Papal Visit - Glasgow History
Papal Visit to the UK - Pope Benedict visits the UK September 2010 - Glasgow
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16 Sept 2010 edition of the Papal Visit - Glasgow
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Pope arrives in Scotland The Duke of Edinburgh met the Pope today when he arrived at Edinburgh airport. This is the first time the Queen`s consort has been dispatched to meet a visiting head of state. Prince Philip was part of a small welcoming party for Benedict XVI when the pontiff steped off his Alitalia plane, code-named Shepherd One, this morning at the start of his four-day visit to the UK. Also present to receive the Pope were Cardinal Keith O`Brien, the leader of Scotland`s Catholics, and his opposite number in England, Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. The Duke and the Pope travelled together by limousine to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Queen, the first minister Alex Salmond and various other dignitaries. A source in the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland said that the move was seen as an acknowledgement that the Pope`s forthcoming trip to Britain was ",not just any state visit",. Fr Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman said: ``Usually it is a junior member of the royal family or a minister but to have the Duke of Edinburgh at the welcome is very significant and most unusual,”, Many protests are being organised around the UK by various groups, however, the Vatican has already stated that it is not worried by this. ",There are always demonstrations, even during other trips. In this particular case, the movement will be bigger because in the United Kingdom there are more atheist or anti-pope groups. This is the normal climate of a pluralist society like Britain`s,",, Fr Lombardi said. First State visit of the Pope Today events are truly historic as it is the first state visit of a Pope to the UK. Pope John Paul II visited Britain in 1982, however, this was a pastoral visit in response to an invitation from the Catholic Church in this country. Pope Benedict has been invited, as a head of state, by the Queen and will carry out various visits, talks and meetings that accompany a state visit. As well as meeting the Queen and Scotland`s first minister, he will go to Lambeth Palace to meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and together they will lead a service at Westminster Abbey. Also the British Government have invited him to speak at Westminster Hall where, amongst others, all four living former prime ministers will be present. There will also be a state banquet in his honour on Friday evening, although the pontiff is expected not to attend due to the time pressures during the visit. He will also speak with Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and acting leader of the opposition Harriet Harman. The Queen has made two state visits to the Vatican to meet with Pope John XXIII in 1961 and Pope John Paul II in 1980. She met again with the previous Pope as a courtesy when travelling to Rome in 2000. Although John Paul II was invited to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace during his visit to Britain in 1982 this invitation of a Pope to officially visit Britain is the first and marks a historic day. Photo courtesy of Mazur p2 St Ninian`s Parade p3 Bellahouston Park p4 Information for Today Poster to Commemorate the day Produced by CathCom &, Premier Christian Radio
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2 The Papal Visit Today`s St Ninian`s Day Parade marked the historic occasion of Pope Benedict XVI`s state visit to Scotland and celebrates the first man to be named a Saint in Scotland, nearly 1600 years ago. The parade started at 11.00am and featured pipers and drummers from Scotland and further afield, who led the parade from Regent Road and along Princes Street. An estimated 100,000 people attended the parade both to celebrate the St Ninian`s day and to see the Pontiff. Pipe Bands played `Highland Cathedral` as he traveled past in his Popemobile. The VIP`s were nearly 1000 school pupils from St Ninian School`s around Scotland who helped turn Princes Street into a sea of blue. To add to the colour, thousands of flags that were given out to spectators along the route. Over the last 1,600 years Scotland has had a remarkable history and today`s St Ninian`s Parade was a fantastic opportunity for spectators and the media to meet and greet important characters from Scotlands past, including William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, John Knox and Robert Burns and of course St Ninian himself. To this day Ninian is a saint held in common by all Scottish Christians and, indeed, by all Scots. Earlier this year the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith Patrick O`Brien, sparked the idea for the parade by asking the question - ",Why don`t we resurrect the great festivities that used to surround St Ninian`s Day in this country? A grand Scottish spectacle to welcome Benedict XVI.", The event, described as joyous, charitable and inclusive, has been reported by the council to have been watched by up to a billion people around the world. The cost of the parade is likely to be £,400,000, however the capital is set to benefit financially as it is likely to raise as much as £,4m in tourism. ST NINIAN`S DAY PARADE Scottish Tartan Designed to Mark Papal Visit St. Ninian Plaid Commemorates Benedict XVI Scotland is welcoming Benedict XVI today with a specially designed tartan (or plaid), the traditional Scottish patterned fabric used above all in making kilts. A limited-edition tartan created for the Pope`s visit will be named after St. Ninian, since today is his feast day. St. Ninian is honoured in that country as he is acknowledged as the bishop who Christianised Scotland between the 4th and 5th centuries. Cardinal Keith O`Brien, archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, presented the tartan of St. Ninian for the first time to the political leaders of the Scottish parliament last Thursday. He gave it to Alex Fergusson, the parliament`s presiding officer, and to four other leaders representing the principal Scottish political parties. The plaid was made, in a limited run, by two Scottish textile firms: Ingles Buchan of Glasgow and ClanItalia of Falkirk. The design was created by American Matthew Newsome, director of the Scottish Tartans Museum of Franklin, North Carolina, who said that he was particularly honoured, as a Catholic, by the fact that the model he proposed was chosen. Newsome said that he ",witnessed the visit of Pope Benedict to the United States in 2008 and can assure the people of Scotland that the events will live long in the memory.", As with every tartan, colours will play a symbolic role in the St. Ninian plaid dedicated to Benedict XVI. Newsome explained: ",The white line on blue field draws upon Scotland`s national colours while the green reflects the lichens growing on the stones of Whithorn in Galloway. It was there that St. Ninian first brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Scottish shores over 1,600 years ago. ",The white lines are also accompanied by a pair of red lines, reflecting the colours of Cardinal Newman`s [who will be beatified by the Pope] crest. And finally, the thin yellow lines in the tartan, together with the white, reflect the colours of the Vatican.", ",In terms of the weaving, each white line on the green contains exactly eight threads, one for each Catholic diocese in Scotland,", he continued. ",There are 452 threads in the design from pivot to pivot, representing the number of Catholic parishes.", Cardinal O`Brien stated, ",It`s a great honour to be able to hand over the first ever tartan created for a Papal visit as a thank you to all the Holyrood parliamentarians who have been so overwhelmingly supportive of this visit, knowing it means so much to the Catholic community and many others in this country.", He added, ",What could give [the Pope] a greater Scottish welcome than a new tartan created in honour of this historic visit?", Upon receiving the tartan, Fergusson noted, ",It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into producing this unique tartan and it is sure to guarantee a colourful, Scottish welcome for the Papal visit.", Michael Lemetti, a member of the textile firm, ClanItalia, said: ",I`ve been involved in the creation of some high profile tartans, including a bespoke design for AC Milan, but this one tops the lot! ",The tartan looks brilliant and is full of fabulous Scottish symbolism. I`m sure Pope Benedict will love it.",
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The Papal Visit 3 The marble altar, chair and lectern at Bellahouston today have been designed by Glasgow artist Niamh Quail with assistance from the University of Strathclyde’,s “,Rapid Prototyping Unit”, Describing the commission, Niamh Quail said: “,I was told to design a chair and that was about it! I wanted to keep it simple but also to have a Scottish and religious aspect to it as well. The design is Celtic, incorporating a cross, within each of the four arms are three interwoven leafs representing the Holy Trinity, with the entire design having no beginning nor end.”, “,I only had about six weeks to design the altar, the Pope’,s chair and the lectern to show to the people at the Vatican. I couldn’,t have done it without the people at Strathclyde University’,s “,Rapid Prototyping Unit”,. “,Normally I would have one-dimensional sketches but with the CAD (computer aided design) we were able to make 3D models of the chair, altar and lectern together. It was great to see them like that and we were even able to put a model of the Pope in there too.”, Neil Reid, the stonemason from Reid Carrara Ltd who is building the altar said: “,It was a real privilege to be asked by the Church to do this job. I’,m really flattered that after seeing my previous work they trusted me with such an important task. I’,ve been making altars for churches for eighteen years now but this is the big one. Fr. Andrew McKenzie, Director of liturgy for the Papal Mass spoke about the project to create the furniture for the Papal Mass saying “,it has been a very enjoyable process, greatly helped by the generosity and technical abilities of all those involved.", He added, ",I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those who have contributed to the creative, technical and production stages of the project. I am certain that together we will be able to create a fitting environment in which the Pope can celebrate Mass in Glasgow.", Papal Altar: New technology meets ancient craftsmanship The scene at Bellahouston Park yesterday in the midst of the preparations for todays Mass.
