Protest the Pope: Sunday twenty eighth March 2010 noticed a big protest by a coalition of organisations in opposition to the historic state go to deliberate for the forthcoming September by Pope Benedict XVI. This was the primary official go to ever by a Pope to the UK, though in 1982 Pope John Paul II made a pastoral go to right here.
England has had a lengthy custom of anti-Catholicism relationship again to even earlier than Henry VIII, usually mentioned to have begun with the martyrdom of Saint Alban, beheaded in St Albans (then Verulanium) at a while within the third or 4th century. However issues actually got here to a head (!) once more with the break up from Rome on largely political and matrimonial grounds by Henry in 1536 in England and 1538 in Eire (the place Henry additionally dominated, though solely proclaiming himself King in 1541 following a number of hundred years of Anglo-Norman invasion.) The reformation in Scotland in because of John Knox in 1560 was significantly extra on spiritual grounds.
Catholicism grew to become unlawful throughout the British Isles and underneath Elizabeth I a failure to attend weekly Anglican providers grew to become an act of excessive treason. King James II was truly a Catholic when topped and tried to take away the restrictions on Catholics and set up better freedom of faith, however this was a significant a part of his downfall and alternative by Dutch Calvinist William III. It was underneath his reign that in 1701 the Act of Settlement prohibited anyone who was a Catholic or married one from turning into an inheritor to the throne. This latter restriction remained in power till 2013 with our PM David Cameron in 2011 nonetheless insisting that the monarch should be a card-carrying member of the Church of England however at the least they will now marry Catholics.
Each November fifth we nonetheless rejoice the foiling of a Papist plot to explode Parliament by burning effigies of Catholic Man Fawkes – although at some celebrations now additionally they burn effigies of assorted politicians. And in earlier centuries we had severe anti-Catholic riots though we now consider these as confined to Northern Eire and fortunately considerably diminished lately. However Orange Order marches right here in England in addition to in Ulster stay a reminder of anti-Catholic prejudice.
And naturally it hasn’t simply been Catholics who’ve suffered from spiritual prejudice and persecution over time, but in addition non-Conformists, Jews and Muslims. Though a lot of the authorized restrictions have now gone we now have seen a substantial rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia notably in excessive proper circles.
However the protest in 2010 was pushed by the persevering with revelations of sexual abuse by monks and in Catholic organisations and the proof that main Catholic figures have been attempting to cowl these up fairly than take efficient motion. After all it isn’t simply Catholics who abuse, and up to date occasions within the Anglican church have opened up our information of institutional failings there too. And to be honest to religions we’re additionally conscious of comparable issues within the military and a few left and proper wing political events too, in addition to Harrods and different personal firms.
You will discover out extra in regards to the occasion in my account and extra photos on My London Diary however I’ll finish with a few lengthy quotes from that article, the primary a listing of the organisations that have been concerned within the protest and the second about why the objected to the state go to.
The coalition consists of eleven organisations: the British Humanist Affiliation, Central London Humanist Group, Council of ex-Muslims of Britain, Homosexual & Lesbian Humanist Affiliation, Worldwide Humanist and Moral Union, Nationwide Secular Society, North London Humanists, One Legislation for All, OutRage!, Southall Black Sisters and Ladies In opposition to Fundamentalism. The biggest banner was for London for a Secular Europe, although there was additionally one for the Nationwide Secular Society and lots of Outrage! posters; each Peter Tatchell of Outrage! and Terry Sanderson, President of the NSS have been participating.
And in regards to the Pope and the Catholic Church:
He’s the top of a church which, in addition to failing to take care of childe abuse, has opposed the distibution of condoms, rising household sizes and the unfold of AIDS in poor international locations, denied abortion to girls, together with probably the most susceptible, opposed equal rights for LBGT individuals, and rehabilitated holocaust deniers.
The Pope can also be head of state of the Vatican which has not signed many main human rights treaties and has produced concordats with many states that successfully deny their residents human rights.
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