PAPAL VISIT 2010...

Invitations

Official Press release from Catholic Church in England and Wales
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Co-ordinator for the Papal Visit, Mgr Andrew Summersgill gives the background on the preparations..

The Church is responsible for three main gatherings with Pope Benedict:

- The Mass in Glasgow (Thursday, 16 September)
- The Mass of Beatification in the Midlands (Sunday, 19 September)
- The evening Prayer Vigil in London (Saturday, 18 September)
Have invitations been allocated to the dioceses of Scotland, England and Wales for the large events?

Mgr Andrew Summersgill: At the moment, we not yet fully certain of the exact numbers we can accommodate. This is because there are health and safety issues, security considerations and comfort requirements. Once the number of attendees at each venue has been decided upon invitations will be allocated to the dioceses for each of these large events.
How will invitations be allocated?

Mgr AS: At this stage, it will probably be done in terms of the relative size of the diocese. Another factor will be the geographic proximity of the diocese to a particular gathering. Decisions will be made with a view to making sure as many people as feasibly possible can be with Pope Benedict.
Transport to and from venues

Mgr AS: We are working with a limited number of transport providers. Why a limited number? It is quite complex, logistically, to bring a large number of people to one place and then safely back again. Discussions are ongoing. Once transport information is available, it will be sent to the dioceses of Scotland, England and Wales.
Diocesan Co-ordinators

Mgr AS: To pass on important information and updates to parishes, each diocese in Scotland, England and Wales will appoint a diocesan coordinator for the papal visit. It is intended the dioceses will appoint coordinators by the start of June 2010. Everything will be focussed into the dioceses. Each diocese receives an allocation of places. The diocese will then assess how best, for each local area, to distribute those invitations.
Can I just turn up at a Papal Visit venue?

Mgr AS: I'm really sorry to say that's just not possible today [unlike when Pope John Paul II visited the UK in 1982]. There are particularly stringent health and safety requirements, there are security concerns, and so we are working hard with police, local authorities and the relevant government offices to maximise the number of people we can comfortably, safely and securely accommodate with Pope Benedict.
Forming groups to attend papal events

Mgr AS: It's important to stress that coming to these large gatherings is going to have to be within groups. Why is this? Logistics - safe and comfortable transport to and from venues but also for important security reasons. We are working closely with the police so people can travel together and be cleared through security together.
The Virtual Visit

Mgr AS: Not everyone who would like to go to a venue to see Pope Benedict will be able to do so. For this reason, a lot of work is going on with broadcasters and web partners to ensure that as much of Pope Benedict's time in the UK as possible will be broadcast live on TV and online here on www.thepapalvisit.org.uk. This means many more people will be able to be part of the Virtual Visit online - even when it isn't physically possible to be present with him.

Papal Visit – collection in parishes

On 23 May 2010 there was prayers and a special collection in all parishes in Scotland, England and Wales for the Papal Visit.

Prayer cards for the Visit were distributed to all parishioners attending Mass on Pentecost Sunday.

Collections will be held to assist in meeting the costs of the Visit payable by the Church, which are currently estimated to be at least £7m. Over £3m has already been raised towards this total.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said

  “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.“

The costs associated with the state aspects of the Visit will be paid by the government. The costs payable by the church consist mainly in the organising costs of three major public pastoral gatherings – in Scotland, London and the West Midlands.

Downloads

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Papal Visit – resources Poster

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Links

thepapalvisit.org.uk - official website with press releases, information, donate links etc.