PILGRIMS will be handed condoms en route to the papal Mass at Randwick racecourse for World Youth Day as part of a protest against the Pope's views on homosexuality, contraception and abortion.

NoToPope, a coalition of religious, atheist, gay and lesbian groups will hold a rally in Taylor Square from midday on Saturday, July 19. Protest organisers expect between 1000 and 5000 people.

The Mass will be on July 20, after an overnight vigil.

While the groups want the protest to be peaceful, they say they cannot guarantee there will be no confrontations with police or pilgrims. "We will say to them, 'take up the campaign within the Catholic Church to promote condoms'," said Rachel Evans, from Community Action Against Homophobia.

"We're not planning to get into any trouble, we don't want to condemn Catholic youth for being Catholics. We want to condemn the Pope for being homophobic and 'anti-condom'.