance to embrace the Internet and long traditions of secrecy have made matters worse, said one source in Rome, who lamented, "The Vatican is far removed from the reality on the ground." (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)