Well known names sign anti-pope visit letter

Over 50 well known names have signed a letter to The Guardian newspaper opposing the state visit by The Pope. The controversial visit by the head of the Catholic Church is due to take place this weekend in the UK but the costs involved – as well as the Pope’s stance on issues such as sexuality – have clouded the state visit.

 

Over 50 well known names have signed a letter to The Guardian newspaper opposing the state visit by The Pope. The controversial visit by the head of the Catholic Church is due to take place this weekend in the UK but the costs involved – as well as the Pope’s stance on issues such as sexuality – have clouded the state visit. The issue of the Pope visiting the country has rumbled on for several months now and also became an election issue, all be it briefly, as all three leaders of the political parties defended the state visit is spite of the costs involved.

 

Now over 50 well known names have signed a letter published in The Guardian newspaper opposing the visit. Amongst those to sign the letter are Stephen Fry, Phillip Pullman and Terry Pratchett and they are not the first to speak out. Atheist Richard Dawkins and equality campaigner Pete Tatchell have both condemned the visit and said they may even try to arrest the pope – for human rights abuses.

 

Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in the UK on later this week – visiting Scotland first. The letter states that while the Pope has every right to visit the UK it should not be an official state visit because of his views in sexuality, abortion and contraception. Earlier this week the Pope once again spoke out against gay rights even though his previous attacks on sexuality have been widely criticised. The issue of the Church covering up child abuse scandals also continues and is another reason given by the signatories of the letter as to why the Pope should not be given a state visit.