See preceding page for earlier entries on 7/19/10.
British government removes
online petition protesting Pope's visit
By Simon Caldwell
LONDON, July 19 (CNS) -- The British government has removed from its website a petition protesting Pope Benedict XVI's Sept. 16-19 visit to England and Scotland.
The petition had urged the British prime minister to dissociate the government from the Pope's "intolerant views" and not to support the state visit financially. The secularist coalition Protest the Pope sponsored the petition, which had attracted more than 12,300 signatures.
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who drafted the petition, said July 16 that the government had removed the petition three months before it was due to close, and that it had not allowed signatures since April.
"This looks like an attempt to prevent the petition from embarrassing the government by gaining a large number of signatures in the run-up to Pope Benedict's visit," Tatchell said in a statement.
"The prime minister's office originally agreed that the petition would remain open until the Pope arrived in the U.K.," he said.
Petitions have been part of the tradition of British democracy since at least the 19th century and until recently were usually delivered in person by the petitioners to either the prime minister's residence on Downing Street or to Parliament.
Under the country's last government, however, petitioners were encouraged to launch online petitions using the government's own website. These have the benefit of allowing signatories to add their names electronically with the guarantee that the government will issue a formal response within a set time frame.
The Protest the Pope petition had criticized Pope Benedict for his alleged "intolerant opposition to women's rights, gay equality, embryonic stem-cell research and condom use to prevent the spread of HIV."
It urged the prime minister to rebuke the Pope for allegedly covering up the clerical sex abuse of children and, according to the petition, his "rehabilitation of the Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson, and his plan to make a saint of Hitler's pope, Pius XII, who refused to publicly condemn the Holocaust."
In its response, posted on the prime minister's website, the government explained it would fund only the state aspects of the visit, with the Catholic Church meeting the costs of pastoral events.
"There are issues on which we disagree" with the Catholic Church, the statement said. "However, we believe that Pope Benedict's visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen and build on our relationship with the Holy See in areas where we share interests and goals and to discuss those issues on which our positions differ."
The Protest the Pope coalition is planning a march and rally in London to coincide with the Pope's Sept. 18 prayer vigil in London's Hyde Park.
There's a sort of countermove now called Protect the Pope that has launched a website (which has a section that exposes all the anti-Catholic, anti-Pope propaganda that's out there to let the reader know exactly what is being said and done).
protectthepope.com/
I hope it does not go the way of the previously heralded 'Unofficial website for the Pope's visit' which has not added a post since June 17 when it opened! And it seemed like such a good idea...
Here is a statement by the website's creator, Rev Nick Donnelly - a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Lancaster, and an author for the Catholic Truth Society. He holds a BA Divinity in Theology and is studying for his Masters at the Maryvale Institute. He is also on the Editorial Team of The Catholic Voice of Lancaster, the newspaper of the Diocese of Lancaster.
The attempt to destroy
Pope Benedict’s reputation
By Deacon Nick Donnelly
July 19th, 2010
During my researches to create this website I have surfed a number of newspaper, secularist and gay websites to get a sense of the level of hostility out there towards Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church. If you exclude the usual trolls who inhabit the web, many, many people are thinking and saying hateful things about Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church.
Peter Tatchel’s group, Protest the Pope, portrays the Holy Father as an international criminal involved in the deaths of millions due to his upholding the Church’s opposition to condoms, and, among other things, they imply he’s a Nazis sympathiser because of his removal of the canonical penalty of excommunication from Bishop Williamson and his declaration of Pope Pius XII as Venerable.
They are not interested in the fact that the Catholic Church, under the direction of Pope Benedict, provides 45 % of the healthcare worldwide for people suffering from HIV/AIDS, Catholic or non Catholic alike.
They’re not interested in the fact that Pope Benedict condemned in no uncertain terms any clerics’ denial of the Holocaust.
They’re not interested in the growing evidence from Jewish and Catholics groups that the Venerable Pope Pius XII was responsible, with others, for saving hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust.
(I’ll be examining all the accusations that Protest the Pope make against the Holy Father in the section ‘Benedict XVI’).
In my opinion groups like Protest the Pope use exaggeration, the partisan presentation of half-truths and selective quotations for one purpose – to destroy the reputation of Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church in the minds of their readers.
This is called calumny, and is seen by Jewish and Catholic moralists as being as serious as murder. According to the Talmud and Midrash the act of calumny is a threefold murderer – it ruins those who commit calumny, those who listen to it, and those maligned.
According to the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, ‘He is guilty of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgements concerning them. (CCC, 2477).
