Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain has been plagued with controversy before it even began. This week over ten thousand people filled the streets of London for a “Protest the Pope” rally. The large crowd carried placards condemning a range of issues, from the backward papal stance on condom distribution and homosexuality, to the Vatican’s opposition to female priests and the rights of women. Many protesters expressed rage at the expanding horrific Catholic child sexual abuse scandals, which Ratzinger personally helped cover up for decades.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported that the sprawling crowd rallying against the pope was largely good natured, but :

…the force of feeling against the presence of Pope Benedict in the UK was clear in the messages condemning his stance on homosexuality, the use of condoms, segregated schools, women’s rights and, most of all, the child abuse scandal for which so many hold the pontiff personally responsible for both accelerating it and then covering it up.

“He is a symbol of all that is wrong with this terrible church, but he is more than that, he is also steeped in guilt at the cover-up,” said Paul Stevens, a 35-year-old lawyer on the march with friends in exuberant “leftover gay pride suits”. The first speaker to the rally was Sue Cox, 63, who was abused by a priest as a young girl and who told the crowd: “All I have ever experienced from the Catholic church is fear, disgust, lies and shame.”

SOURCE: GO Media - Written by Rhonda Winter - Image is by Felipe Trueba via the Guardian UK

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