Representatives of the Protest the Pope campaign met this morning with Archbishop Smith, the Archbishop of Southwark, at New Scotland Yard. They explained to the Archbishop that the protest plans were targeted at the policies and actions of the Holy See, the state of which the Pope is the head, and not at Catholics in the UK. There are Catholics who oppose the actions of the Pope and the Holy See, some of whom will be joining with our protest during his visit.
Archbishop Smith was given a copy of the new book by Geoffrey Robertson QC, which makes the case for the Holy See not to be recognised as a state. Archbishop Smith was also asked to pass on the campaign’s request that files held by the Vatican on the sexual abuse of children within its organisations should be made open to civil authorities for the purposes of criminal investigation. The Archbishop agreed to pass this request on.
Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive said ‘Our meeting was amicable but we did not disguise from the Archbishop our opposition to the policies and actions of the Holy See which stands opposed to the human rights of women, children and LGBT people and uses its recognition as a state to amplify these intolerant policies at the global level.’
Notes
For further comment or information, please contact Andrew Copson on 020 3675 0959 or andrew@humanism.or.uk
The BHA is a member of the Protest the Pope Campaign which protests against the state visit of the Pope to the UK www.protest-the-pope.org.uk
The BHA and other members of the Protest the Pope campaign are not against the Pope coming to the UK as a religious leader. Our opposition is to the visit being a state visit, with the British people footing the bill.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.