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Q: Will there be toilet facilities for the Pilgrims? A: Yes. Signage will be in place to identify locations, or you can use the map. Please note that queuing will be necessary. Q: What other facilities will be available at Bellahouston? A: Facilities including the following will be available: ·, Food outlets catering for a wide variety of tastes and hot and cold drinks (before and after the liturgies) ·, Access to standpipes for drinking water - please bring your own plastic cup or bottle to collect the water and drink plenty to stay hydrated. ·, Toilets ·, First aid provision ·, A welfare point to deal with enquiries and general information ·, Official merchandise (should only be purchased from authorised traders within the park) Please check the map for their locations Q: Will there be adequate speakers to allow all Pilgrims to hear the Mass? A: Yes. Please be aware that sound levels may exceed 96 decibels. Q: When will the Mass take Place? A: Some key provisional times (subject to change): Gates Open - 10am Pre Mass Entertainment Starts - 1.30pm Gates Close - 3pm (all Pilgrims to be in the Park) Pre Mass Entertainment Finishes - 4pm Procession of clergy - 4pm Papal Mass Begins - 5.15pm Post Mass entertainment will take place following the Mass. For public safety it will not be possible for all Pilgrims to leave the park at once and so there will be a gradual departure by zone. Pilgrim Groups will be advised when to leave by announcement. Your co-operation and patience is much appreciated. Q: Will everyone have an un- interrupted view of the Altar? A: No. There will be large screens with the intention of providing a view of the Altar. Pilgrims are requested not to use umbrellas, banners or flags during the Mass to prevent restricted views for others. Q: Will the Pope travel round the Park? A: Yes Q: Will there be seats at Bellahouston? A: No. We recommend that you bring a folding chair if you require a seat as it will be a long day. Q: Will there be covered ar eas if it rains? A: No. It will be a long day outside so please dress appropriately for the changeable Scottish weather. Q: Will I be allowed to bring my umbrella? A: You will be al lowed to bring an umbrella to use on the journey to and from the Park. Use of umbrellas will not be permitted in the Park to prevent restricted views for others. Pilgrims are advised to dress appropriately for changeable weather and bring waterproofs. Q: How long will Pilgrims be in Bellahouston Park? A: The length of time Pilgrims will spend in the Park will depend on their arrival and departure time. Pilgrims should expect to be in the Park for a minimum of 5 hours. For public safety it will not be possible for all pilgrims to leave the park at once and so there will be a gradual departure by zone. Pilgrim Groups will be advised when to leave by announcement. Your co-operation and patience is much appreciated. Q: What should I do if I get lost? A: You should arrange a meeting point in case you get lost. Please note at large gatherings, mobile coverage may be unreliable so don’,t rely on using your phone to find your group. If you are separated from your group on the journey you will be able to gain entry as long as you have your Pilgrim Pass wristband. Make sure you know what zone you will be gathering in. Q: Will banners and flags be allowed in the Park? A: Yes but please note these should not be used during the Mass as they will restrict the view of others. Pilgrims can wave flags/banners when the Pope is travelling through the Park. Facilities for Disabled Pilgrims: Q: Will there be disabled toilet facilities? A: Yes. There will be a disabled toilet at each toilet block. Pilgrims who have a medical condition which requires quick toilet access will also be granted access to these toilets by showing their Can’,t Wait Card or Radar Key as proof of their medical condition. Pilgrims who are on crutches and so are unable to use the regular toilets will also be granted access. Q: Will the Mass be signed for the Deaf? A: Yes. Pilgrims who wish to have access should notify their Pilgrim Leader who should notify the Office of the Papal Visit so arrangements can be made as soon as possible and no later than Friday 10th September. Please note that places are limited. Q: Can my guide dog travel with me and come into the Park? A: Yes First Aid: Q: Will there be medical facilities at Bellahouston? A: Yes. If you are feeling unwell and need medical attention please make yourself known to the stewards or first-aid teams. If you have a long term condition please bring any medication you need with you and we ask as a precaution that you carry on your person a note of your full name, date of birth, details of the medical condition, any medication you are taking, any allergies and your GP contact details. Lost Property: Q: What is the lost property procedure? A: There will be a temporary police office in thes car park at Bellahouston Sports Centre on the day which will also manage lost property. All re covered pr operty will be retained at Strathclyde Police Custodians Department for six months after the event. Emergencies: Q: What should I do if I see something suspicious or in the case of an emergency? A: In the event of an emergency please follow the directions of the stewards at all times. If you see anything suspicious, please report to a steward, police officer or member of staff. 4 The Papal Visit Information to help you enjoy the day:
