Pope's visit to the United Kingdom welcomed by all Christian churches

(Sept.15,2010) All the Christian Churches in the United Kingdom are looking forward to the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, and hope the Pontiff’s visit will encourage them to bear witness together in the face of an increasingly secularized society. Contrary to what the majority of media preach, the scandals of sex abuse and paedophile priests, are pushing Catholics to draw closer to the testimony of Pope Benedict and the Church. The Protestant website titled “Christian Today”, published on Tuesday a joint statement of welcome to Pope Benedict with the Church of England. They hope that his visit will be a source of encouragement for all the churches in the country. The declaration was signed by the Anglican primate of England Rev. Rowan Williams, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, and Betty Matear of the Salvation Army. Positive comments were also expressed by Rev. Roberta Rominger, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church saying it hopes that the Pope's visit will give new "energy" and "inspiration" to the churches. The Baptist Union, speaking through Rev. Jonathan Edwards says it hopes that the visit will bring greater understanding between Christians to make them "more effective in reaching all people with the love of God."
The unanimous appreciation for the Pope's visit is explained by the fact that all the Churches of the United Kingdom face the same problem: a strong secularism, the marginalization of faith from public life and the ridicule of religion. A survey published by the BBC says that 60% of Catholics think that British society does not value their faith. Pope Benedict XVI’s 4-day visit that begins on Thursday will conclude on Sunday with the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman.