Hi all,
I don't go in for blogging or twittering or facebooking etc
but some of you have asked me if I went to see the Pope.
No. But............. here is a personalised account of his visit:
The Pope's visit to the UK, (Edinburg, Glasgow, London and Birmingham)
has turned out to be a huge success despite the Jeremiahs who predicted dismal failure with embarrassment, humiliation and worse, for him.
The national papers have all used superlatives today to describe it and are non-plussed at the spontaneously rapturous welcome he received everywhere.
One said we expected a Rottweiler and we got a gentle grandfather.
The vociferous opposition by 'People against the Pope' turned out to be a mere blip despite their demonstration being much larger than even they had expected, -- 5k, while 300k lined the London streets to cheer him!!!
Their spurious argumentations were little less than barely concealed hatred.
Poor people, with spiritual cancers eating them away.
For me the 4 days were a papal telethon (television marathon), as I spent about 7 hours each day, on 3 TV channels, following the Pope's every step and listening to his every word (with difficulty, due to accented speech andtoo fast delivery).
The words of others were very good too, especially the Chief Rabbi's.
There were quite a few emotional highs for me, especially in London where I ministered 24 years ago. I was based at the Cathedral for 2 years and said Mass very often at the altar where the Pope said his, also in the chapel of the Home for the Elderly that he visited and I dined in the reception room in which he held court. I had even been inside the Apostolic Nunciature where he slept. So many old memories came flooding back. I noticed in the congregation people from that time, like Pat O'Donoghue, the retired bishop of Lancaster (& Cumbria) who was sub-administrator of the cathedral at the time. While the Pope was at the (Anglican) Westminster Abbey, I thought of the time I preached in the adjacent St Margaret's chapel. Even the many references in Birmingham, to the new Blessed, Cardinal Newman, and his founding of University College Dublin, did it for me, for I was a student there for 3 years.
I also realised that I have been missing the majesty of liturgical celebration.
The music at the Cathedral and the Abbey was magical and the singing heavenly.
To me, the liturgies were a baptised compilation of theatre, opera and military pageantry, all in one sacred spectacle, dimming Broadway and the West End into insignificant childsplay. I used to sit at the back of the cathedral during celebrations just to enjoy the music and singing; somehow I've survived all these years without it.
The Pope's visit was like a Retreat for me, more than. Conscious of my hermit's ministry, I fasted the whole week (and lost 11 pounds) for the success of the visit, especially that it would not rain, for there were many open-air events which would be disastrous shambles in the rain. Even for non-events, like the Pope going from A to B in his popemobile with the streets lined with cheering people, rain would have been a calamity.
It rained here where I live. But it never rained where the Pope was, even though on Sunday morning for a short while it threatened to. Allah Bu Akbar. God is Good. Thanks be to HIM.
The organisation, with complicated logistics, was superb. There were no hitches,--just a few minor errors that can be overlooked. I was disappointed though that there was not more Gregorian Chant.
We have had a papal visit once in 30 years or so and we are very excited and overwhelmed. We forget that this year alone,the Pope is making 5 such visits to foreign countries. This visit to the UK was his 17th since becoming Pope in 2005.
For an 83 year old man his stamina is remarkable; this visit was 'chock-a-block' with events and speeches, as I suppose it is with all his other visits.
During these 4 days, there were 6 people arrested for 3 days then released, suspected of planning an attack on the Pope. My cynical mind suggests to me that it was planned and 'staged' by the Government to give validity to the very controversial millions of £s spent on security for the 4 days.
I feel certain that, as a result of the great enthusiasm and positivity engendered by the Pope's visit, people of Faith, Christian and others, will feel less apologetic towards the secularists and atheists, about their believing in God and in spiritual values. And I suspect that many lapsed Catholics will return to church-going at least, and that some atheists and non-believers will secretly experience conversion. So may it be: Amen.
Love & Blessings
ajc
