Meeting with state authorities in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse (Edinburgh,
16 September 2010)
Audience with H.M. The Queen and State Reception Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh Address
of the Holy Father
16 September 2010
Your Majesty, Thank you for
your gracious invitation to make an official visit to the United Kingdom and for your
warm words of greeting on behalf of the British people. In thanking Your Majesty,
allow me to extend my own greetings to all the people of the United Kingdom and to
hold out a hand of friendship to each one. It is a great pleasure for me to start
my journey by saluting the members of the Royal Family, thanking in particular His
Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh for his kind welcome to me at Edinburgh Airport.
I express my gratitude to Your Majesty’s present and previous Governments and to all
those who worked with them to make this occasion possible, including Lord Patten and
former Secretary of State Murphy. I would also like to acknowledge with deep appreciation
the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See, which has contributed
greatly to strengthening the friendly relations existing between the Holy See and
the United Kingdom. As I begin my visit to the United Kingdom in Scotland’s historic
capital city, I greet in a special way First Minister Salmond and the representatives
of the Scottish Parliament. Just like the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies,
may the Scottish Parliament grow to be an expression of the fine traditions and distinct
culture of the Scots and strive to serve their best interests in a spirit of solidarity
and concern for the common good. The name of Holyroodhouse, Your Majesty’s official
residence in Scotland, recalls the “Holy Cross” and points to the deep Christian roots
that are still present in every layer of British life. The monarchs of England and
Scotland have been Christians from very early times and include outstanding saints
like Edward the Confessor and Margaret of Scotland. As you know, many of them consciously
exercised their sovereign duty in the light of the Gospel, and in this way shaped
the nation for good at the deepest level. As a result, the Christian message has
been an integral part of the language, thought and culture of the peoples of these
islands for more than a thousand years. Your forefathers’ respect for truth and justice,
for mercy and charity come to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good
in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non-Christians alike. We
find many examples of this force for good throughout Britain’s long history. Even
in comparatively recent times, due to figures like William Wilberforce and David Livingstone,
Britain intervened directly to stop the international slave trade. Inspired by faith,
women like Florence Nightingale served the poor and the sick and set new standards
in healthcare that were subsequently copied everywhere. John Henry Newman, whose
beatification I will celebrate shortly, was one of many British Christians of his
age whose goodness, eloquence and action were a credit to their countrymen and women.
These, and many people like them, were inspired by a deep faith born and nurtured
in these islands. Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her
leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and
denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to
live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who
spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their
lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth
century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public
life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive
vision of the person and his destiny” (Caritas in Veritate, 29). Sixty-five years
ago, Britain played an essential role in forging the post-war international consensus
which favoured the establishment of the United Nations and ushered in a hitherto unknown
period of peace and prosperity in Europe. In more recent years, the international
community has followed closely events in Northern Ireland which have led to the signing
of the Good Friday Agreement and the devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland
Assembly. Your Majesty’s Government and the Government of Ireland, together with
the political, religious and civil leaders of Northern Ireland, have helped give birth
to a peaceful resolution of the conflict there. I encourage everyone involved to
continue to walk courageously together on the path marked out for them towards a just
and lasting peace. Looking abroad, the United Kingdom remains a key figure politically
and economically on the international stage. Your Government and people are the shapers
of ideas that still have an impact far beyond the British Isles. This places upon
them a particular duty to act wisely for the common good. Similarly, because their
opinions reach such a wide audience, the British media have a graver responsibility
than most and a greater opportunity to promote the peace of nations, the integral
development of peoples and the spread of authentic human rights. May all Britons
continue to live by the values of honesty, respect and fair-mindedness that have won
them the esteem and admiration of many. Today, the United Kingdom strives to be
a modern and multicultural society. In this challenging enterprise, may it always
maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more
aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate. Let it not obscure
the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms; and may that patrimony, which
has always served the nation well, constantly inform the example your Government and
people set before the two billion members of the Commonwealth and the great family
of English-speaking nations throughout the world. May God bless Your Majesty
and all the people of your realm. Thank you.