Scottish Catholic Observer

As we approach September 16, 2011 I think it is important for us all to remember the joy of that wonderful celebration here in Scotland as we celebrated St Ninian’s Day 2010 with the successor of the Prince of the Apostles, St Peter, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in our midst.

There was beautiful weather for us here in Scotland, tremendous crowds, the honour of being part of a State Visit to our country with Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, Mass celebrated by the Pope in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, and a full day of celebrations from the east to the west of our country.

As well as rejoicing in what did indeed take place I think perhaps we could consider just what we have learned from that event one year ago and how if at all we have benefited from it.

Perhaps the first question which faced us all as a Catholic community when there was initially a remote possibility that our Holy Father might visit Scotland was indeed that very question, ‘can we do it?’ Very many of us remembered that equally wonderful time in 1982 when the late Blessed John Paul II was with us and the tremendous crowds which greeted him on every occasion. We celebrated the silver jubilee of that event in 1997 —and thought over some of the magnificent teachings of our Pope not only to ourselves but to the whole community of Scotland. Now bishops, priests, Religious and people had to ask ourselves: ‘Is it possible to replicate in any way that visit of 1982? Will Pope Benedict attract the same loving crowds as did the late Pope John Paul II? Would our country be prepared to accord the same wonderful welcome in 2010 as those 27 years ago?’

Yes, many questions had to be asked and answered by our own Church leaders as well as those in England and Wales when it was learned that the Papal visit would begin in Scotland and continue in England. Our authorities in government and state would have to be involved in all of our discussions as this was to be not only a state visit from our Pope as Head of the Vatican City State, but also a pastoral, religious visit. And of course all of our other authorities especially those responsible for security would have many more difficult questions to answer in our age when risks of every sort would arise and questions would have to be answered.

However it was indeed the studied answer of all those who were involved in initial deliberations that we could indeed do it—although a tremendous amount of hard work would be involved. It was realised that there would have to be very great collaboration with all those responsible at various levels for the visit, and of course there would be considerable expense expended both by the state and by the Church.

All responsible at various levels from Her Majesty the Queen and her advisors down to those responsible for our schoolchildren and the sick and disabled in our parishes did indeed consider that we could do it—and consequently as the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland I was more than happy to realise at the time of, and after the visit, that we did indeed do it.

There was indeed tremendous collaboration between our hierarchies and at other levels in Scotland with our government and at national level in Westminster. Police, Fire Service, all local authorities did indeed pull out every stop to ensure that this was indeed a day to remember in the history of our country. Our schools were mobilised, and the vital importance of our own Scottish Catholic Education Service under the leadership of Michael McGrath did untold organising in ensuring that everything went well and that this would be a day of enjoyment for all of our schoolchildren whether in person close to the Pope or watching by the way of mass media.

Also at local level in both the east and in the west of Scotland local teams were organised so that everything went better than could have been hoped for both in the City of Edinburgh and in the City of Glasgow where in one instance the magnificent Popemobile journey was organised along Princes Street while in the other there was that moving celebration of Mass in Bellahouston Park.

Everyone had their own particular memories and I simply share briefly some of mine. It was a wonderful joy being with Prince Philip and other dignitaries at Edinburgh Airport to welcome the Pope and his immediate entourage on to Scottish soil on a day in which there was a cloudless sky.

It was with pride that we witnessed Her Majesty the Queen and His Holiness the Pope speaking in the most friendly of terms about their respective views of our country and the necessary place of religion in our society.

It was a privilege for me being with Our Holy Father on that Popemobile along the great length of Princes Street led by that magnificent pageant of the history of Scotland, the children from all of the St Ninian’s schools in Scotland, listening to pipe bands from all over our country, and with the Pope so graciously wearing the St Ninian’s Day tartan scarf which I had placed around his neck in the Popemobile.

It was also a very great privilege hosting the Pope for lunch in my own home in Edinburgh and receiving the dignitaries and the Pope’s immediate entourage there. The Pope’s homeliness and love of people was shown in so very many ways—especially his desire to meet with the children on his arrival at St Bennet’s; in the way he was willing to kiss the turf at St Bennet’s as did his predecessor Pope John Paul II; to see him relaxed over a good Scottish lunch and then present on my behalf to my housekeeper and her husband a crystal bowl commemorating their 40th wedding anniversary on St Ninian’s Day itself.

Then, of course, we all realised from the way in which Pope Benedict led our concelebrated Mass in Bellahouston Park that he himself was indeed enjoying the pastoral side of his visit to Scotland as he led us in that great prayer. The crowds were quite spectacular, the Liturgy of the Mass had been prepared in a meticulous way, and the singing was uplifting—but perhaps most people were aware of those great silences for private prayer which the Pope used with full effect during the concelebrations.

It was with a great feeling of loss that we bade farewell to the Pope as he flew out from Glasgow Airport—with I myself being privileged to be from then on a member of the Papal entourage for the rest of the visit to the UK.

We can look back with happiness to those great crowds of people—the police estimate was 125,000 along Princes Street; and 75,000 at Mass in Bellahouston. I would say unhesitatingly we are better for the Papal visit. We can think back with pride to the place which our religion has in Scotland at this present time and that we are capable as a Catholic Christian community to host an event such as we did with the full cooperation from our state authorities.

But we must remember also that lasting effect left by Pope Benedict and his visit. He showed us something of the human face not only of himself as Pope but of our whole Church itself. Aware of difficulties with regard to the numbers of practising Catholics at this present time, the shortage of vocations, and worries with regard to child protection issues—nevertheless we did indeed show a very positive face of Catholicism in Scotland.

Of course we must continue to be the better of that visit through an ongoing study of the teachings of our Pope while he was with us. Young and old alike, married persons and single people especially our priests and religious must indeed take to heart the words which were spoken directly to them—either in Scotland itself or south of the border. Many clarion calls went out from our Holy Father but none I think more strongly issued nor more warmly received than that call to ‘be a saint, ’which the Pope addressed to the young people of our country. The whole visit was very well worthwhile and nothing would make it even better than a further consideration of those words of the Pope by each and every one of us.

Pope Benedict came, saw and conquered. That call must echo in our own minds as we go forward evermore confidently living the Christian message in our country and endeavouring to hand on the love of Jesus Christ as effectively as we can to the other peoples in Scotland as indeed throughout the world.