The Pope’s long awaited visit to Britain finally began yesterday in Edinburgh amidst mixed feelings that have divided the nation along both religious and secular lines.
The Pope was received at Holyrood Palace shortly after his arrival, and among the dignitaries in attendance were the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev John Christie, and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.
Pope Benedict XVI’s four-day visit is the first-ever state visit by a Pope to Britain, and the first visit by a Pope since Pope John Paul II in 1982.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, stated that the four-day visit was a moment of “great pride and joy”.
He believed that the visit was an “economic boost in austere times” for Scotland but also spoke of the opportunity for the country “to show its best face to the world.”
“There have been objectors and detractors to the visit but one only needs to look at those involved to realize that they are in no way representative of the overwhelmingly welcoming majority of Scottish citizens,” he said.
However, those “objectors and detractors” have strong feelings regarding the Pope’s visit, and may yet have opportunity to make those feelings known. Opposition has come from atheists, secularists and child abuse survivors. Some of the more famous of those opponents have been figures such as Richard Dawkins, Stephen Fry and Terry Pratchett, who said in an open letter yesterday that while the Pope was welcome to visit Britain as a European citizen, he “should not be given the honor of a state visit.”
Child abuse victims are also planning to stage protests along the route to be taken by the Popemobile later in the day. Joining them are some Christians, including the Rev Ian Paisley and around 50 members of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, who plan to unfurl a banner stating their objection to the visit.
Rev Paisley said: “We’re making a legitimate protest about something that is entirely wrong, and I am looking at myself as a person who is prepared to champion those who have been very, very badly treated by these priests of Rome.”
However, other denominations have been more welcoming, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Salvation Army Commissioner Betty Matear, who said it was a “cause for hope” for all Christians.
The Evangelical Alliance stated that the visit came at a vital time for Britain, as Christians face increasing antagonism from a relatively small yet influential secular wing.