Farewell Ceremony, Birmingham Airport Address of the Holy Father
Farewell Ceremony, Birmingham Airport Address of the Holy Father
Prime
Minister, Thank you for your kind words of farewell on behalf of Her Majesty’s
Government and the people of the United Kingdom. I am very grateful for all the hard
work of preparation, on the part of both the present and the previous Government,
the civil service, local authorities and police, and the many volunteers who patiently
helped to prepare for the events of these four days. Thank you for the warmth of
your welcome and for the hospitality that I have enjoyed. During my time with
you, I have been able to meet representatives of the many communities, cultures, languages
and religions that make up British society. The very diversity of modern Britain
is a challenge to its Government and people, but it also represents a great opportunity
to further intercultural and interreligious dialogue for the enrichment of the entire
community. In these days, I was grateful for the opportunity to meet Her Majesty
The Queen, as well as yourself and other political leaders, and to be able to discuss
matters of common interest, both at home and abroad. I was particularly honoured
to be invited to address both Houses of Parliament in the historic precincts of Westminster
Hall. I sincerely hope that these occasions will contribute to confirming and strengthening
the excellent relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom, especially in
cooperation for international development, in care for the natural environment, and
in the building of a civil society with a renewed sense of shared values and common
purpose. It was also my pleasure to visit His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury
and the Bishops of the Church of England, and later to pray with them and our fellow
Christians in the evocative surroundings of Westminster Abbey, a place which speaks
so eloquently of our shared traditions and culture. As Britain is home to so many
religious traditions, I was grateful to have the opportunity to meet their representatives
and to share some thoughts with them about the contribution that the religions can
offer to the development of a healthy pluralistic society. Naturally, my visit
was directed in a special way to the Catholics of the United Kingdom. I treasure
the time spent with the bishops, clergy, religious and laity, and with teachers, pupils
and older people. It was especially moving to celebrate with them, here in Birmingham,
the beatification of a great son of England, Cardinal John Henry Newman. With his
vast legacy of scholarly and spiritual writings, I am certain that he still has much
to teach us about Christian living and witness amid the challenges of today’s world,
challenges which he foresaw with such remarkable clarity. As I take my leave
of you, let me assure you once again of my good wishes and prayers for the peace and
prosperity of Great Britain. Thank you very much and God bless you all!