Labour play the "remember who your real political friends are..." card

How petty is this?

Another little Labour plot appears to have had more success. Before the general election, the Scottish Roman Catholic hierarchy, including Cardinal Keith O'Brien, agreed that the SNP leader, Alex Salmond, could meet Benedict XVI during the Glasgow leg of the papal visit in September. Opposition to the plan came from Labour, the SNP's major rival north of the border, and when the new Tory-led government found out, it tried to revive the meeting. But it was too late. At the beginning of July, the Vatican told Cardinal O'Brien that there was no room in the schedule. with Prince Charles also snubbed, word is that only the Queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury will enjoy one-to-one meetings with the troubled pontiff.

On what grounds was Labour's opposition based on I wonder?
The other interesting aspect to this is the fact that it was the Conservatives who tried to get Alex back in for the one on one with the Pope. Clever politics, once again.