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The Papal Visit 5 Prayer in front of Relics of St Andrew The two holy relics of St Andrew, a shoulder blade and an unidentified bone fragment, each preserved in a glass reliquary, normally reside at St Mary`s Cathedral, Edinburgh and have not left the Cathedral since they arrived in Edinburgh from Italy in, respectively, 1879 and 1969. Monsignor Michael Regan transported the relics to Cardinal Keith O`Brien`s residence in Morningside. He has placed them before the altar of the chapel next to the Cardinal`s home. There, at approximately 1.00pm today, the Cardinal and Pope Benedict XVI will kneel and pray for Scotland. This will be a dramatic break in the packed nine and a half hours that the Pope is in this country. Due to the value of the relics, the route and the date that they were transported had to be kept secret. However, their safe arrival has added to the historic and prayerful nature of today`s events. It seems such a short time ago that we were invited to start the musical preparations for the Papal Mass at Bel- lahouston –, and it was! The Episcopal Conferences of Scotland and of England and Wales commissioned James MacMillan to write a setting of the Mass texts by the time that the representatives of the Scottish dioceses met at Perth in early May and discussed what else should be sung. Since then there have been re- hearsals all over the country. This has only been made possi- ble with the help of a lot of committed and generous musicians and singers. Arrangements for the 40 or so pieces of music have been made for instrumental ensemble and Brass, as well as organ and Clarsach. The music itself includes a wide variety of style –, from plainsong and popular hymns to polyphony. There are many links with the music that has been chosen. Some with the visit of John Paul II, some to St Paul’,s greeting ‘,Grace to you and peace,’, another to a prayer of St Columba, and also links to St Ninian, St Patrick and St Andrew. As well as this here will be traditional Irish, medieval, renaissance and contemporary music. There will be a hymn dedicated to Mary McKillop who will be beatified in October, thanks to Peter, Rose and Ann Conlon from Roy Bridge. We are glad to include two of James Quinn’,s hymns and a sung blessing by John Bell of the Iona Community and some of the best loved traditional hymns as well. The languages used include English, Latin, Greek and Gaelic! A children’,s choir from Barra will sing part of the Gospel Acclamation in Gaelic and a special Gaelic hymn dur- ing communion supported by Clarsachs. The Vaughan Williams setting of ‘,All people,’, the Bruckner ‘,Locus Iste,’, the Mozart ‘,Ave verum’, and the traditional Portuguese ‘,Ecce Panis’, allows the massed choir to enjoy some choral classics. The national choir rehearsal took place in Motherwell on Sat- urday 11th September. Choristers came from all over Scot- land and its success was a tribute to the hard work done in such a short time throughout the country. There are three organists from Motherwell, Skye and Ab- erdeen, and five conductors, two for the choir, one for the congregation, one for the Brass and one Ensemble conduc- tor. Our Lady of the Missions Primary School has been re- hearsing the Cantata ‘,Ninian’, and, since today is the traditional feast of St Ninian, they will perform it during the preparation time before the Papal Mass accompanied by a small ensemble. The children performing the Cantata can be seen and heard on BeingCatholic.org.uk along with much of the music used at todays Papal Mass. There are going to be many festive events in the three hours before Pope Benedict’,s arrival –, we are all looking forward to enjoying them –, on a day bathed in Scottish sunshine! Mgr Gerry Fitzpatrick Co-Director of Music, Bellahouston 2010 Liturgy Preparing the music for the Papal Mass at Bellahouston The Anticipation of Bellahouston - by Dean Clarke In May 1982 I was one of 45,000 schoolchildren at Murrayfield to see Pope John Paul II. It is a day I will never forget and one that strenghthened my faith . Religion was quickly going out of fashion, the Pope could only represent a strict moral code that was seemingly dated. But young people loved him, they could see a man of integrity. One who preached morals but more than that he lived them out himself. As an adult teacher today and as most parents will attest, young people do not learn from what we tell them, they learn from our example. Young people learned from the Pope`s example. 28 years later I am now one of the teachers who will be taking pupils to see Pope Benedict. And like John Paul II, he is going to celebrate Mass with thousands. I can hardly contain my excitement. 200 pupils are going from St Andrews Academy in Paisley and over 20 staff are taking them. We have been preparing with school assemblies and lately my RE lessons have been all about the Pope. No pupil has any doubt about what this means to me. There will be 5 buses taking us down the M77 and hopefully we get parked near to the park. Teachers like myself are excited, but also are aware of the responsibility of looking after so many pupils over an extended period of time. It only makes me more feel gratitude towards the teachers who took us to Murrayfield 28 years ago. Our school has also had the priviledge of making the vesting table for the Pope. Fr Eion who is our chaplain asked some staff from the technical department to do this. The head of RE Sam McFadden inscribed onto the front Salva Me Bona Crux ",Save me oh Good Cross",. After the Mass the vesting table wil be placed in the Oratory of our school and will be used as an altar for Masses in our school. It will serve as an excellent reminder of a very special day.Buses are collecting us at 1.50pm and pupils have been told that we will be home late at night, on the day no one will care. If it`s anything like Murrayfield its a day we wont want to ever end.
