Protests against the pope to hit London

Further protests can be expected when the pope arrives in the UK

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Wednesday, 10, Feb 2010 04:50

By Ian Dunt

Protests are being organised this weekend against the Pope's visit to the country later in the year.

A coalition of gay rights, secular and women's groups are organising the demonstration, which will meet outside Westminster Cathedral on Sunday at 13:00 GMT, before heading to the Italian embassy at Grosvenor Square for a rally at 15:00 GMT.

Peter Tatchell of gay rights group Outrage!" listed the litany of abjections to the pontiff's visit.

"The Pope opposes women's rights, gay equality, embryonic stem cell research, death with dignity and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV," he said today.

"Pope Benedict played a key role in the cover-up of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy.

"He has rehabilitated the Holocaust-denying bishop Richard Williamson, and even though Pope Pius XII failed to speak out against the Holocaust he plans to make him a saint," he continued.

"Given that he opposes universal equality and human rights, Pope Benedict should not be accorded the honour of a state visit to Britain."

Groups involved in the protest include the Central London Humanist Group, the British Humanist Association, the National Secular Society, One Law for All, the Gay And Lesbian Humanist Association, the Rationalist Association and OutRage!.

The demonstration will be held in solidarity with another taking place the same weekend in Rome, also against the Vatican and its "reactionary interference" in Italian, European and worldwide politics.

Protest organiser Marco Tranchino said: "The tiny Vatican State is inhabited mainly by priests. It is extremely powerful and its 'moral' crusades adversely affect the lives of millions of people in Europe and across the world.

"Officially part of the UN, its 'observer-state' status means it can access, influence and pressure UN debates on issues such as birth control, abortion and homosexuality. No other religion has such privileged UN status."

The protest comes just weeks after the pope prompted outrage in some quarters by speaking out against the equality bill, currently working its way through parliament.

His visit is expected to involve him presiding over the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, one of the most prominent English converts from Anglicanism to Catholicism.

The trip is expected to cost £20 million.

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"Who's paying for the Polcing at the protests?"
Barry Flyman (Scotland) Posted: 10/02/2010 12:20:15
"Agreed with Barry..who's will pay demos and protest??? "
Sarawakian!!! (KUCHING CITY) Posted: 10/02/2010 13:39:57
"Th ePope should be treated with equal disdain as Robert Mugabe - they both ruin lives and preach the opposite of sanity and respect for all. £20 million for his visit - forget it - cancel it now and save a lot of hassle - I will demonstrate against this former Hitler Youth member."
Stewart William (Salisbury) Posted: 10/02/2010 15:27:06
"Is it worth 20 million to get a possibly limited opportunity to express contempt for the leader of such a powerful and vile organisation."
Aiken (Scotland) Posted: 11/02/2010 11:34:04
"Protestants are just humanists that haven't completed their self-education. It's time to stand together with all free thinkers to oppose totalitarian dictators"
Tim Underwood (Saskatchewan) Posted: 11/02/2010 13:26:19
"The Pope has protestors everywhere he goes. Does that stop him going from country to counrty, spreading the Gospel? Of course not! Comparing Robert Mugabe to the Pope is offensive to those people who have been killed, tortured and starved by Mugabe's organisation. I am surprised you think he has that much power. And your Nazi Youth reference shows you up for the anti-Catholic bigot you are. He was 14 years old when he was conscripted, no doubt you will say "well he should have refused". And what would have happened if he had? He would have most likely met the same end as his cousin."
Tony Brazil (Glasgow) Posted: 11/02/2010 16:20:50
"Are the anti-nazi league protesting as well. If not, why not?"
Aiden McGeady (Glasgow) Posted: 11/02/2010 16:51:23
"Sorry of it offends some people but I think there is something very sinister about this man. Too many things just don't add up!"
David Lambert (London) Posted: 11/02/2010 20:22:09
"Let him come but make Roman Catholics and there church pay for his visit, why should we pay for the leader of the RC to come to our country."
Paul B (Glasgow) Posted: 12/02/2010 16:09:41
"I wish I could have gone to the protest today to express my absolute disgust at the comments made by this so called religious leader. As someone who grew up with in a Catholic family I know that his bigoted and distasteful comments, preaching and all he supposedly represents is not the feeling of the majority of catholic people. My father who has a strong faith has stopped going to church as he no longer want to be part of a movement that creates so much pain and suffering around the world. The man is sick in the head and so very out of touch with the real world and Stuck in the 2nd world war nazi way of thinking."
grufster (Nottingham) Posted: 14/02/2010 21:44:42

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