A papal visit to Northern Ireland is back on the Vatican agenda, after a meeting in Rome between Pope Benedict and Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, in May. In echoing the Prime Minister's invitation to the pope to visit the UK, Mr Woodward expressed the hope that he would be able to come to Northern Ireland as part of that visit. Mr Woodward, of course, merely wishes use such a visit as a cynical manoeuvre to further cement the devolved political arrangements. However, we must make it clear (yet again) that the evangelical Protestant people of Ulster are strongly opposed to any papal visit, and we call on all Protestant politicians, churches and organisations to unite in opposition. We also urge our brethren on the mainland to raise their voices against a papal visit to any part of the United Kingdom.