Anti-papal Protesters “Not Representative” of British: Catholic Voices Spokesman

  • Thread starter Thread starter Soutane
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Soutane

Guest
Anti-papal Protesters “Not Representative” of British: Catholic Voices Spokesman

By Hilary White

ROME, September 10, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The hostility that the papal visit has engendered among a “small, well organized group” of homosexualist and hard-core secularist activists is “extraordinary,” but their opinion is not representative of the general British public, said Austen Ivereigh, a journalist and deputy editor of the liberal Catholic magazine, The Tablet, in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN).

Ivereigh, who is acting as a co-coordinator and spokesman for the group Catholic Voices, which has been leading the charge in defending Pope Benedict’s state visit, told LSN he believes the tide of anti-Catholic media coverage is about to turn.

The anti-visit campaigners have “shot their load” and their efforts will backfire, he said. Rather than the fiasco predicted by the papal critics, Ivereigh expects the visit to be a smash hit with ordinary British people, both Catholic and non, who will be impressed with the personal charm of the pope himself.

The Catholic journalist pointed to what he called a pattern in the responses to previous papal controversies, such as the pope’s comments on condoms and AIDS transmission. Whereas the loud anti-Catholic voices often get the first wave of press, the second wave always brings out the more measured, balanced opinions in response

Anti-papal Protesters “Not Representative” of British: Catholic Voices Spokesman
 
It’s fine to say that anyone watching the Pope will have their mind/view changed but my own feeling is the vast majority of the British public simply won’t bother to listen to what the Pope has to say. The information for most will come from a 30 second newsbite.
No doubt the media will select only the juicy soundbites calculated to fit some contraversial agenda or other, context will be distorted and to find out what he really said and meant will require more research and effort on the part of the listener, which most probably won’t do.
My own feeling is for the majority of the country it will be a total non event, and for British catholics and all those travelling to see the Holy Father, it will be one of the best days of their lives.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top