Churches welcome Pope’s visit to Britain

Churches across the denominations have spoken of their hope for a renewed common witness following the Pope’s visit to Britain this week.

The Presidents of Churches Together in England, Archbishops Rowan Williams and Vincent Nichols, and Salvation Army Commissioner Betty Matear, said they hoped Pope Benedict XVI’s visit would be a source of encouragement to all of England’s churches.

They said in a joint statement: “As the Presidents of Churches Together in England, we welcome Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.

“We rejoice in knowing that many Christians have prayed for him in preparation for his visit, and welcome his ministry amongst us.

“We look forward to joining Pope Benedict in Westminster Abbey for the celebration of Evening Prayer, which will be a significant stage in his pilgrimage.

“We pray that through our celebration of Christian faith the Church, led by the kindly light of Christ, may be renewed in its witness to the unity and hope which is Christ’s will for all people.”

The Pope begins his four-day visit to Britain on Thursday in Edinburgh, where he will meet Scottish Catholic leaders before travelling to Glasgow to preside over an open air mass in Bellahouston Park in the evening. Two more open air masses will be held during his visit, one at London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, and the other at Birmingham’s Crofton Park.

It is the first visit to Britain by a pontiff since John Paul II in 1989. During his stay, Pope Benedict will also meet the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Commenting on the Pope’s visit, the United Reformed Church said the lead taken by Catholic bishops in moral and spiritual reflection was “of benefit to all”. Its General Secretary, the Rev Roberta Rominger, said she hoped the visit would “energise” and “inspire” the church.

The General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Rev Jonathan Edwards, said he hoped the visit would lead to a deeper understanding between Christians that would “enable us to be more effective in reaching out with God’s love to all people”.

Fr Olu Abiola, President of the Council of African and Caribbean Churches, welcomed the visit as he commended the Pope for acting as one who “safeguards the integrity of the Christian faith”.

Bishop Walton Powell, National Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, said the Pope had a “message for this generation”.

Their messages of support come days after a new ComRes poll for the BBC found that six in 10 Catholics said they did not feel that their faith was “generally valued” in British society.

Fifty-two per cent of the 500 Catholics surveyed said the sex abuse scandal had shaken their faith in their Church’s leadership, but around 70% said they believed the Pope’s visit would help the Catholic Church in the UK.

In a video message broadcast in Catholic churches on Sunday, the Catholic bishop overseeing mission in England and Wales said that he hoped the Pope’s visit would renew the confidence of Catholics in their own beliefs.

Bishop Kieran Conry also said he wanted Catholics to have confidence in “our right to stand up and say ‘I believe’, even though many people in our society will say ‘Keep quiet about that’”.

He said: “I have a right to stand up and say ‘I do believe’ and I hope that is the legacy … the confidence that we belong to a Church which is vibrant, strong and alive.”