POPE BENEDICT XVI IN UK Pope Benedict's farewell address at Birmingham Airport,
Sunday, 19 September 2010
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!