Pilgrims’ Protest

BY PAM WALKER
Sydney is top on the world’s pilgrimage trail this year with thousands of young Catholics expected to visit during Pope Benedict XVI’s first venture down under.

World Youth Day organisers are promising the expected 125,000 young people from more than 170 nations a heavenly event from July 14 to 21 ‘ to be held at Randwick Racecourse, Centennial Park, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Domain, Hyde Park, First Fleet Park and Circular Quay.

The State Government and the tourism industry promise the event will provide a significant economic boost for the NSW economy, thanks to flow-on benefits to airlines, restaurants, hotels, attractions and retailers.
‘Every dollar spent on the event will pay dividends for NSW and will be re-directed into local businesses,’ Tourism and Transport Forum managing director Christopher Brown said.

But nay-sayers have been vocal since the event was first announced. In addition to Randwick Racecourse resentment at being kicked off their turf, the expected traffic gridlock around the site, the feared degradation of Centennial Park, the application of APEC police powers during the event and the exorbitant cost of WYD08, there are now questions about whether enough pilgrims will invade to make the whole thing financially worth while.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says the Iemma government must adjust down the planned $129 million expenditure on World Youth Day, with the hotel industry warning bookings are well below what was initially forecast.

‘The Iemma government owes it to the public to come clean on how many pilgrims have registered, as WYD costs blow out and the expected economic benefits to NSW shrink,” Ms Rhiannon said. ‘It doesn’t make sense that the looming pilgrim drought is being met by an additional $43 million in expenditure announced in the budget, rather than spending restraint.’

Ms Rhiannon said the government needed to explain why an additional $4.4 million was allocated to the World Youth Day Co-ordination Authority during 2007/2008.

Added to this is considerable community opposition to unpopular Vatican political stances on such controversial subjects as gay rights and contraception.

So while however many pilgrims turn out for some Pontiff inspiration, protest groups around the city will be close behind, carrying their own message.

Leading the charge is a coalition that includes Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH). Convenor Rachel Evans described the Pope as ‘homophobic’ and said he has labelled gays as having an ‘objective disorder’.
‘The Vatican has called for a repeal of same sex marriages and civil unions within countries that have allowed for them. And it has called for the military to ban gays and for churches to ban gay priests,’ she said.

‘And the Pope is opposed to the use of condoms and contraceptive measures because he thinks they lead to an immoral lifestyle. We have a crisis in the third world, particularly Africa, over HIV infection and we are going to say loud and clear that the Pope should withdraw his objection to condoms which are lifesavers.’

Evans said up to 1000 adults and children die daily in South Africa alone from AIDS and some estimates predict that by 2050 about 10 million people will be infected in Africa.

‘We know there are sections of the Catholic Church arguing that condoms have holes in them and don’t stop the spread of HIV. It’s an uninformed view that is killing thousands of people,’ Evans said.

‘And of course there is also the Vatican’s opposition to abortion and women’s right to choose.’

CAAH wants the Government to provide Australians campaigning for a secular world with $129 million ‘ the figure being spent on WYD08.
‘The Pope can have his own party but he should pay for it,’ Evans said. ‘The Catholic Church is the third largest landowner in the world so they can afford it.’