And what is Pope Benedict’s response to these attempts to destroy his reputation in the eyes of the world?
In May 2010 he said during his trip to Fatima:
‘…it is that attacks on the Pope and the Church do not come only from outside, but the sufferings of the Church come precisely from within the Church, from sins that exist in the Church. This has always been known, but today we see it in a really terrifying way: the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from enemies outside, but arises from sin in the Church.’
Unlike his detractors he does not seek to demonise them, or even criticise them, he just names them for what they are – enemies of the Church. And Jesus told us how we should behave towards our enemies didn’t he! ‘Forgive is our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’.
This doesn’t mean we should let their calumny go unchallenged, because it harms them, as well as us, and it harms debate and dialogue in a democratic society.
But even more importantly Pope Benedict tells us that the greatest threat to the Church is from sin by members of the Church.
The purpose of Protect the Pope is to expose the level and sources of anti-Catholicism and religious hate in our country, but also to honestly and frankly face up to the greater potential threat to the Church – ourselves!
From the site's Statement of Purpose:
When I talk to other Catholics about the Holy Father’s visit in September, most express concern about his safety. The unprecedented level of hostility, ridicule and ill-will from certain public figures and sections of the press has got some Catholics genuinely worried that Pope Benedict is going to be embarrassed or even hurt.
After centuries of institutionalised anti-Catholicism one thing Catholics in this country are sensitive about is religious hate, and there are plenty of signs that this is rearing its ugly head again.
Protection by the Law
One of the purposes of this website is to provide Catholics with information about the law concerning incitement of religious hatred. The more of us that know about the protection the Law offers our Faith the better.
This site will also provide the addresses of local police forces so Catholics can report actions that offend and distress and may constitute incitement of religious hatred.
Its important to know that we no longer have to suffer this type of abuse in silence as we did in the past but can now call on the Law to protect us as religious believers.
Protection by the Truth
There is also a lot of misinformation and lies being peddled by sensationalist sections of the press and, lets be frank here, by enemies of the Church. Yes, we still have enemies, they didn’t go away after the Second Vatican Council.
The Holy Father has his own security team and the police to protect him during his visit. Our concern on this website is to protect the Holy Father’s reputation and the truth of the Catholic Church.
Therefore, this website will endeavour to challenge the lies with the simple truth, especially about the person and actions of Pope Benedict XVI.
Protection through Prayer
Finally, its important that all Catholics pray for the safety of the Holy Father, for the pastoral and spiritual success of his visit, and for the good of the Church in this country. To this end a selection of prayers has been provided for people to print and use over the next couple of months.
protectthepope.com/?page_id=13
In its resources page, the site calls our attention to a book of prayers prepared for the Pope's visit by the Catholic Truth Society, a British publishing house that has now partnered with Ignatius Insight in the USA, and that also has two other books so far in preparation for the Pope's visit.
The Pope in Britain
Preparing for the visit with Prayers & Devotions
This booklet offers individuals, families, groups and parishes a selection of prayers, devotions and reflections to prepare for the visit both at personal level, as well as to pray for the Church, and the Pope himself, his intentions, and for the success of his visit.
The booklet includes:
• Prayer of preparation for the Pope's visit to Britain
• Prayers for the Pope and for his intentions
• The Angelus
• The Holy Rosary
• Novena for the visit of the Holy Father
• A visit to the Blessed Sacrament
• Holy Hour - Meditations and reflections
• Who the Pope is and what he does
Pope of Surprises
The first five years of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy
Scott, Helena / Tolansky, Ethel
A new review of the first five years of the papacy of Pope Benedict.
In the five years since his election, he has travelled widely, spoken to millions and written in depth on a vast range of subjects: His aim, to make God truly known and loved. Despite gloomy predictions at the start by detractors, Benedict has surprised everyone, accomplishing far more than was expected, in his own way.
And a book we have posted on a couple of times in the BENADDICTIONS thread... It's the loving work of two of our Forum friends:
Friendship with Jesus
Pope Benedict XVI Speaks to Children on their First Holy Communion
Ann Kissane Engelhart (illustr.); Amy Welborn (ed.)
In this beautifully illustrated book, Amy Welborn, well-known author and blogger, introduces Pope Benedict’s deep yet simple answers to questions put to him by children in Rome who had recently made their First Holy Communion. An ideal gift for children making their First Communion.
Other CTS products for the papal visit may be seen on
www.cts-online.org.uk/acatalog/PAPAL_VISIT_2010.html
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 20/07/2010 20:45]