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Pope Benedic Papal visit to Brit September 16 th -19 th 2010
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8 The Papal Visit Alex Salmond ",I warmly welcome the fact that His Holiness has travelled to Scotland this September and visit Edinburgh and Glasgow. The papal events in 1982 were an enormous success and this visit will be a wonderful occasion for the whole of Scotland. The Scottish Government will be working with the Palace, the Catholic Church and UK Government to ensure the Pope`s visit is a suc cessful and memorable event.", First Minister Alex Salmond is among the 100,000 strong crowd attend today`s Papal mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. , as part of a week of celebrations marking the Pope`s historic state visit to Scotland. The First Minister joined a group of young Scots on Tuesday evening for a short service at the Castle`s St Margaret`s Chapel to celebrate the creation of the Scottish Youth Cross. The cross will taken by young Scots pilgrims to the World Youth Day in Madrid next year. ",The coming days will celebrate not only the first ever visit by a Pope to Scotland as head of state, but also the shared history of the Catholic Church and the Scottish nation. ",Saint Ninian, our nation`s first saint, established our first Christian settlement at Whithorn before 400 AD. The Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 was a letter to Pope John XXII confirming our country`s independent standing. Almost two hundred years later, in 1507, Pope Julius II re-affirmed Scotland`s status by presenting the Sword of State - which is now among the most precious of the Honours of Scotland at Edinburgh Castle. ",I am honoured to be attending the mass celebrated by His Holiness at Bellahouston Park. It will be the spiritual high point of a week which will be a celebration not just for Scottish Catholics but Scots of all faiths and none.", A message Scottish Government Papal visit will strengthen ties between UK and Holy See Lord Patten and Archbishop Vincent Nichols held a press conference today for UK media ahead of the Papal visit, which takes place from 16 to 19 September. Lord Patten, the Prime Minister’,s Representative for the Papal visit, and Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, highlighted the historic nature of the visit and its significance for many countries around the world. Lord Patten emphasised that the visit will be an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen ties between the UK and the Holy See and to enhance global action on poverty reduction and climate change. Archbishop Nichols said his two main aims for the visit are to invite society to consider faith in God ",a gift to be dis covered afr esh", and to heighten the level of cooperation between the British Government and the Holy See. He acknowledged differences in opinion between the two parties but underlined that there are many areas in which cooperation can deepen. The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, will open policy discussions with senior officials from the Vatican at Lancaster House on Friday evening. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, will conclude the visit on Sunday with a speech at the Pope`s departure. On Tuesday the Vatican Post Office has issued a new postmark for Benedict XVI`s trip to the United Kingdom. The special frank shows the Holy Father and the Venerable Cardinal John Henry Newman surrounded by the text: ",BENEDICTUS XVI REGNUM UNITUM VISIT",. ",POSTE VATICANE 16-19.IX.2010",. The Vatican Post Office will also issue another postmark to recall the beatification of Cardinal Newman, which the Pope is due to preside on 19 September in Birmingham. It shows the figures of the Holy Father and of the new blessed accompanied by the words: ",BEATIFICATION OF CARDINAL NEWMAN",. New postmark for Pope Benedict At a celebration to be held at St Mary’,s University College, Twickenham, this Friday, Pope Benedict XVI is launching the John Paul II Sports Foundation. This will take place during a school assembly being broadcast live to more than 800,000 school pupils across England, Scotland and Wales. 32 children from school years 9 to 11, from state, independent and special needs schools, who have achieved sporting success have been chosen to take part. They will make a pledge before the Holy Father to engage in sport and “,play with the right spirit, enjoy myself, give of my best, respect others, myself and the rules”,. Pope to launch John Paul II Sports Foundation
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The Papal Visit 9 Day 2 of the Papal Visit 10.00am St Mary`s University College, Twickenham Pope Benedict will begin by praying with representatives of Religious Communities. He will then meet with 3,000 school children and students for the ",Big Assembly", which will include the inauguration of the John Paul II Institute for Sport. After his address he will meet with religious leaders from various Faiths in the Waldergrave Drawing Room. 4.00pm Lambeth Palace Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, will receive the Pope at Lambeth Palace for a Fraternal Visit. Both the Holy Father the Archbishop will make a speech. Following this Pope Benedict will begin the first of two Popemobile routes through London. 5.10pm Westminster Hall The Pontiff will end his drive through London and arrive at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster, the Hall where St Thomas More was condemned to death. There he will make his Address to Civil Society to representatives of the Government and key people in Britain. 6.15pm Westminster Abbey Finally the Pontiff will celebrate Evening Prayer at Westminster Abbey with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Once again both Dr Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict will give a speech.
