Pope Benedict XVI will visit Britain next September for a relatively low-key trip without the trappings of a state visit, a minister was quoted as saying on Friday.Jim Murphy, secretary of state for Scotland, told The Tablet newspaper that ministers had drawn up an itinerary of public masses and ecumenical functions for the September 16-19 visit.
But he had declined an open-carriage procession and banquet at Buckingham Palace, and was likely to stay at the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Wimbledon in southwest London, the Catholic weekly said.
"It?s a unique constitutional arrangement as the pope is head of a faith and the head of state," said Murphy, a prominent Catholic who is in charge of organising the visit.
"The official title is ?papal visit with the status of a state visit?. Normally state visits include banquets and gold carriages but the Vatican doesn?t want that."
Pope John Paul II was the last pontiff to visit Britain, in 1982, and was received at Buckingham Palace by the queen, who is the titular head of the Church of England. He was the first pope to make the trip for 450 years.
Murphy confirmed that Benedict XVI would spend three days in England before heading up to Scotland for a one-day visit where he was likely to meet up with the queen on her holidays there, the paper said.
The minister said the Bishops? Conference of England and Wales and the Scottish Bishops? Conference had drawn up an itinerary that had been passed to papal officials in Rome.
"It's a pretty imaginative mix of public masses, ecumenical events and other functions. Obviously, however, it?s up to the Vatican to make the final decision on it," Murphy said.
The news comes amid tensions between the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches following a move by the Vatican last month to make it easier for disgruntled Anglicans to convert to Catholicism.
The pope's visit has yet to be officially confirmed but Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said in September that he was "delighted" at the prospect, saying it would be a "moving and momentous occasion".
Murphy made no mention of a possible trip by the pope to Ireland, which has been rocked in recent months by a fresh child abuse scandal involving Catholic clergy and attempts by the local church to cover it up.
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SIC: AFP