Pope Benedict in London - Day 2

The Holy Father began Saturday 18th September by meeting the leaders of the main political parties. It was his first opportunity to meet the Prime Minister, who has been mourning his father this week. Tomorrow, David Cameron will echo the Pope's address at Westminster Hall. Already, released extracts from a Joint Communiqué between HM Government and the Papal delegation, reveal that Mr. Cameron will declare that "faith is part of the fabric of our country. It always has been and it always will be. As you, your Holiness, have said ... faith is not a problem for legislators to solve … but rather a vital part of our national conversation. And we are proud of that."

The Pope then celebrated a votive Mass of the Precious Blood in Westminster Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In his homily the pontiff reflected on the mystery of the Precious Blood, on the Cross, in the Eucharist and in the priesthood. He pointed out the centrality of the Mass to England's Catholics, especially during the centuries after the reformation when many paid the ultimate price for their defence of the truth of the Eucharist. The Pope also explored how our sufferings lead us into a closer relationship with Christ crucified. The Holy Father expressed his sorrow to the victims of clerical sexual abuse. He concluded by calling all to be witnesses to the Cross and to build a society "truly worthy of man". The full text of his homily can be found here.

After Mass the Pope met two and a half thousand young people in the Piazza of the Cathedral. he then processed to the Chapel of St. David within the Cathedral. Here he blessed the new mosaic of St. David and prayed before the statue of Our Lady of Cardigan, which had been brought from the Principality by Welsh pilgrims. The Pope then addressed the people of Wales, expressing his regret at not being able to visit them but nevertheless wishing them well and declaring "Bendith Duw ar bobol Cymru!"

During the afternoon the Pope had a private meeting with victims of sexual abuse. The Pope expressed his and the Church's "deep sorrow and shame" to the four women and one man. He then traveled to St. Peter's Residence for Older People in Vauxhall. In his address to residents and staff, the Holy Father praised their work and called for society to respect life from beginning to end. Reflecting on his own age he encouraged the residents to look to John Paul II as an example of coping with suffering and infirmity. He then boarded the popemobile once again and traveled along the Mall to a Prayer Vigil in Hyde Park. About 5,000 protesters also took to the streets of London but they were overshadowed by the thousands of well-wishers who lined the route. The Mall was adorned in Union and Vatican Flags as the Pope made his way to the Vigil. He entered the venue to be greeted by music from Handel's Messiah and the roar of an enthusiastic crowd.

The Vigil on the eve of the beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman was a joyous occasion. The Pope reflected on Newman's passion for truth. Reflecting on Newman's meditation - "God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another" - the Holy Father called on all present to be open to the voice of Jesus, the voice which knows the service each for which each of us has been created. The full text of his address is available here.

As the Blessed Sacrament was brought to the altar the noise of the crowd gave way to peaceful meditation and reflection. After Benediction the crowd gave the Holy Father a joyful farewell as he returned to the Apostolic Nunciature. Tomorrow he will fly from London to Birmingham, England's second city, to beatify Cardinal Newman.

Pope Benedict in London - Day 1

The Holy Father arrived in London on Thursday night and was greeted by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. He then travelled to the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon.

On Friday morning he travelled to St Mary's University College, Twickenham, where he began by praying with representatives of the religious of Britain in the College chapel. He then attended "The Big Assembly", with 3,000 young people from Britain's Catholic schools and colleges. The Holy Father challenged the young people present to dare to aim to be Saints.

The Pope concluded his visit to St. Mary's by meeting leaders of other religious faiths in Britain.

During the afternoon it was reported that a potential security threat had been identified and prevented. Nevertheless the Holy Father continued his journey and travelled to Lambeth Palace where he met the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. Whilst acknowledging the difficulties that exist between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, Pope Benedict praised the progress which had been made over the last forty years. The Pope reminded all Christians that they have a duty to proclaim the Gospel to a "culture is growing ever more distant from its Christian roots, despite a deep and widespread hunger for spiritual nourishment." The full texts of both addresses can be found here.

The Holy Father then made the short trip to the Palace of Westminster to deliver his keynote address in Westminster Hall. Standing in the venue of the trial of St. Thomas More, the Pope addressed the assembled members of the British establishment, including all four surviving former Prime Ministers. He saluted the democratic traditions of Britain but warned that without solid ethical principles these are fragile. He lamented the marginalisation of religion, especially Christianity, in society and reminded the audience that "religion is not a problem for legislators to solve, but a vital contributor to the national conversation". The full text of his address can be found here. Pope Benedict concluded his first day in the capital by attending an ecumenical evensong at Westminster Abbey.

