Fr Lombardi: Great Expectations for Popes UK Trip

(18 Aug 10 – RV) On Wednesday the Vatican published the detailed itinerary of Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic voyage to the United Kingdom from September 16^th to 19^th next. Vatican Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. gave us his reaction and hopes for this upcoming trip:

A. – It is a very rich, intense and articulate program. Of course there is great expectation and excitement in the lead up to the first day, which immediately sees the Pope’s meeting with Her Majesty, the Queen. It is also the day when he will meet with Scotland, which is a very important part of this journey. I would like to remind people that the Pope’s visit to Scotland coincides with the Feast of St. Ninian, who is the patron saint and evangeliser of Scotland. As such it is a very important day for Scottish people. We think it will be a great celebration, a very beautiful moment. Then, I would highlight the Pope's great address in Westminster Hall, his meeting with civil society, the world of culture, with all the most active and influential members of English society. This certainly will be a closely watched moment. The Pope will address, on a very broad level, the problems facing society in the United Kingdom and in the world today. Then there is the ecumenical dimension, in his meeting with the Anglican Primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury: the ecumenical celebration is certainly of great significance. We also know that it is a delicate moment for Anglicanism, because of internal debates. It is also a delicate time in relations with the Catholic Church, because these debates also reflect on the relationship between Anglicans and Catholics. Then, obviously, we come to the culminating moment which takes place in two stages, if you will: the vigil in Hyde Park in London and the Beatification in Birmingham dedicated to the figure of Newman. So with this great figure, who is almost “the spiritual heart of this visit”, the journey ends. We know that the Pope accepted the invitation for this visit because of the occasion of Newman’s Beatification.

Q. - Many have pointed to a special bond between Newman, this great nineteenth century pastor and intellectual and Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI. What are your thoughts?
A. – It’s not unfounded[…] because in the person of the Pope, Benedict XVI, we have a profound synthesis between faith and reason, and I would add, even spirituality. There is a connection between living the Christian witness in today's world, in the modern world, giving all the reasons of Christian faith for those who seek it, giving the reason for our hope in the world today, and displaying a deep faith, a very careful, very great, vibrant spirituality as well as a very broad pastoral sensibility. The figure of Newman is complete, he is a fascinating character because of his depth, not only for his intellectual dimension, but also his cultural and pastoral dimension. His ability to convey the completeness of the cultural commitment to the world of today is captivating. He is certainly the perfect figure to present the dignity of Christian witness as capable of addressing the problems and the biggest questions of modern man, to modern society.

Q. - There has been much talk in recent days, of the so-called "tickets" to attend some of the visit’s events, such as the vigil in Hyde Park. The coordinator for the trip, Mgr. Summersgill explained that this is actually a contribution and is not mandatory for the believers. Would you like to comment on the matter?
A. - Yes, I think it's fair to comment on it a little, although in itself it is of rather marginal importance compared to the significance of the central themes of this trip. Absolutely unfounded objections have been read and heard. I even heard some speak about the Vatican demanding paid tickets to attend Mass, thus involving the Vatican in very specific organizational decisions. This is absolutely wrong. We must remember that the Pope goes to a country because he is invited, and invited by the highest authorities of the State - the Queen and the government - and by the local Church. Therefore, the costs, the organizational commitments of the visit naturally belong to those who extend the invitation. It’s not the Pope who single-handedly organises a trip to England. So, first thing: the Vatican did not establish any rules in this regard. These are organisational methods dealt with on the spot by the local Church, but taking into account all the many organizational constraints imposed by civil authorities. For example, in this case we have the unusual situation that people can not move freely on foot to where the three major public events will be taking place: they must use arranged transportation and all the seats must be allocated to an extremely precise number.
This isn’t how people usually travel to take part in the major events during the Pope’s journeys. So this must be taken into account and this is dictated by the security needs of civil authorities. Thus, the church authorities themselves had to organize groups of faithful who could travel on arranged transportation, thereby giving them a "pass", a special passport for all the faithful who are to take part, and this is delivered along with a small "kit" – that is both pastoral and logistical - and so a small "contribution" has been asked from every group that is organizing itself to attend the events. How this contribution is then distributed among the people taking part depends on the parish or diocese that has organized these groups. It is not, therefore, a ticket paid by the individual to go to mass. I think if you keep this in mind, we will understand the issue better. Also with regard to - for example - access to the media and journalists there are checks and restrictions that are quite demanding, more so than in other trips. This does not depend on the Vatican and neither does it depend on the local Church.

Q. - Finally, what are the expectations for this trip almost 30 years since John Paul II’s historic visit to Great Britain? A. - The situation is very different in terms of development, also on a social and cultural level, because many things have changed in recent years. The visit itself is also of a different nature. It has the aspect of being a state visit with an official invitation from the Queen and government, while that of Pope John Paul II was more pastoral. I would say that what is expected, desired and really hoped for from this visit is that the service of Christian faith and service of the Catholic Church to a very developed but also very secular society, like the United Kingdom, will be presented and understood. A reality in which perhaps many people question the value of Christian witness and indeed Catholic witness in society. Therefore, to help understand that this is a gift to society, a wealth that is offered through a service of spiritual inspiration but, also, of involvement in education, in health, in charity which is very important. Indeed, we hope that the Pope's trip will help make known this friendly positivity of the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, to a society that for many reason is no longer – perhaps –very aware of this. I would also say that the Holy Father’s journeys this year - to Malta, Portugal and Cyprus - have been very positive trips. We hope that this trip really is a manifestation of the beauty, the positivity of service of the Holy Father in society, especially in times when we have also had moments of protest. The hope is to be able to effectively propose the fundamental, positive input that the Church gives to society today, a society that is modern, pluralistic, even secular, so that it never forgets, so that it knows how to appreciate the positive contribution that faith offers.