Protest the Pope. Say NO to an official state visit to the UK

http://www.secularism.org.uk/protest-the-pope.html

The National Secular Society does not welcome the 2010 State visit of Pope Benedict XVI. 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 through so called ‘faith schools’
* Denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women
* Opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people
* Failing to adequately 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.

For these reasons, we believe that 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.

In March 2010 The National Secular Society delivered a 28,000 name petition to the Prime Minister objecting to any state funding of what is, in essence, a religious activity.

If you believe, as we do, that the Pope should not come to the UK without hearing from the millions of people who reject his harsh, intolerant views and the practices and policies of the Vatican State please get involved. Please visit the Protest the Pope Campaign website where you can sign up to email alerts.
Petition the PM

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to disassociate the British government from the Pope's intolerant views ahead of the Papal visit to Britain in September 2010.

We urge the Prime Minister to make it clear that his government disagrees with the Pope's opposition to women's reproductive rights, gay equality, embryonic stem cell research and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV.

We ask the Prime Minister to express his disagreement with the Pope’s role in the cover-up of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy, his rehabilitation of the Holocaust-denying bishop Richard Williamson, and his decree paving the way for the beatification and sainthood of the war-time Pope, Pius XII, who stands accused of failing to speak out against the Holocaust.

We also request the Prime Minister to assure us that the Pope’s visit will not be financed by the British taxpayer.

Sign this petition on the No.10 website http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ProtestthePope/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to disassociate the British government from the Pope's intolerant views ahead of the Papal visit to Britain in September 2010. We urge the Prime Minister to make it clear that his government disagrees with the Pope's opposition to women's reproductive rights, gay equality, embryonic stem cell research and the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. We ask the Prime Minister to express his disagreement with the Pope’s role in the cover-up of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy, his rehabilitation of the Holocaust-denying bishop Richard Williamson, and his decree paving the way for the beatification and sainthood of the war-time Pope, Pius XII, who stands accused of failing to speak out against the Holocaust. We also request the Prime Minister to assure us that the Pope’s visit will not be financed by the British taxpayer. More details

Submitted by Mr Peter Tatchell of OutRage! –

Deadline to sign up by: 02 October 2010 – Signatures: 12,333

During the official campaign period for the General Election the e-Petitions system will be closed to new submissions and signatures. The Government will also not issue responses to petitions during this period. This is to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code on party political neutrality.

Any petitions due to close between the announcement of the General Election and 3 June will have their deadlines extended to 3 June. Petitions will reopen for signatures upon the formation of the Government following the General Election.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
More details from petition creator

The Pope not only opposes the right of women to have an abortion but also their right to contraception to prevent the need for abortions.

He also opposes women’s access to IVF fertility treatment to give childless couples the chance of parenthood. He condemns potentially life-saving embryonic stem cell research.

Pope Benedict denounces the use of condoms, even to stop the spread of HIV, as well as claiming falsely that condom usage “increases” the rate of HIV infection. This puts millions of lives at risk.

He opposes legal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and their full protection in law against homophobic and transphobic discrimination

The Pope has authorised the Catholic Catechism, which condemns same-sex relationships as a “grave depravity” and “contrary to natural law.” In 1992, he criticised gay sexuality as a “tendency ordered towards an intrinsic moral evil.”


While condemning loving, consenting adult same-sex relations, the Pope played a role in shielding Catholic clergy guilty of child sex abuse from prosecution, as revealed in the 2006 BBC Panorama programme, Sex crimes and the Vatican.

Sign petition http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ProtestthePope/