POPPS ENCYCLICAL Demonstration Outside Westminster Cathedral

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 17

POPPS ENCYCLICAL Demonstration Outside Westminster Cathedral

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, August 19. Roman Catholics scuffled outside Westminster Cathedral yesterday when groups for and against the Pope’s ruling on birth control came face to face.

Crowds pouring out from Mass were confronted by posters urging: “Show compassion. Good priests are needed.” One hundred demonstrators from a suburban church whose priest. Father Paul Weir, aged 31, has been suspended on the birth-control issue, were recruiting support for a planned protest march across London. A counter-demonstration. quickly developed on the cathedral steps, and a banner was unfurled, reading "We support the Pope. Catholics, think before you act.” An elderly woman began shouting: “Everybody in sup-1 port of the Pope, over here.” A man who criticised her was told: “You're a bad Catholic,”.

And within moments, shouts of "hypocrite” and “traitor” were being traded. The argument grew heated. Two men started scuffling and had to be dragged apart by friends. Another; man grab-j bed a banner from one of the supporters of Father Weir and tore it up. Father Weir, was not present: he has taken no part in efforts to have him reinstated. MOVED ON

Police headed off further trouble by ordering the protest marchers to move on. They tramped a mile to London's other Roman Catholic Cathedral, in Southwark. It was one of the most orderly demonstrations LonI don has seen. Whole families trudged along, some women pushing their children in prams: young couples walked hand-in-hand. At Southwark they laid down their banners and went into the cathedral to pray. Southwark is the seat of Archbishop Cyril Cowderoy, aged 63, who is reputed to be one of the sternest among the 25 bishops in England and Wales in his attitude towards contraception. So far. Archbishop Cowderoy is the only member of the British hierarchy to suspend priests for opposing the Pope’s encyclical. Other bishops have talked with priests who raised objections, and in some cases

[advised them to take a holi,'day to think things over. . Nine priests are known to ■ have spoken out publicly against the encyclical in Britain. Only two. Father Weir i and Father David Payne, have been disciplined. Both are in the Southwark archdiocese. Father Andrew Beer, told his congregation in working Surrey, that he did not believe contraception was necessarily sinful and he could not impose that teaching on others. He said he had Bishop David Cashman’s permission to make his statement. Father Beer added that he had not been suspended, but was being sent away for three months to think things over. i COMMUNION REFUSED From Sydney it is reported that a Roman Catholic priest said during Mass last night that he would refuse Communion to Roman Catholics who publicly defied the Pope’s encyclical. Dr R. J. Batten, a former professor of moral theology in the Dominican Order, said he would refuse Communion until any such defiance was retracted. He was referring to a group of Roman Catholics who recently wrote to a Sydney newspaper to protest against the Pope’s encyclical. Dr Batten said that for priests to advise against the encylical was “a betrayal of priestly duty.”