(26 Jul 10 – RV) There is just over a month and a half to go to Pope Benedict XVI’s
historic state visit to the United Kingdom, and preparations for the trip, after some
initial difficulties, are now entering the final stages.
In the lead up to
the Pope’s arrival in September 16, UK media have been focusing on the cost of the
visit on tax payers and on limited capacity in venues for the Holy Father’s public
liturgical celebrations.
Lord Chris Patten is the British government’s special
representative for the papal visit. He says the nature of papal visits are far more
complex than simple state visits:
“I think at the outset, and this is no criticism,
people had perhaps underestimated the complexity involved in fitting together the
state visit aspect and the pastoral aspects as if they were a seamless whole. Its
incomparably more difficult arranging the state visit of the Holy Father than arranging
the state visit of even President Obama. President Obama doesn’t go out and meet
one hundred thousand people at an open air venue. The difficulties in getting all
this together, were I think a little underestimated, but now I think we’re on top
of things. I also think it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate that the government
of a largely non Catholic country still has a formidably large agenda to work with
the Catholic Church on issues of consensus; the Millennium Development Goals, environmental
protection, global equity, disarmament issues. Domestic issues, such as strengthening
the relationship between faith groups in the community. When we ‘parade’ the importance
of this relationship we will perhaps even surprise some people who were critical of
this visit in the first place”.