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10 The Papal Visit Protect the Pope - Deacon Nick Donnelly A couples of months ago I was watching the TV with my wife when it was announced on the news that some prominent atheists and secularists bizarrely wanted to arrest Pope Benedict during his state visit to the UK under the nonsensical charge of ‘,crimes against humanity’,. What was really absurd was that the media around the world took this obvious mischief-making stunt seriously. I went on-line to investigate the story and discovered the website of a group called Protest the Pope that had been set up to organise demonstrations against the Holy Father’,s state visit. The website of Protest the Pope is full of lies that try to paint Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church in the worst possible light through the use of exaggeration, the partisan presentation of half-truths and selective quotations taken out of context. When I read the dreadful things they were saying about the Holy Father it felt like they were insulting and attacking my mum or dad. What the people behind Protest the Pope don’,t get is that many Catholics love and revere the Holy Father. We don`t love the pope because we`ve been brainwashed like cult members love their guru, we love him for all kinds of reasons to do with each pope’,s personal qualities and also because of our love for the office he holds. Ultimately we love the pope because Jesus choose the first pope, Simon Peter, to be the leader of his Church after his passion, death and Resurrection. When we see or hear the present pope we know, deep down, that we are in the presence of Peter. He is the ‘,Peter’, for these times, and we know he has received authority, power and discernment from Jesus to guide us through these troubled times. I decided I had to do something to challenge these lies being spread about Pope Benedict and also challenge the idea that anti- Catholicism is acceptable in this day and age. I phoned up my brother, who works on computer software, and between us we created a new website called Protect the Pope, which has the by-line, ‘,Protect the Papal Visit through Prayer, Truth and the Law.’, Since the launch of Protect the Pope two months ago at the cost of £,60, the site has received 60,000 hits, and 1,360 comments. There have been so many anti-Catholic articles, speeches, and TV programmes over the past 8 weeks that I’,ve had to compose 162 posts. Catholics around the world have shown support for Protect the Pope from Poland, USA, France, Italy, Columbia, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Croatia, and as far away as Vietnam. One of the satisfying achievements of Protect the Pope is that it forced Protest the Pope to deal with the fact that they are promoting anti-Catholicism. As their spokesman, Terry Sanderson, said in a radio interview about the launch of my website and at the first public meeting of Protest the Pope, “,The first thing I want to say is that the Protest the Pope campaign is not anti-Catholic. Some Catholic bloggers have tried to portray us as some kind of off-shoot of the Orange order, but this simply isn’,t true.’, Though they deny it, Protest the Pope have not been able to avoid having their anti- Catholicism exposed and named in public. History shows us that this is the first necessary step in confronting prejudice. http://protectthepope.com/ Written by Deacon Nick Donnelly When Pope John Paul II kissed the ground at Gatwick airport on Friday 28th May 1982 it was a very different country that he greeted compared with the one that Pope Benedict has arrived in this week. In 1982 your music was on a vinyl record, mobile phones were still three years away, VHS was fighting Betamax for home video superiority, your home computer was the newly launched Commodore 64 and the world wide web hadn`t even been invented. In 2010 we find ourselves in the midst of a Papal Visit that is truly a part of the digital age with all its associated trappings. For months now www.thepapalvisit.org.uk has been keeping the faithful up-to-date with the latest information on arrangements for visit. Those who are unable to make it to the events will be able to watch them streamed lived over the internet. For those on Twitter, an internet based short message service, atthepapalvisit has been tweeting out information and facts throughout the day and night. And those on the now- ubiquitous Facebook have been able to both `like` and `comment` on the official Papal Visit group page. But does any of this matter? The reality is that communication has changed dramatically over the last 28 years and the Church has a duty