The Pope's religious activities during state visit were outlined in the Queen's Speech and by the Coalition Government today.The Pope's visit should be either a state visit where the Vatican's policies can be scrutinised, or a private religious visit, but it cannot be both the British Humanist Association has said today.
Naomi Phillips, BHA Head of Public Affairs, said, 'The numerous, costly and exclusive religious activities that the Pope will undertake in September are completely illegitimate for a State visit, and one that the British people are being asked to pay for. The Pope is either making an official State visit, in which case the Vatican and the Holy See should be scrutinised on their damaging doctrines, or he is making a private, pastoral visit to proselytise. They cannot have it both ways.'
Ms Phillips continued, 'In the pre-election Leaders Debate, David Cameron and Nick Clegg both said that they disagreed with the Vatican on a number of key issues, including its views on homosexuality, science, and contraception. The BHA and our partner organisations will be working throughout the visit to raise those issues and the Pope's damaging opposition to universal equality and human rights.'
Notes
Read the Queen's Speech reference, and detail of the visit from the Government on the Number 10 website www.number10.gov.uk/queens-speech
The British Humanist Association is a founding member of the Protest the Pope campaign www.protest-the-pope.org.uk which is organising events this year to protest the state visit.
The diverse groups who support the Protest the Pope campaign have many different reasons for not approving of the State Visit to the UK by the Pope in September 2010.
They all however share the following view:
That the Pope, as a citizen of Europe and the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country.
However, as well as a religious leader, the Pope is a head of state and the state and organisation of which he is head has been responsible for:
.opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of AIDS
.promoting segregated education
.denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women
.opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people
.failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation.
.rehabilitating the holocaust denier bishop Richard Williamson and the appeaser of Hitler, the war-time Pope, Pius XII.
The state of which the Pope is the head has also resisted signing many major human rights treaties and has formed its own treaties ('concordats') with many states which negatively affect the human rights of citizens of those states.
As a head of state, the Pope is an unsuitable guest of the UK government and should not be accorded the honour and recognition of a state visit to our country.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief.
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