Church and State partnering for Pope's UK visit

(July 07,2010) Almost two months before Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to the United Kingdom, local Church leaders and State authorities are closely collaborating to make the event a success. Lord Patten of Barnes, who is in charge of the government preparations for the Pope's State visit, explained this to journalists in a press conference Monday, which he gave along with Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster.
Lord Barnes, who is Prime Minister David Cameron's personal representative for the preparations of the September 16-19 papal visit, said that the government is strongly supportive of the event. He said the government sees itself as a partner of all faith groups, including the Catholic Church, in building solid, more resilient communities, dealing with issues of solidarity and social justice.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said that he recently met with Pope Benedict in Rome, who is looking forward to his visit. The archbishop underlined the historic nature of this visit, with the Pope visiting the queen, the Pope speaking in Westminster Hall - where St. Thomas More was condemned to death - the Pope going to Westminster Abbey and praying with the Archbishop of Canterbury at the tomb of St. Edward the Confessor, monarch of this land."
Archbishop Nichols said that the Pontiff approaches this visit as an exercise of meeting, of dialogue and inviting consideration and response. He is open to all aspects of our human endeavour," the prelate explained. "His last teaching document, 'Caritas in Veritate,' addressed the financial crisis, education, issues of globalization and the environment." The archbishop affirmed that the Holy Father does all of these things speaking of the enduring values of Christianity, values that still underpin our society," he concluded.