The Pope in Scotland: a view from the ground

After months of preparation, the day of the Pope’s visit to Scotland finally arrived, and things kicked off early in Edinburgh at St Albert’s University Chaplaincy, based in the Dominican Priory on George Square. Some students joined the friars at Lauds to prepare themselves spiritually for the long day ahead, and by 9:30 the chaplaincy common room was heaving with students and parishioners hoping to see the Pope. After a blessing from the Prior, Fr Tim Calvert, one group headed off down to Prince’s Street to see the St Ninian’s Day parade, which followed the route the Holy Father was later to take as he drove through the centre of Edinburgh in the Popemobile, and led the crowd gathered to see the Pope in celebration of St Ninian, Scotland’s first saint, on whose feast day Pope Benedict arrived in the country.

The chaplaincy groups prepare to set out for Glasgow and Prince's Street

Meanwhile, those of us going to the Papal Mass in Bellahouston Park were issued with our special wristbands before making our way down to the train station for the journey to Glasgow. After a very smooth journey, we arrived in the park just in time to see on the big screens images of the Holy Father’s progress along Prince’s Street at about 12:30. Though we didn’t have the BBC commentary there, news soon got round our group (thanks to the wonders of modern technology) that one of the students back in Edinburgh had been interviewed during the live television coverage, along with Fr Dermot Morrin OP, who had accompanied the group down to the parade.

The congregation

My first impression of the park was the sheer size of the site, and I think we all found it quite inspiring to see the constant stream of pilgrims, coming from three or four different directions and all converging on the entrances to the park. Despite the prospect of almost a five hour wait for the beginning of Mass, there was a real sense of excitement and anticipation in the ever-growing crowd. During the afternoon, there were live and video performances from Catholic schools around Scotland, as well as video presentations from various agencies of the Church in Scotland (the Scotthis Catholic International Aid Fund, Catholic Scottish Parliamentary Office, Vocations Office etc.), interspersed with rehearsals for the music we would be singing at the Mass. While one might have been forgiven for thinking one was at a pop concert to judge by the reaction of the crowd to the appearance on stage of Susan Boyle, the Catholic singer made famous by the TV programme Britain’s Got Talent, there was nevertheless definitely a sense that this was all secondary, and a build-up to the main event.

The closest view we got of the Popemobile

As the Pope’s arrival drew near, preparations shifted up a gear: we moved on from light entertainment to some rousing hymn-singing (our group, if I say so myself, contributing with particular gusto) as the hundreds of concelebrating priests processed through the crowd to the sanctuary. Then, suddenly, a great cheer went up from one corner of the park, spreading swiftly throughout the congregation: the Pope was here. The crowd was transformed into a sea of Vatican flags, interspersed with those not only of Scotland, but also of Kenya, Poland, Ireland, Angola and Spain (to name the few I noticed and remembered). The Holy Father made his way in a figure-of-eight around the congregation, accompanied by vigorous cheering and waving of banners: even Susan Boyle’s welcome could not compete!

The Holy Father begins the celebration of Mass

The true purpose of our gathering, however, became very clearly expressed for me when, as the Pope disappeared to vest, the commentator called for silence as we got ready to take part in the Mass. In the 70,000-strong crowd, you could have heard a pin drop as everyone in quiet prayer prepared to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist: there was a real sense of unity and common purpose even in that silence, a sense which only grew stronger as the Mass began, and seventy thousand people together with the Holy Father confessed to the Lord and to each other their sins, and their need for God’s mercy.

In his homily, Pope Benedict spoke movingly of the love of Jesus Christ for every human individual, a love in which alone we can find the true breadth of freedom, which the world claims to offer in various guises, but which, without Jesus, ends up being ‘arbitrary and self-destructive’. He called on the Catholics of Scotland to bear witness to this authentic, Christian freedom not only by lives lived in accordance with their faith, but also by presenting it in the public forum as wisdom necessary to society as a whole.

Yellow umbrellas shelter the Blessed Sacrament as Holy Communion is distributed

After the homily, we came, of course, as at every Mass, to the Offertory procession and Eucharistic Prayer, during which again there was a tangible sense of the massive congregation’s focus on the altar and the heart of the Eucharistic celebration. Following a joyful exchange of the sign of peace with friends and strangers, we prepared to receive Holy Communion: the sight of hundreds of yellow umbrellas (which sheltered the priests and deacons bearing the Blessed Sacrament) as they spread out through the crowd served as a powerful visual sign, to my mind at least, of the grace of Christ spreading out from the altar and all these people being drawn into his Body by receiving his Body in the Sacrament.

