A pro-life group calling for the election of Donald Trump as the next American president has been banned from officially meeting at Southwark Cathedral this week.
iHope – part of a group of Catholic organisations working to promote and defend the sanctity of life – this month organised a novena, Mass and procession for “life issues” and for the “United States of America and the presidential elections of Donald Trump [sic]”. In an email sent to its supporters, the group called for prayer and fasting for a Trump victory in order to “save millions of innocent lives”.
They had planned to meet at St George’s on Wednesday for Mass before taking part in a procession to the headquarters of the International Planned Parenthood Foundation in southeast London.
The Dean of Southwark, Fr Richard Hearn, said the event had been organised without the cathedral’s knowledge and was inappropriate due to the Church’s position of political neutrality. Speaking to The Tablet, Sub-Dean Fr Ola Craig said the group could not have their event on the premises.
Greg Clovis, a representative from iHope, said: “I don’t think anyone can stop people going to Mass. They don’t do anything in the Mass, they simply attend the Mass and carry on.” He predicted that some of the group would continue with their plans.
Donald Trump was last week accused of endorsing sexual harassment after a leaked video showed him verbally humiliating women. The scandal led to a number of prominent Republicans retracting their support for the controversial candidate.
Mr Clovis said the latest revelations had not changed the group’s stance. “We have the choice of a bad man or an evil woman,” he told The Tablet. “If I had to vote, I would have to vote for a bad man. Why vote for evil? Neither of them have integrity but one is incredibly evil,” he said, referring to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. “One really does intend to kill the innocent at industrial level – she voted for partial birth abortion.”
iHope is listed on Westminster’s diocesan website as one of the pro-life groups who meet regularly at Southwark Cathedral “to pray for all the victims of abortion”.
Loading ...
