Will the pope continue his attack on gay rights while in UK?

The pope has been invited, during his September visit, to lecture the British people about “the family” – which, in Vatican-speak will mean another attack on gay rights. The Tablet magazine reveals that Lord Patten — who has been put in charge of trying to get the chaotic visit back on track — is “enthused” about it all.

Referring to speeches that the Pope is going to make while in this country — including one to ‘civil society’ in Westminster Hall — Lord Patten said: “Education is going to play a part as will what the Government has said about the Big Society and its connections with Catholic Social Teaching themes such as solidarity and subsidiarity. And there will be another addition too: The role of the family. I am absolutely sure of that.”

But exactly what business does a foreign head of state have coming to this country telling us how to run our affairs? Or perhaps, in that context, he is not a “head of state” but a “religious leader”? It seems he can transmogrify from one role to the other whenever it suits his purpose. He’s a “head of state” when there is any prospect of his having to pay his own way (or maybe get arrested for covering up child abuse), and he’s a “religious leader” when he wants to try and inflict his dogmas on to an unwilling society.

When the Vatican talks of “the family” it is, at least partly, code for homophobic prejudice. Wherever he goes the Pope attacks gay people and tries to persuade governments to deny or remove their rights. He did it in Portugal recently and in Spain before that. He has done it in Italy. It is sickening that we are paying hundreds of millions for him to come and do the same to gay people here.

Lord Patten says: “Nobody expects a total meeting of minds.” He can say that again.

The Tablet also reports:

Thus far, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has received a total of £1.4m towards the visit from the insurance company, National Catholic Mutual, and other diocesan insurers. A further £1m has been pledged by individual benefactors and at least another £1m is expected from the Pentecost Sunday national collection. Wealthy benefactors who attended an Archbishop’s House reception earlier in the year were told that the original plan for the Newman beatification would cost £1.3m and a Hyde Park prayer vigil £1.5m.

In a recent interview, Mgr Summersgill cautioned Catholics not to be too optimistic about their chances of attending the pastoral gatherings. He has suggested some could see the Pope from the roadside while he hoped that huge numbers would participate “virtually” with the live coverage on television and online. This kind of attitude does not go down well in Rome, with one Vatican source saying: “That will be seen as provincialism. The Pope travels to be seen by as many people as possible, not to be watched on TV. If that were the aim, he might as well stay in Rome.”

Then there is the issue of conviction. If there are problems raising money, has the Church “sold” the visit to the faithful? In many parishes, the national collection that was held on Pentecost Sunday went ahead without the planned gift-aid envelopes, prayer cards and posters being distributed on time. The visit wasn’t explained to churchgoers, even though 330,000 Q-and-A leaflets are being printed. But they won’t be distributed until late June, weeks after the collection.”

Responding to the Catholic Church in England propaganda leaflet published last week entitled Heart Speaks unto Heart purporting to explain why the Pope is visiting the UK, even enthusiastic Catholics dismissed it as “an embarrassment” and “guff” In a couple of sentences it blithely skates over the fact that England has been at war with the Vatican on more than one occasion and that there are still constitutional prohibitions on the participation of Catholics in public life – such as the Act of Settlement. It tells us that the Pope is an “ecumenist” who respects all religions. This is despite his 2007 declaration of the Catholic Church to be the only authentic faith and everything else was illegitimate and untrue.

The different faiths will pray together in Westminster Abbey in an effort to “overcome their divisions” while in the real world, religion will continue to be an excuse for people to kill, maim and persecute each other. See here and here and here.

Read the leaflet

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, said this week that the pope must not be greeted with noise from vuvuzelas, the plastic horns that have become a craze at the World Cup in South Africa. You can buy your vuvuzela here

See also:

Is the Vatican successfully sitting out the abuse scandal?

Doubt cast over Pope’s visit to Coventry

Forgive the Pope? Victims want him prosecuted!