LEEDS, England (Sept. 15) — England has been a thorn in the side of the Vatican since the days of Henry VIII. And Thursday’s planned papal visit — the first-ever state trip to Britain by any pontiff in history — isn’t likely to be any different. When Pope Benedict XVI arrives here for a four-day stay, he’s likely to find a more secular, belligerent Britain than ever before — a country just as ready to thumb its nose at papal authority as it was in the 16th century. Throngs of protesters are expected to greet him in Scotland, London and Birmingham, angry about the price tag for his trip, the church’s sex abuse scandal and its increasingly isolated stances on contraception, homosexuality and abortion. –Lauren Frayer, AOLnews Contributor
