Pope will pass mural criticising Catholic Church

Published on Tuesday 14 September 2010 23:17

A MURAL suggesting the Catholic Church is wrong to deny the ordination of women priests has been put up on an Edinburgh church – along the Pope's procession route.

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The pontiff will have to drive past the mural, on the side of St John's Church at the West End of Princes Street, as he makes his way through the Capital.

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The Roman Catholic Church insists that it is not theologically possible for a woman to be ordained and Pope Benedict XVI recently banned discussion of the matter.

The mural depicts three figures condemned by the church, each with a large red 'X' crossing them out.

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On one side is Nicolas Copernicus, the Polish astronomer and mathematician who first proposed the theory that the earth revolved around the sun - a theory rejected by the church of the time.

On the other is Galileo Galilei, a scientist who was condemned as a heretic by the church for his support of the Copernican view. Both figures have faded crosses and the word "oops" underneath them to signify the later realisation of the church that they had been wrong to condemn the men.

In the centre there is a woman priest, without the 'X' erased.

The Revd Canon Dr John Armes, rector at St John's Church, said he welcomed the Pope's visit, and said the mural was intended to add to the debate.

End of Princes Street, as he travels through the Capital.

The Catholic Church insists it is not theologically possible for a woman to be ordained and Pope Benedict XVI recently banned discussion of the matter.

The mural depicts three figures condemned by the church, each with a large red 'X' crossing them out.

On one side is Nicolas Copernicus, the Polish astronomer who first proposed the theory that the earth revolved around the sun.

On the other is Galileo Galilei, a scientist was condemned as a heretic by the church for supporting the Copernican view.

The Revd Canon Dr John Armes, rector at St John's Church, said the mural was intended to add to the debate.