Cardinal pulls out of Pope's visit to 'Third World' UK

German-born Cardinal Walter Kasper, 77, was to make the trip as part of the Pope's entourage.

Vatican officials attributed the change of plans to ill health but it followed an interview the cardinal gave to German magazine Focus in which he commented on the godlessness of a section of English society, claiming Britain was facing an "aggressive new atheism" and that "Christians were at a disadvantage".

Asked about the protests expected to greet the Pope's visit, he remarked on Britain's multi-cultural inhabitants, telling the magazine that someone landing at Heathrow may think they were in a "Third World country" as there was such a variety of faces there.

The comments have added to controversy over the four-day visit, which begins today, and is set to attract a number of protests including those by the survivors of abuse by Catholic priests.

Speaking as the final preparations were under way, a group of victims demanded the Pope "make amends" for their suffering by going further than offering an apology, and identifying priests suspected of crimes. Peter Saunders, survivor and chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: "We need the Pope to say 'I will hand over all the information I have about abusing priests wherever they are in the world."

The Catholic Church in England and Wales distanced itself from Cardinal Kasper's comments.

A spokeswoman said: "The attributed comments of Cardinal Kasper do not represent the views of the Vatican, nor those of bishops in this country."