THE Pope is expected to visit Scotland for the first time in almost 30 years, it was reported last night.The first papal visit to Scotland since 1982 is expected to take place in September next year, although precise details are being kept secret for security reasons.
The Pope's visit to the UK will be timed to coincide with the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a Roman Catholic priest who died in 1890, who is on the path to becoming a saint.
A team of officials from the Vatican are expected to fly to Britain in the summer to make plans for the historic visit, which is only the Pope's second tour of the country since the Reformation. The 81-year-old Pope is likely to take in Scotland and Northern Ireland during his visit to the UK, which has been in the pipeline since Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
The Pope's visit will be a major boost to the Catholic Church in Britain, which has around four million members.
The Pope was invited to Scotland by Murphy, who spoke to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about extending an invitation to the Pope to come to the UK, which Brown had made during a meeting at the Vatican.
Plans for a possible visit have been discussed for years between the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Britain.
In the months before the visit, the Prime Minister will press ahead with moves to reform the Act of Settlement, which bans Catholics from succeeding to the throne, in a move which is likely to appeal to Catholic voters.
The last Pope to visit Scotland was Pope John Paul II, who made a six-day trip to the UK in 1982. His appearances included a Mass in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow attended by about 300,000 people.
The current Pope's planned visit to Scotland will be one of his first international tours. He has made just one official visit, when he returned to his native Germany in August for an "apostolic voyage".
The pontiff is also due to visit Cameroon and Angola later this month, with a trip to Israel scheduled for later in the year.
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