According to the primate of English and Welsh Catholics, the Holy
Father set a "new agenda" for the faithful in Britain.
A single message
united all of the Pope's teachings during the trip, he said, that
of the importance of faith in modern societies.
Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the president of English
and Welsh bishops, wrote his reflections on Benedict XVI's Apostolic
Visit to the U.K. into an article published in Friday's edition of
L'Osservatore Romano.
The four day visit, he noted, "was an extraordinary success. The Pope
was received everywhere with warmth, enthusiasm and joy."
Hundreds of
thousands of people were able to see him and opinions contrary to the
visit turned out to be "few and isolated," wrote the archbishop.
Describing the smiles, joy, respect and enthusiasm he witnessed from
the people at the Pope's presence in Scotland and England, Archbishop
Nichols stated that the visit "really enriched our countries."
The Pope's "coherent and clear" message, he went on, was that "faith
in God plays an important role in modern pluralist societies."
The archbishop particularly remembered the Holy Father's words that
the cultural foundations of British society should not be forgotten or
neglected, that moral principles are fundamental to the stability of
democracy and that faith and reason walk hand-in-hand.
The Pope was able to set a "new agenda" for the U.K. Church in
several ways, he recalled.
Firstly, he defined the way to speak of faith
in the complex British society, with courtesy, sensitivity, clarity,
reason and openness of heart, noted Archbishop Nichols, who added that
he hoped all who speak of faith in the U.K. might show these qualities.
Then, during Mass at Westminster Cathedral, he remembered, the Pope
also highlighted the type of testimony that should be given. On that
occasion, the Holy Father called for "witnesses of the beauty of
holiness, witnesses of the splendor of truth, witnesses of the joy and
freedom born of a living relationship with Christ!"
Thirdly, continued the archbishop, the Holy Father also was able to
attract attention to Christ and his eternal sacrifice, speaking also in
this context of dismay for the crime of child sex abuse within the
Catholic Church and for the failings of bishops to react effectively to
the problem.
Rounding out the "agenda" left by the Pope was his encouragement for
greater cooperation with civil authorities for the common good,
generosity and sensitivity in the face of financial difficulty and
increased collaboration between the Holy See and the British government
on issues of common interest, he recalled.
Concluding, Archbishop Nichols said, "(i)t was a truly remarkable
visit. The Pope contributed to an important step in our rich history and
helped us to trace out our future. We give thanks to God for his
ministry and assure him of our love and prayer."
SIC: CNA/UK