Burning Question: Will full-body scanners get TSA in hot water with the Pope?

The Associated Press has reported that the first of 150 full-body scanners slated to be deployed by the Transportation Security Administration at U.S. airports will be installed next week. The scanners have attracted their share of criticism on privacy grounds--and the latest has come from the Vatican.

Canada's National Post reports that in a speech to 1,200 airport workers, Pope Benedict XVI criticized the use of scanners, saying that at airports and elsewhere, "human dignity must be preserved."

While acknowledging that the threat of terrorism has adversely affected the air travel industry, the Pope said that "even in this situation, one must never forget that respecting the primacy of the human person and attention to his or her needs does not make the service less efficient nor penalize economic management."

Body scanners strip 'dignity,' Pope says
(National Post. Hat tip: James Fallows)

Burning Question is a recurring feature that looks at key issues and compelling stories being explored at other publications and social media sites covering the federal government.