Pope John Paul II addressed crowds in St. The event was staunchly opposed by Pope John Paul II and seen as an infringement on the numerous Catholic pilgrims visiting Rome for the Catholic Church's Great Jubilee. He restored the funding and promised to help with permits, but declined to back down on a demand that organizers remove the city logo from promotional materials. Hours after his announcement, Rutelli mostly reversed himself in response to harsh criticism from the left. Rome officials had promised to put up US$200,000 for the event, however bowing to ferocious opposition from the Vatican and conservative politicians, Rome's leftist mayor, Francesco Rutelli, on withdrew logistical and monetary support. The event was put on by the Italian gay rights group Mario Mieli along with InterPride. Image from the first WorldPride, held in Rome on July 8, 2000Īt the 16th annual conference of InterPride, held in October 1997 in New York City, InterPride's membership voted to establish the 'WorldPride' title and awarded it to the city of Rome, Italy, during July 1 to July 9, 2000.
