Pope to visit UK next year

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Tue, 2009-09-29 14:40

I remember 1982... being given a Pope John-Paul prayercard at school and a mug which was so much better than the Charles and Di wedding one I got the year before.

JP II, due to his charisma will probably be the only super-star pope ever. But when Pope Benedict comes I think it will be a good opportunity for Catholics to flex their catholic-heritage-muscles in public.

Oh the atheists will moan about it partly due to the fact that christian intellectual life won't, despite their best efforts disappear. The secularists will lament condoms in Africa and that part of the visit's costs shouldered by the taxpayer. But I say ha, there's nothing you can do about it; he's coming and it will be much more interesting than the Olympics.

Tue, 2009-09-29 14:54

chuck

But will anybody notice? Perhaps he should try for a guest spot on XFactor?

Tue, 2009-09-29 14:56

poetjude

I think it depends ... people will notice but the media fanfare will be more subdued in what is essentially a secular society.

Tue, 2009-09-29 17:50

Ewan

Imagine the security, though. Will the Met let anyone with a beard near him, will they dare stop anyone with a beard going near him? You're right Jude, I think it might be more interesting than the Olympics, but not for any good reason.

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Tue, 2009-09-29 18:05

chuck

Bearded policemen yanking off false beards. Ewan is right. It will need some human drama for prime time.

Tue, 2009-09-29 19:29

poetjude

I didn't realised Rowan Williams was considered such a threat. Seriously though, from a PR perspective, an assasination attempt (whether it was successful or not) would only be positive for the Church. JP II proved that. jude

Sun, 2009-10-04 19:40

brooosh

If the church could appoint as Pope someone who had the courage and Christlike concern for humanity that was possessed by Oscar Romero, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador (assassinated in 1980), I would be a lot more excited by this visit. No doubt Jude will correct me if I am being unfair, but this current guy seems like a Vatican insider who has spent his entire career positioning himself for the top job. His main guiding principle throughout that career being not 'what would Jesus do?' but 'what's the politically safe thing to do?'. I may be wrong. But that's my perception and his actions and decisions since becoming Pope seem to bear me out on that.

Sun, 2009-10-04 22:30

poetjude

Primarily the pope is a Spiritual leader and not a political one. Romero was great man but people who have picked up the Liberation Theology mantle after him, too often try to make Christianity a kind of sanctified Marxism. Christ's command to love one another was an invitation to the individual; he made it very clear that his agenda was not political. I would not respect any religious leader who tried to lobby governments on political issues rather than appealing to people to make personal choices based on the Christian virtues. The Church in the developing world is at a phase in its evolution where it has a great deal of strength. It is the developed world, particularly Europe that needs a strong spiritual leader. We are not hungry for food but we are hungry for a spiritual life; we are not fiscally poor but we are spiritually poor. For that reason the Church needs a pope who is able to reach people through the hard shell that our Western culture has built around itself. JPII was gifted in that respect but the current pope has surprised a lot of people. Far from being God's Rottweiler, he has, in his Papacy shown a very warm and caring side. jude

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