Pilgrims in Sydney for World Youth Day will be handed condoms in a protest against Pope Benedict XVI's opposition to contraception and homosexuality, demonstrators say.

The NoToPope Coalition, which includes members of Sydney's atheist, gay and environmental communities, will march to Randwick Racecourse on Saturday, July 19, alongside Catholic pilgrims who will be walking to Randwick after a pilgrimage trek across the Sydney Harbour Bridge that day.

VIDEO: Protesting Pope's stance on condoms, homosexuality and abortion

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The coalition is planning a rally at Taylor Square in Sydney's inner east, followed by the march to the racecourse, where Pope Benedict XVI is holding a prayer vigil that evening.

Coalition spokeswoman Rachel Evans says the "peaceful protest" would condemn the Pope's stance against condoms, homosexuality and abortion.

Pope 'a bigot'

"He is very anti-condom. He also suggested same-sex marriage is an obstacle to world peace and he calls homosexuality an object disorder," Ms Evans told reporters in Sydney today.

"Now he is clearly, frankly, a bigot in this case."

Ms Evans says the number of demonstrators expected to march was vague at this stage, but she expected somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 people to take part.

"We will ... march to be with the pilgrims to hand out condoms to the pilgrims, the Catholic youth, and say to them, 'take up the campaign within the Catholic church to allow the Catholic church to promote condoms," she says.

The protest would be peaceful and would not condemn Catholicism, Ms Evans says.

'Not anti-Catholicism'

"We don't want to condemn the Catholic youth for being Catholics.

"We don't want to alienate any of the Catholic youth that are here."

Karl Hand, a pastor from the Metropolitan Community Church in Sydney, says while he hoped that the march remained peaceful, there were no guarantees.

"I hope that there won't be any violent confrontations .. I hope that there won't be any negative energy," says Mr Hand, whose progressive church includes Protestant, Catholic and agnostic members.

"(But) I would not be surprised if there was confrontation."

Pope Benedict was misrepresenting Christian views, Mr Hand says.

"I'm compassionate towards people who need condoms, who need abortions, who need all sorts of recognition of their relationship and it's just not being provided by this massive worldwide church," he says.

"I'm not opposed to his (the Pope's) visit at all, I'm opposed to his policies.

"A lot of the views being taken up by the Pope are anti-humanity in general, so that's upsetting."
Source: AAP