The visit of Pope Benedict to the United Kingdom in September is such a historic landmark. It is the first ever State visit of a Pope and the first ever Beatification to take place in this country. Our diocese of Middlesbrough has up to a thousand pilgrims who will be going to all of the different events and that’s a great achievement. Every parish has a Parish Pilgrim Leader and we would like to thank all those leaders who have helped in so many different ways in ensuring all the information has been sent in a timely way and your co-operation and patience has been greatly appreciated. The full itinerary for Pope Benedict from 16-19 September 2010 is printed below:

Thursday, 16 September – Scotland

When Pope Benedict arrives in the UK, he will visit Scotland where he will be received by Her Majesty The Queen, members of the Royal Family and people representing British society in the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh.

Having met the Queen, the Pope will travel to Glasgow where he will celebrate an open-air Mass at Bellahouston Park in the evening and then he will fly from Glasgow to London. The Holy Father will then be based in London for the remainder of the visit.

Friday, 17 September – London

On the second day of the visit, Pope Benedict is going to St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, where there will be three aspects to his visit. The first is that he begins the day praying with representatives of religious congregations – particularly those who have a charism for education and a history of education.

He will then go and meet 3,000 young people – schoolchildren and students – to celebrate Catholic education. From there he will then meet with religious leaders and people of religious faith in the Waldegrave Drawing Room and Walpole House. He will discuss with them religion and belief in our society.

Later in the day, the Pope is scheduled to meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace in the presence of the Anglican diocesan bishops and the Catholic diocesan bishops of England and Wales.

He has then been invited, as part of the State visit, to address British society, representatives of which will be invited to Westminster Hall to hear the Pope’s address.

He will finish off the day with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Christian leaders at Westminster Abbey to celebrate Evening Prayer. The Holy Father will also pray at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and at the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor.

Saturday, 18 September – London

On the third day of the visit, Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass in Westminster Cathedral where he will also, from there, greet the people of Wales.

Later in the day he will visit a home for older people, giving the Pope an opportunity to go to those who cannot come to him, and will then be present at an open air Vigil of Prayer in London’s Hyde Park.

Sunday, 19 September – West Midlands

The final day of the visit is focused very much on the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and the Pope will celebrate that beatification in Cofton Park in Birmingham – adjacent, fittingly, to Rednal where Cardinal Newman was buried and the place where Newman and his community came for rest and recreation in the Lickey Hills.

Pope Benedict will conclude the day by meeting with the bishops of England, Scotland and Wales in Oscott College before returning to Rome from Birmingham Airport.

Every pilgrim will receive a Pilgrim Pack from the Parish Pilgrim Leader and the Pilgrim Pack will contain a Pilgrim Pass and this pass will allow you to enter either Cofton Park, Birmingham, or Hyde Park in London. For those unable to attend either of the venues, you can follow the Pope’s visit on the Papal Visit website which is www.thepapalvisit.org.uk or you can follow his visit on the TV news. In parishes by now you will also have received a booklet called ‘Magnificat’ which has all of the liturgical information and more pertaining to the Pope’s visit and a donation of £2 ensures that you can have this booklet and follow in your own home what the Pope is celebrating.

Pope Benedict XVI has said he is looking forward to his visit to the United Kingdom and is looking forward to beatifying Cardinal John Henry Newman this September. He told the Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, that he was looking forward ‘very much’ to the ceremony at Cofton Park, Birmingham. Our prayer as a diocese is that this historic occasion becomes one of great enrichment to our faith and our hope. The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has said that it is important that we give our wholehearted and unstinting support to the Holy Father in this visit. We can support the Pope in so many different ways. We can pray for him. We can promote the vision and importance of his visit. Perhaps you or your parish may wish to say this prayer for the Papal visit to Britain daily throughout September and encourage others in their prayers for this visit.

Prayer for the Papal Visit to Britain

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.

May I on behalf of the Bishop wish all those travelling as pilgrims to either of the events at Hyde Park or Cofton Part, or indeed to any of the other venues the Pope is visiting, a most joyful and blessed time and may you receive many graces in your pilgrimage to see Pope Benedict.

Father Gerard Robinson, Diocesan Papal Visit Co-ordinator