Having received the Holy Father’s blessing at the end of Mass and seen him process out (again accompanied by the sight of thousands of flags and banners being waved by the congregation), we waited until it was our turn to leave the park (about an hour after the Pope had left). Although a little cold and tired, there was a great sense of exhilaration and, indeed, excitement at the experience we had all shared of coming together with Catholics from all over Scotland and beyond to celebrate our common faith together with Pope Benedict, the symbol and guarantor of our unity.

Some of the pilgrims from the Edinburgh chaplaincy

Personally, I thank the Lord for the opportunity to participate in this wonderful occasion, together with a great and enthusiastic group from our chaplaincy in Edinburgh, while on my pastoral placement there! Let us all pray for the Holy Father as he continues his visit in England, that he may bear fruitful witness to the message of Jesus Christ and strengthen Catholics in their faith there, as I’m sure he has, with the help of the Holy Spirit, here in Scotland!

Pope Benedict in Glasgow

The Holy Father celebrated Mass in Bellahouston Park with 70,000 people in attendance. In his homily he once again addressed the "dictatorship of relativism" and called for a new evangelisation of culture. He held up the example of St. Ninian, who was "unafraid to be a lone voice" and again stressed the Christian heritage of Scotland, mentioning the three medieval universities founded by Popes.

Pope Benedict also addressed the young people of Scotland, calling them to "reject the glittering but superficial existence frequently proposed by today’s society and to put aside what is worthless and learn of your own dignity as children of God". He concluded with an ancient Gaelic Prayer and wished God's blessing upon the people of Scotland. The full text of his homily may be found here

He now heads south of the border and on to London.

The Pope's First Day in Britain

The Holy Father has touched down in Scotland to begin his historic four-day State visit. He was greeted on arrival by the Duke of Edinburgh and an honour guard from the Royal Regiment of Scotland. He then travelled through Edinburgh to Her Majesty's official residence, Holyrood House, to be welcomed by the Queen to her realm. In his opening speech the Pope offered the "hand of friendship" to the whole of the UK. He reminded the country that it had been built on Christian values and commented that the name Holyrood refers to the Cross. The Holy Father called on the people of Britain to resist the "more aggressive forms of secularism".

The Popemobile was called into action as the Pope, clad in the specially commissioned papal visit tartan, joined the St. Ninian's parade where he was greeted by the thousands who had lined the streets of Edinburgh. Our own fr Dermot Morrin OP was among the well-wishers along with members of the Catholic Students Union of the University of Edinburgh who gave a very sensible response to a rather inane question from the BBC's Kaye Adams (of Loose Women fame). The Pope had lunch at the official residence of the Archbishop of Edinburgh and was then driven to Glasgow to celebrate Mass.

A - Z of the Mass: Vestments

Clothing is important. It covers our nakedness, keeps us warm and protects us from the elements. But clothing also indicates the role of a person, his or her dignity and status in a community; clothing has a practical as well as a symbolic function. Both these aspects are found in the Christian tradition. St Augustine said that clothing alleviates the shame and nakedness of fallen humanity and St Paul likens baptism and the conferral of baptismal grace and our Christian dignity to being clothed in Christ (see Galatians 3:27). St John in the Apocalypse speaks of those who have conquered sin and death as clothed in white robes (see Apoc 3:5, 7:9).

The white robe has a particular resonance for Christians. It is given to the newly-baptised in the baptismal rite, and from this ancient usage is derived the monastic habit, as well as the liturgical garment called the alb. The name of this garment, whose form resembles the ancient undergarment called the tunica, points to the very fact that it is a white garment. For alba means white in Latin. This simple white garment is a reminder of our baptismal dignity, of the purity of those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, as well as a sign of our willingness to follow Christ, and to die with him, even in martyrdom.

As a sign of our common baptism, then, it is "the vestment common to ministers of every rank" (GIRM §298). There was a time when the newly-baptised adults of the early Church would wear this garment to church every day during the Easter octave. For this reason, the Sunday after Easter Sunday was called Dominica in albis, since it was only on that day that the newly-baptised removed their white garments, presumably for practical reasons. This practice, and its Biblical origins, shows that liturgical vesture had a symbolic purpose very early on.

Over the alb, the liturgical ministers of the early Church initially wore their best formal clothing. This was secular clothing which had insignia that mirrored the rank or office of secular and civic offices in the Roman state. It is not entirely clear how the insignia and garments of Roman officials and judges came to be adopted by the clergy. Some suggest that from the 4th century, after the peace of Constantine, clergy were given ranks equivalent to Roman officials and judges. In any case, it is after the 4th century that garments specially reserved for the liturgy are mentioned, as opposed to simply the best formal clothing one had. What may have contributed to this distinction was a shift in fashion: the Germanic breeches had come to be adopted by secular society, and the clergy retained the older form of Roman secular garments. In time these developed in shape and form, and came to have specific Christian significance attached to them to separate them from secular garments. Hence, St Jerome said that "the Divine religion has one dress in the service of sacred things, another in ordinary intercourse and life".

