14th September 2004
NZ Association of Rationalists and Humanists
Tell the Pope to Get Over It
The NZ Association of Rationalists and Humanists is urging the Government to tell the Pope to stay out of New Zealand's
business.
This follows a statement made by the Pope on Monday that New Zealand's planned Civil Unions legislation "violated God's
plan for humanity". The Pope was meeting a delegation of New Zealand Catholic Bishops. The delegation was led by
Cardinal Thomas Williams, who recently fretted about "the spiritual bankruptcy of liberalism".
Paul Litterick, Secretary of the NZ Association of Rationalists and Humanists, noted that the Pope's commitment to
marriage was such that he prohibited any of his nuns, monks and clergy from entering into it.
Likewise the Pope's support of the family was shown by the way his church had implemented a deliberate policy of
concealing numerous cases of sexual abuse committed by members of his clergy. "God's plan for humanity" also seems to
involve Catholic authorities in developing countries denying people access to contraception, thereby creating unwanted
pregnancies and spreading AIDS.
Mr Litterick went on to note that the Pope recently lectured the Canadian Government about its plans for formalising
same sex unions. "Canada dismissed the Pope's comments as an intrusion in Canadian politics. Our Government should do
the same."
"We should tell the Pope to get over it."
ENDS