Support for Pope still high in Britain

SUPPORT for the Pope among British Roman Catholics remains high, despite most disagreeing with their Church’s stance on controversial issues, a survey indicated yesterday.

Ahead of Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival in Britain on Thursday, the first Papal visit in 28 years, the poll showed a division between official doctrine on contraception, abortion and homosexuality and the views of the Catholic community in the country.

The majority of respondents expressed firm support for the Pontiff, despite saying they believed the Catholic Church was permanently damaged by child abuse scandals.

Just over one in 10 (11%) of Catholics polled for ITV’s Tonight programme agreed with the doctrine that abortion should only be allowed as an indirect consequence of life-saving treatment, while almost a third (30%) said abortion should always be allowed.

Asked about contraception, 4% agreed with the Catholic Church that it was wrong and should not be used, compared with seven in 10 (71%) who felt contraception should be used more often to avoid disease and unwanted pregnancies.

Almost a quarter (23%) said it was entirely up to couples whether they used contraception, the survey found.

More than a quarter (28%) of respondents said it was up to adults to do what they wanted in private and 41% claimed both gay and straight relationships should be celebrated. This contrasted with 11% of Catholics who supported the Church doctrine that homosexual acts were morally wrong.

Just under two-thirds (65%) believed Catholic priests should be allowed to marry, with a quarter (27%) saying they should remain celibate.

Questioned about high-profile abuse scandals, the majority (87%) believed they permanently damaged the reputation of the Catholic Church.

But support for the Pope held firm, with 72% saying he should remain in his position, while 14% felt he should stand down.

Meanwhile, campaigners for victims of clergy abuse called for “action not words” at a conference in London on Saturday.

A statutory inquiry into sexual abuse by clergy in Britain, pastoral care and funding to support victims are among the steps that should be taken to address paedophile crime within the Church, according to Minister And Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (Macsas).

Founder Dr Margaret Kennedy said the group plans to hand over a book of messages to the Pope on the issue during his visit.

Thousands of people are expected to line the routes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Pope during his four-day trip to Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Birmingham.

The visit comes 28 years after the six-day pastoral trip by Pope John Paul II to England, Scotland and Wales in 1982.

The Pope is scheduled to celebrate Masses, host a prayer vigil and beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th century convert to Roman Catholicism in an open-air Mass in Cofton Park, Birmingham.

His visit will include trips in the “Popemobile” in Edinburgh, London and Birmingham.

The taxpayer is expected to pay up to £12 million (€14m) towards the cost of the visit with the Catholic Church contributing up to £10m (€12m). The policing costs could reach £1.5m (€1.8m).

* YouGov polled 1,636 Catholics online between August 31 and September 2.