It is sometimes said that the Church's adoption of vesture was influenced by pagan practices. However, it is noteworthy that the emperor Julian the Apostate (d.363) complained that the Christians dressed up in special clothes to worship God. Moreover, we have seen that symbolic clothing is mentioned in the New Testament, and of course, it is mentioned at length in the Old Testament with regard to the priests and ministers of the Jewish Temple.

Vestments are part of the liturgy's communication through symbols. The colour of the vestments which were codified in the 12th century, and made obligatory in 1570, form part of this communication. As the General Instruction of the Roman Missal §307 says: "Variety in the color of the vestments is meant to give effective, outward expression to the specific character of the mysteries of the faith being celebrated and, in the course of the year, to a sense of progress in the Christian life". As such, the colour of the vestments is not chosen on the whim of the celebrant, but according to the Church's liturgical calendar. For example, red is worn for feasts of martyrs and apostles as a symbol of their blood shed for Christ.

The colour and beauty of vestments also dignify the celebration of the liturgy, and they underline to the solemnity of the occasion. General Instruction §306 is noteworthy in this regard: "The beauty of a vestment should derive from its material and design rather than from lavish ornamentation. Representations on vestments should consist only of symbols, images, or pictures portraying the sacred. Anything out of keeping with the sacred is to be avoided". As such, a vestment that is nobly simple (as Vatican II puts it) should have a fine shape and form, be well-tailored, and be made from a precious and beautiful fabric. An interesting consideration of the development of the chasuble (the Mass vestment worn by a priest), and what constitutes a good 'traditional' chasuble can be found in this article.

Liturgical vesture also serves to show the diversity of ministries in the liturgy. As General Instruction §297 says: "In the Church, the Body of Christ, not all members have the same function. This diversity of ministries is shown outwardly in worship by the diversity of vestments. These should therefore symbolize the function proper to each ministry".

Above all, as we have already seen, vestments are a sign of being clothed in Christ, and are a sign of eschatological glory. So, vanity or mere convenience are both attitudes that are antithetical to their symbolic value. As the then Cardinal Ratzinger said: "What is merely private, merely individual, about [the priest] should disappear and make way for Christ ... Vestments are a reminder of ... this transformation in Christ. [They] are a challenge to the priest to surrender himself to the dynamism of breaking out of the capsule of self and being fashioned anew by Christ and for Christ. They remind those who participate in the Mass of the new way that began with Baptism and continues with the Eucharist, the way that leads to the future world already delineated in our daily lives by the sacraments".

A-Z of the Mass: Unity

'Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it' (1 Cor 12:27).

On the road to Damascus the Risen Christ declared to Saul that in persecuting the Church he was persecuting his Lord (Acts 9:4-5). Paul's later writings, particularly his first letter to the Corinthians, show Paul developing and exploring the implications of this revelation. The Church is one body, its different members bound together through and in Christ. This unity is achieved through faith and the sacraments. These two 'supernatural agencies' move forward hand in hand for the sacraments at once signify the grace which is the inheritance of faith, and cause and contain that same faith. Sacraments are perfect signs of God's action which bring about the very things that they signify.

The Eucharist is the perfect sacrament of the Lord's passion in as much as it contains the very Christ who himself suffered. When we consume this Christ, when we sacramentally receive his body and blood, we are signifying our unity with Christ and each other, and actually bringing about this same unity by binding ourselves to the sacrifice of the cross. The Church, according to St. Augustine, is one because it has one sacrifice. This one sacrifice is the sacrifice of Christ handed over bodily to the Church. Lumen Gentium described this gift as the 'source and summit of the Christian life'. Whilst Eucharistic communion is not the whole of our communion with God, and does not do all the work of our spiritual life, it is a definite communion with the Christ who shed his blood for us, and a foretaste of the communion we will share with him in heaven.

The Eucharist is, then, the sacrament of unity. Unfortunately the schisms and reformations that have torn the body of Christ over the centuries have cloaked this fundamental character of the sacrament. The painful reality is that despite the ecumenical work of recent decades, when we come to the altar the various Christian denominations must go their separate ways. Whilst the sacrifice of the cross belongs to the whole world, its sacramental re-presentation cannot be separated from the Church, the mystical body of Christ, that offers this sacrifice. It is indeed a tragedy that not all Christians are in communion with one another, but the solution is to redouble our efforts to found our faith on truth, to found our faith on Christ. To paper over cracks superficially and pretend there is no problem is easier in the short term, but ultimately it will be counterproductive.