THERE have been calls for a DUP Assembly member to withdraw his "utterly sectarian and abusive rant" after he called on the Pope not to visit Northern Ireland.Prime Minister Gordon Brown extended the formal invitation to the Pope during a private audience in February.
There is hope that Pope Benedict will be able to visit Northern Ireland, but Ian McCrea, a DUP MLA for Mid-Ulster, said the pontiff was not welcome.
Mr McCrea warned that the Pope would face, "the vent of Protestant opposition" if he visited the Province.
His comments have been branded as "deeply offensive" by the SDLP's Patsy McGlone, who has called on Mr McCrea to withdraw his remarks.
Mr McCrea said: “I am opposed to any possibility of a visit to Northern Ireland by the Pope of Rome and I believe a visit from the Pope should be vigorously opposed for a number of reasons.
"First of all the majority of people in Northern Ireland are Protestant and belong to denominations that hold to the belief that the Pope is the Antichrist, and by his titles and claims he blasphemes Almighty God.
"A visit from the Pope should also be opposed as many Roman Catholic people feel that the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church have been complicit in abuse cases over many years.
"In light of the recent inquiry into child abuse in Roman Catholic institutions, such a visit would be very insensitive, not only on the part of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State who arrogantly issued an invitation for a Papal visit to Northern Ireland, but also on the part of the Pope himself.
"I have been made aware, that should there be a visit from the Pope to Northern Ireland, it will face the vent of Protestant opposition.
"Therefore I believe that it would be detrimental to community relations and, on those grounds alone, I would urge the Pope of Rome not to come to Northern Ireland.”
Responding to his comments, Mr McGlone accused Mr McCrea of "inciting disrespect" in the community and told him to withdraw his "sectarian rant”.
“Ian McCrea must withdraw these deeply hurtful, insensitive and sectarian comments immediately," Mr McGlone said.
“It is totally hypocritical at a time when the DUP are talking about building a shared future that one of their Assembly Members comes out with this utterly sectarian and abusive rant.
“This type of attitude only serves to create divisions and incite disrespect within our society.
“Most people, both Catholic and Protestant alike, would find the suggestion that the Pope is the ‘Antichrist’ utterly extremist and entirely out of place in the 21st century.
”The one sad lesson that this society has given us is that bigotry has brought us nothing but sorrow, death and deep division."
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