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The reaction, from the political world and the ‘fourth estate’ to the decision of 67 Academics at La Sapienza University to protest the invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to address students at the start of the Academic year has been vicious. As already documented in this blog, most mainstream commentators ranging from the President Napolitano, and Prime minister Romano Prodi through to newspapers like the Corriere della Sera, have framed the scuffle at La Sapienza very much along the lines established by the Vatican Press office - i.e it was a shameful display of illiberal intollerance to ‘prevent’ the Pope from speaking last week at the University.