The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about his forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain in his address to the Bishops of England and Wales on the occasion of their ad Limina visit to Rome. This General Audience took place on the morning of Monday 1 February 2010.
The Apostolic Visit is taking place in response to an invitation extended by the State. Full details are yet to be confirmed.
The Holy Father said:
“Even amid the pressures of a secular age, there are many signs of living faith and devotion among the Catholics of England and Wales. I am thinking for example of the enthusiasm generated by the visit of the relics of St Thérèse, the interest aroused by the prospect of Cardinal Newman’s beatification and the eagerness of young people to take part in pilgrimages and World Youth Days.
“On the occasion of my forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain, I shall be able to witness that faith for myself and as Successor of Peter, to strengthen and confirm it.
“During the months of preparation that lie ahead, be sure to encourage the Catholics of England and Wales in their devotion and assure them that the Pope constantly remembers them in his prayers and holds them in his heart.”
Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the Bishops of England and Wales (pdf)
The official website for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Kingdom has now been launched click here to visit
Prayer for the Pope
God our Father, shepherd and guide,
look with love on Pope Benedict, your servant,
the pastor of your Church.
May his word and example inspire and guide the Church,
and may he, and all those entrusted to his care,
come to the joy of everlasting life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Source: The Roman Missal, Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions, 2 For the Pope, page 795. Copyright: International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Publishers: Collins, Goodliffe. Neale. 1974. ISBN: 00 599505 1
Radiating Christ
by John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801 – 1890)
Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine.
Shine through me,
and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Thy presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me
but only Jesus!
Stay with me,
and then I shall begin to shine
as Thou shinest,
so to shine as to be a light to others;
the light, O Jesus, will be all from Thee;
none of it will be mine;
it will be Thou shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise Thee in the way Thou dost love best
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach Thee without preaching,
not by words but by my example,
by the catching force of the sympathetic influence
of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to Thee.
Amen.
The Papal Visit will stimulate interest in the Catholic Faith. It might be helpful to prepare a welcome for new parish visitors.
Everybody’s Welcome
The aim of Everyone’s Welcome is to support parish communities in becoming more friendly, more family-sensitive and more welcoming of all.
Ideas for a parish welcome evening
‘First of all, form a team who will host the evening…’
