Pope Benedict XVI was presented with the official Papal Visit DVD by Papal Visit Co-ordinator Mgr Andrew Summersgill at the weekly Audience in the Vatican on 15 December.
Pope Benedict congratulated Mgr Summersgill on all of the good work from those responsible for organising the Visit, echoing his words at the General Audience on 22 September, immediately after the Visit:
“From the very first day of my stay in the United Kingdom and throughout my Visit I met with a warm welcome from the Authorities, from the representatives of the various social realities and of the different religious confessions and, especially, the common people. I am thinking in particular of the faithful of the Catholic Community and their Pastors who, in spite of being a minority in the country, are widely appreciated, esteemed and committed to the joyous proclamation of Jesus Christ, making the Lord shine out and making themselves his voice, especially among the lowliest. To all I renew the expression of my deep gratitude for the enthusiasm shown and for the praiseworthy diligence with which they strove for the success of my Visit, whose memory I shall always cherish in my heart.”
The DVD has been produced by the Papal Visit office following unprecedented interest on the official website, which hosted the most-watched webcast ever in the UK. It is estimated that between 5 and 8 million people watched the Papal Visit on the webstream, either live or on the watch-again facility. This footage has now been archived as a permanent legacy on www.thepapalvisit.org.uk
The DVD is being distributed by the Universe Media Group and is available in parishes and selected Catholic bookshops priced £9.99. The DVD can be bought through the website, www.totalcatholic.com and is also available through Amazon at www.tinyurl.com/papalvisituk, priced £9.99 plus packaging and postage. Customers can also call 0161 488 1715 to buy the DVD, with payment by credit/debit card or Paypal online and by cheque through print adverts in the Catholic press.
Archbishop Nichols, Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien and Lord Patten of Barnes, act as narrators on the DVD, telling the story of those extraordinary and historic four days in September when the Pope, welcomed by Her Majesty The Queen, spoke to the heart of the nation and in the words of Prime Minister David Cameron made the country “sit up and think”. The DVD offers highlights of the Visit, but the aim is not just to present visual highlights but also to tell a story; the story of what the Pope had come to say, why and where he went, and the significance of the individual components of the Visit: from addressing civic society at Westminster Hall to taking part in an assembly with schoolchildren from across the country – the Pope’s first virtual assembly, using digital technology to reach out to as many young people as possible.
The DVD also offers footage of all of the Pope’s addresses in full, along with other key addresses made by the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Chief Rabbi and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
