The Catholic Church in England and Wales has recently published a thirty-one paged booklet aimed at the “many gaps in public knowledge”.It comes in preparation for the Pope Benedict XVI’s four day visit to the UK in September.
The Roman pontiff will begin his trip with a welcome from the Queen at Holyrood House, followed by an open-air mass in Glasgow.
He will then spend two days in
By way of conclusion, he will travel to the West Midlands in order to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman.
Apart from increasing traffic in London, Birmingham and Glasgow and taking £15 million from the taxpayer’s pocket, what will be the significance of the Pope’s visit?
For many unbelievers, the answer will be ‘none whatsoever’.
The logic here is that a religious leader like the Pope cannot, by definition, have any significance to a person who has no religious inclination.
For those who think this way, it is important to be aware that the Pope has been invited on a state visit rather than a religious one.
This is worth noting, as, although he may be a religious leader, the primary intention of the trip is to visit Britain as a Head of State.
In this capacity and as the Queen’s visitor, it is in the British public’s interest to welcome him in a manner with that customary and renowned British politeness.
The aforementioned booklet Heart Speaks unto Heart states that “as a symbol of reconciliation and mutual respect, this meeting between Pope and Queen will have a powerful impact on ordinary people.”
‘Respect’ is the key word in the statement, regardless of whether one agrees with the Pope, respect is of crucial importance in our culture. As the scholastic theologian, Peter Lombard, observed centuries ago, respect is imperative for “the bond of human society”.
One of the foundations for a civilised society, vital for it to flourish successfully, is the ability to show respect to others – including those with whom it disagrees – as opposed to simply tolerating them.
However, respect is not the only point to the Pope’s visit. “Concerns about social justice and cohesion are not just the domain of politicians. They raise big ethical questions about the use, and abuse, of power and money at every level.
The Catholic Church does not claim to have all the answers but its teaching does offer signposts and insights.’
Such humility is too rarely noted in public discussions of the Catholic Church. And such humility aside, Catholic Social Teaching does indeed offer valuable contribution and insight to contemporary social and economic issues.
It is advice that desperately needs to be heard. Responsibility for the economic downturn remains something of a grey area, but if we hope to avoid repeating history, we need to be better aware of the wide responsibility of business and financial activities.
“[W]ithout internal forms of solidarity and mutual trust, the market cannot completely fulfil its proper economic function.”
In light of the recent shame brought upon the Church, the contempt and resentment that many feel is understandable.
In spite of this, the Pope’s visit to the UK should be welcomed by all, not merely as mark of mutual respect, but because his social teachings, like that of the church, need to be heard as we re-examine and respond to the financial crisis whose repercussions will be felt for years.
SIC: Theos