Saint's Relics Energize Atheist

Matthew Parris at the Times Online has a pretty funny article about the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux, (a 19th century nun and Catholic saint), which will go on tour in England and Wales -- well, funny for non-Catholics at least. Here's Parris,

Just when my disbelief was flagging — not for want of certainty but out of weariness with banging on — comes a report that energises me with anger. ... Does balanced reporting require neutrality even towards the self-evidently preposterous? Would a conference of the Flat Earth Society get giggle-free treatment on the news?

He calls for atheists to speak out,

For pity’s sake, closet atheists of Britain, come out! Don’t “respect” this credulous folly! Don’t let the madnesses of these faith minorities go by default! Stop our politicians kowtowing to nutters!

I also found this question pretty amusing.

How can bishops sanction this paganistic nonsense?

Why does he even need to ask? Where would the Catholic church be without all sorts of ritualistic, traditional nonsense? If they wanted to have just the bare bones version of Christian nonsense, they'd be Protestants.