to be `Salt and Light` in the new media landscape. This year on the 44th World Communications Day Pope Benedict gave the following message ", God’,s loving care for all people in Christ must be expressed in the digital world not simply as an artefact from the past, or a learned theory, but as something concrete, present and engaging. Our pastoral presence in that world must thus serve to show our contemporaries, especially the many people in our day who experience uncertainty and confusion, “,that God is near, that in Christ we all belong to one another......... I renew the invitation to make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications. May the Lord make all of you enthusiastic heralds of the Gospel in the new “,agorà,”, which the current media are opening up.", Stepping out into this digital world can feel very daunting, but all of us can start to make our first tentative steps. Perhaps you could include a Bible verse in the `signature` of your email? Maybe you could share a spiritual video on Facebook? You could even start a blog, a type of on- line diary, where you can share thoughts on your spiritual journey for others to be edified by. Lao-tzu said `a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step` perhaps today God is calling you to start that journey, and if He is, may God bless you on your travels. For Christians of all levels of experience Premier Christian Media are hosting the first `Christian New Media Conference: Reaching out in a digital age` on 16th October 2010 in London. Tickets are £,25, more information available at www.christiannewmedia.com. A Papal Visit in the Digital Age by Kevin Bennett
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The Papal Visit 11 Donate online: www.smiletrain.org.uk OR call: 0870 127 6269 I want to give a child a second chance at life. Mr/Mrs/Ms Address Postcode Email Telephone Charge my gift to my: Visa Master Card Maestro Card No. Valid From Exp. Date Issue No. Signature My cheque is enclosed, made payable to The Smile Train UK Use Gift Aid to increase your donation by 25% YES, I would like Smile Train to claim Gift Aid on any donations that I have made within the last 4 years and all donations I make in the future until further notice. I confirm that I pay sufficient UK income/capital gains tax to cover any tax that Smile Train will reclaim from any donations that I make. N10091U400FIY1L These details, including your email address/teleph one number, may be used to keep you informed about our future developments. If you do not want to receive such information please tick this box £,150 towards surgery for one child £,75 could cover half the cost of one surgery £,30 towards medications for one surgery £, We’,ll gratefully accept any amount Registered Charity No. 1114748 ©, 2010 The Smile Train. Send this coupon with your donation to: The Smile Train UK, PO Box 909, Northampton NN3 0BF A healthy diet during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects and clefts. Eat a healthy diet that contains lots of fruits and vegetables and foods fortified with folic acid. The U.K. Government recommends women should take sufficient levels of folic aci d (400 micrograms/day) during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects and reduce the risk for cleft lip and palate. When folic acid is taken one month before conception and throughout the first trimester, it has been proven to reduce the risk fo r neural tube defects by 50 to 70 per cent. Be sure to receive proper prenatal care, quit smoking and drinking alcohol and follow your health care pr ovider’,s guidelines for foods to avoid during pregnancy. Foods to avoid may include raw or undercooked seafood, beef, pork, pou ltry, delicatessen meats, fish that contain high levels of mercury, smoked seafo od, fish exposed to industrial pollutants, raw shellfish, eggs, so ft cheeses, unpasteurised milk, pâ,té,, caffeine and unwashed vegetables. For more information, visit www.smiletrain.org.uk The Smile Train provides life changing free cleft surgery for children in developing countries which takes as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as £,150. It gives desperate children not just a new smile –, but a new life. Pick one. Just one. Save their life for £,150. You’,ll end up smiling too. Anu, 2 years, India Eduardo, 6 months, Peru Nisa, 4 years, Indonesia Kabir, 7 months, Nigeria Guo Sen, 6 months, China On Sokhorn, 13 months, Cambodia
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Find out more at www.premier.org.uk
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Find your local Catholic Historical Church newspaper. Scroll to find yours.