Pope’s aide calls ‘atheist’ Britain Third World land

THE Pope was embroiled in fresh controversy yesterday ahead of his visit to Britain when a key aide pulled out of the trip after calling the UK a Third World country.

By Richard Palmer, Royal Correspondent, Nick Pisa in Rome

Cardinal Walter Kasper who has pulled out of the visit made his critical remarks in a German mag Cardinal Walter Kasper, who has pulled out of the visit, made his critical remarks in a German mag

Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, who was due to take part in ecumenical talks with representatives of the Church of England during the four-day visit, condemned “aggressive atheism” in Britain, where he said Christians were at a disadvantage.

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Vatican officials blamed his last-minute decision to pull out on an attack of gout – but others suggested Pope Benedict XVI had not wanted him to come amid a row over an interview he gave to the German magazine Focus.

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In the article headlined Third World Land, Cardinal Kasper, who has worked closely with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, complained about a culture of aggressive atheism in Britain. He said: “When you land at Heathrow you think you are in a Third World land.”

The Cardinal also highlighted a row over British Airways staff being banned from wearing the crucifix, saying: “If you wear a cross, you are discriminated against. We want to show our faith publicly.”

It is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the Papal visit, which begins in Edinburgh today. Protesters, who accuse the Catholic church of covering up widespread child abuse by priests, plan to stage demonstrations against the Pontiff.

It is the first State Visit by a Pope in 500 years of diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Pope John Paul II was here in 1982 but was only accorded the status of a pastoral visit.

Cardinal Kasper’s secretary, Monsignor Oliver Lahl, said: “He is very disappointed not to be going. He has been ill for a few days and can hardly walk.”

When asked what Cardinal Kasper had meant by Third World, Monsignor Lahl said: “It was a description of the many different people that live in Britain at the moment. Aggressive atheism was his way of describing people like Richard Dawkins, (a prominent atheist) who have been very critical of the Pope and who had even talked about making a citizens arrest.”

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