It's getting very exciting now...

H/T to Love Undefiled by Robert Colquhoun for pointing out this great video. I'm so excited I could crush a grape!

St Thomas More

H/T to Fr. James Farfaglia for pointing us in the direction of Deacon Keith Fournier's excellent article on Catholic Online, which you can read in full here. Deacon Keith writes:

Thomas More showed heroic courage in the face of a State which had lost its soul. He never wavered in his fidelity to the Truth. He would not betray the truth or compromise it on the altar of public opinion for political opportunism. He knew that to do so would not only have dishonored God and led his family and so many others astray, but that it would have given tacit assent to the emerging despotism of his age. Thomas More was brought to trial for his fidelity to the Truth. As is often the case with persecution against Christians, it was framed as a charge against the "positive law". This outstanding lawyer defended the Truth - for which he would later give his life.

One of the many highlights of the Papal Visit, for me, will be when Pope Benedict addresses our Society in Westminster Hall; the same hall in which St Thomas More was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. How we have moved on since those terrible times.

St Thomas More and St John Fisher, pray for us.

Benedict XVI's UK Visit: 114 Days to Go

This update from zenit, here and below, got me to thinking about countdowns. Does anyone know of a blogspot countdown available to upload? It's a technical issue which some may know about. When this blog started there was a countdown until ordination - it would be nice to have a countdown until HH Benedict comes to town.

Benedict XVI's UK Visit: 114 Days to Go

Pope Will Address Entire British Society

LONDON, MAY 25, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The United Kingdom is counting down the days until Benedict XVI's September 16-19 visit.

Monsignor Andrew Summersgill, a Papal visit coordinator, noted some of the most recent preparations in a press release publicized today by the bishops' conference of England and Wales.

"This week," he said, "my thoughts centered on what the Pope's going to do in Westminster Hall."

The Pontiff's address will be "quite a splendid occasion [...] as it will be a gathering of people from across Britain representing all the different strands of British society who will be brought together in order to listen to what Pope Benedict has to say to contemporary society," the priest stated.

He continued, "So although it's in Westminster Hall, it's not addressed solely and exclusively to parliamentarians -- in fact, properly, it's not -- it's the whole of British society coming together."

Monsignor Summersgill noted that although the exact itinerary of the Holy Father's visit has not been released, it is expected sometime "between six to eight weeks" of his arrival.

He explained, "The Holy See's normal way of doing these things is to publish, on its own Web site, the line-by-line itinerary."

The priest encouraged people to go to the Vatican's Web site and look at previous apostolic journey schedules that show "where the Pope has been and the itineraries he has followed."

"They talk about his arrival times at places, how he moves around, the time he spends at places and they're quite interesting," Monsignor Summersgill said. "We would expect to have that detail available somewhere between six and eight weeks before Pope Benedict gets here."

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On the Net:

Apostolic journeys: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/index_outside-italy_en.htm

Papal U.K. visit: http://thepapalvisit.org.uk/

Inspiring Video from Papal Visit website

I would urge everyone in the Catholic community to pray for this Visit and to support the collection for it as generously as they can. The Holy Father’s Visit is a wonderful opportunity for the gentle light of faith to be contemplated afresh by everyone. He will confirm the strong faith of our own community. But my prayer, too, is that the Visit will serve to kindle a new spiritual vitality, a questioning of the heart for many in our society who may have no religious affiliation but who are in some way seeking a deeper meaning and purpose to their lives. Archbishop Vincent Nichols

NB Collection to be taken in all parishes Pentecost weekend.

H/T Fr Lawrence Jones

Ven. John Henry Card. Newman

Peter Jennings reports on the press conference held at St Chad's in Birmingham in regard to the Pope coming to beatify Newman. Peter writes:

Local flavour and colour, but not specific detail about the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Midlands was given during a relaxed 45-minute press conference, chaired by Peter Jennings, Press Secretary to Archbishop Bernard Longley and the Archdiocese of Birmingham, at Cathedral House, Birmingham, on Friday 19 March, the Feast of St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church.

I'm not sure what exactly the 'local flavour and colour' is, but he does report:

An estimated 250,000 pilgrims and more than 4,000 members of the media from all over the world are likely to attend the two-hour ceremony that will be followed by Pope Benedict XVI reciting the Angelus, as he does in public every Sunday at noon.

They will be expecting something, so I guess we better start flavouring and colouring!

More on the Papal Visit website here.

You can also see the press interest here from Central News, including Fr Tim, the PP where the Pope will visit. Watch from about 14 minutes into the program.

Midlands Today are running it in their news broadcast, here, and you can see from approximately 13 minutes into the show.

Picture Post

Thank you to godzdogz for this great picture. I'm thinking "Pope supports British Army on surprise visit to forces overseas".

It's official - the Pope's coming to town...

The news is all over the place, of course, but nonetheless it's exciting to know His Holiness is going to come say hello. Find out more on the website that is dedicated to the visit, here.

Official Preparation Prayer

God of truth and love,
your Son, Jesus Christ, stands as the light
to all who seek you with a sincere heart.
As we strive with your grace
to be faithful in word and deed,
may we reflect the kindly light of Christ
and offer a witness of hope and peace to all.
We pray for Pope Benedict
and look forward with joy
to his forthcoming visit to our countries.
May he be a witness to the unity and hope
which is your will for all people.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
___

Our Lady, Mother of the Church — pray for us.
St Andrew — pray for us.
St George — pray for us.
St David — pray for us.

Did you sign the petition yet?

Several bloggers are encouraging us to sign a petition in support of the Pope's forthcoming visit to Great Britain.

Fr John Boyle writes:

At time of writing 795 have signed. Add your name to theirs.

The National Secular Society has launched a petition "Make the Pope Pay. Say NO to a State-Funded Visit to the UK" They have almost 15,000 signatures at time of writing.

Did you sign the petition yet? Sign it here. I'm number 802. Which number are you?

Pope Benedict coming to the UK

How exciting is this? What with the visit of the relics of St Terese and now the forthcoming visit of HH Benedict XVI: I am over the moon. What a day! How wrong was I when I said last year that the pope wouldn't come to the UK. Don't you just love it when the Lord offers you a chance for humility. Ah, well, I'm just too excited to let it all sink in.

H/T to Ruth Gledhill in the Times.

Papal Visit

I was very amused to read in the Scotsman that the Pope has been invited to visit Scotland. Of particular mirth, for me, was the comment:

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland said it is too early to say what form a visit would take. But he added: "We would absolutely welcome the possibility of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI. But, of course, we appreciate there are many other countries who have never had a papal visit and would like one."

Now, I know it is not good to read into people's words what is not actually said, but reading the comment it struck me that it was only the possibility of a visit which would be welcome; the actual visit, well, we'll just have to see. As for those countries who have never had a papal visit; maybe they'd prefer one to us, certainly there is more chance the Roman Pontiff will go there first.

Come on, let's talk it up. It would be fantastic for HH Benedict to come visit and we hope and pray that he will. I'm not convinced, myself, but if there is any chance, any chance at all, then I, for one, very warmly welcome both the possibility and the actual visit. Good on you Prime Minister for extending the invitation on behalf of the country. How wonderful it will be for the Pope to make a formal state visit and have tea at the Palace.

Viva Il Papa!