Pope Sends Message to Great Britain
In a message to the people of Great Britain ahead of his visit to the country next week, the Holy Father has said he hopes “more and more people will benefit” from the “gentle wisdom” of Cardinal Newman whom he’ll beatify on Sunday 19th. He also thanked the “countless people” who have been praying for the success of the visit, and for a “great outpouring of grace” upon the Church in the country.
Delivering the message at his General Audience this morning in the Paul VI hall, he said he was looking forward to meeting representatives from various sections of the British population, as well as civil and political leaders. He expressed his gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and assured all the people of the country of his prayers.
He also expressed his appreciation to the organizers - planning the visit has not been easy, and the costs have been controversial among a majority of Britons according to recent surveys.
The Sept. 16-19 state visit is drawing a great deal of interest from around the world, with some 5,000 journalists accredited to cover the event.
The full text can be found here on the Vatican Radio website.
For anyone who received my tweet this morning saying a video message was to be released today, this was it - I don’t think any other is expected.
Edward Pentin Edward Pentin is the Register’s Senior Contributor and EWTN News Vatican Analyst. He began reporting on the Pope and the Vatican with Vatican Radio before moving on to become the Rome correspondent for EWTN's National Catholic Register. He has also reported on the Holy See and the Catholic Church for a number of other publications including Newsweek, Newsmax, Zenit, The Catholic Herald, and The Holy Land Review, a Franciscan publication specializing in the Church and the Middle East. Edward is the author of The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates (Sophia Institute Press, 2020) and The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation into Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family (Ignatius Press, 2015). Follow him on Twitter at @edwardpentin.
