LONDON DEMO FOR A SECULAR EUROPE
14 FEB MEET @ 2 PM outside the Natural History Musem
March to the Italian Embassy in Grosvenor Square
This demo will be in solidarity with the demonstration happening at the
same time in Rome against the Vatican
and its intervention in Italian, European and world-wide politics.
www.facciamobreccia.org/london
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=45329993350
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE VATICAN
This tiny State inhabited mainly by priests is extremely powerful and its
“moral” crusades adversely affect the lives of
millions of people in Europe and in the world. Officially part of the UN,
its “observer-state” status means it engages in UN debates on a variety
of issues ranging from favourites, such as birth control, abortion and
homosexuality, to the environment, war and global trade. The Vatican has
diplomatic relationships with almost all the Countries in the world (174
when John Paul II died) and in many EU countries they benefit from the
support of Catholic politicians or in many cases of Christian political
parties. Of the 27 countries of the European Union, 14 are bound to the
Vatican by at least one treaty. No other religion has such a power in
Europe and in the World, thus prompting the Economist to publish an
investigation about the diplomatic service of the Vatican, questioning
whether it deserves its special status in the UN (21/07/2007). The Catholic
Church is an extremely profitable business. They own businesses such as
hotels, restaurants, shops and private schools and they DON’T pay any
tax! On top of this, the Vatican receives public money in many countries:
in Italy about 1000 million Euros from taxes is destined to the Vatican
every year (930 millions € in 2006 ). The Vatican wields considerable
political and economic power. It uses its influence and privilege to impose
an agenda on a variety of issues that affect our lives as European
citizens, and limit our civil rights and our civil liberties.
THE POPE’S VIEWS ON WOMEN AND LGBT PEOPLE
The issue of women's rights and the Catholic Church goes way beyond the
hierarchy of the church, where women are unable to ascend to priesthood as
a result of their gender. Women who have had a divorce, women who want to
have an abortion and women who are living as single parents in catholic
countries are often victims of intimidation and discrimination. The Pope
encourages us to view women as unequal to men, by consistently and publicly
stating that the two genders are naturally different and that women are
naturally inclined for domestic living. In some catholic countries, like
Ireland and Poland, abortion is illegal. In others, like Italy, the right
to an abortion is constantly under threat from the Vatican's pressure on
the Government. The Pope thinks being gay is an “objective disorder”
and a “moral evil”. In many countries in the world you can still get
the death penalty for being gay. Recently, a proposal to de-criminalise
homosexuality was opposed by the Vatican in the UN because it would mean
that States where same-sex unions are not recognized would be discriminated
against and unfairly subjected to international pressure.
WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO PEOPLE IN THE UK
This is certainly a global issue, but it also directly affects people
living in the UK. This country is regarded by many as fairly “secular”
but In reality, Christianity remains strongly embedded in many British
Institutions and continues to enjoy unfair religious privilege. Although a
limited right to abortion has been granted to women living in England,
Scotland and Wales since 1967, in Northern Ireland it remains illegal. This
anomaly is significantly due to religious influence. Christian lobbies are
engaged in continual efforts to restrict a woman’s right to abortion and
have succeeded in reducing the time limit for an abortion in Great Britain
from 28 to 24 weeks.
Religion retains undue influence and power in various ways. With increasing
numbers of state funded faith schools (1 in 3 of all schools in the UK is
either Catholic or Church of England), they continue to exercise a strong
influence on young people. With public opinion distracted over the proposal
to refer to the Christian roots of Europe they made sure that the proposed
EU Constitution – and now the Lisbon Treaty (article 16C) - dangerously
commits the European Union to “an open, transparent and regular dialogue
with Churches and religious organisations”. We need to protect democracy
and to champion human rights against those who wish to retain undemocratic
influence
and privilege. The Vatican has done this for years in the European Union,
the United Nations and even in the UK Parliament
without anyone paying attention. Why? “Man in his arrogance thinks
himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity...it is
more humble and I believe truer to consider him created from animals”
(Charles Darwin)
