Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI has told Catholics to bear joyful witness to the Gospel ‘which liberates our minds and enlightens our efforts to live wisely and well, both as individuals and as members of society’ a year on from his historic visit to Scotland and England.

The Holy Father’s message came as members of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland led young Catholics from around the country in celebrations marking the anniversary of the Holy Father’s arrival on Scottish soil on September 16 last year and as celebrations were held at Westminster Cathedral in London.

The message, which was sent by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, also saw the Holy Father express his appreciation ‘to all those who contributed to the happy outcome of his visit’ and also offered special words of encouragement to seminarians—the future priests of the Church. He asked them to keep their eyes fixed on Christ and to devote themselves wholeheartedly to their ‘intellectual and spiritual formation, and to be steadfast heralds of the new evangelisation.’

Politicians’ response

The anniversary of Pope Benedict’s visit was also marked by Prime Minster David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond. The First Minister said it was ‘hard to believe it has been a year since His Holiness visited Scotland.’

“Like tens of thousands of other Scots, I have so many happy memories of that day and the strength of the welcome Pope Benedict received,” he said. “Tens of thousands of people saw the Pope in person and millions saw his visit on television and it was clear that so many Scots—not just Catholics—were joining in the celebrations. The spiritual high point, of course, was the celebration of Mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.”

The First Minister said that having been at Bellahouston for the Mass he knew personally ‘just how powerful this was for Scotland’s Catholic community.’

“When I spoke to the Holy Father personally that day I told him just how much his visit meant to Scotland,” Mr Salmond said. “One particular image sums up the day for me and I think shows the feeling was well and truly mutual: the by now famous picture of Pope Benedict making his way along Princes Street in his Popemobile wearing the tartan scarf placed around his shoulders by Cardinal O’Brien makes me smile whenever I think of it—and I think showed the Pope’s affection for Scotland, too.”

Mr Cameron said the Pope had brought a ‘powerful message’ to all of the UK. “One year ago, the landmark visit of Pope Benedict gave millions of British Catholics an opportunity to celebrate their Faith, while sharing a powerful message with everyone in our country about the importance of compassion, tolerance and justice,” Mr Cameron said. “The Pope’s message is just as relevant today.”

Scotland

Young people were at the heart of the Church’s Papal visit anniversary celebrations in Scotland.

In the largest event, nearly 4000 school children from Motherwell Diocese attended an anniversary Mass at Carfin Grotto celebrated by Bishop Joseph Devine and attended by dignitaries including Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service. Pupils from each of Glasgow Archdiocese’s 21 Catholic secondary schools attended a special Mass at St Andrew’s Cathedral at which Archbishop Mario Conti (above) put on the vestments Pope Benedict wore at Bellahouston Park. Bishop Philip Tartaglia also celebrated an anniversary Mass for school children in St Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley on the solemnity of St Mirin. In Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith O’Brien visited a number of schools last week before celebrating Mass at St Ninian’s Primary School in south of the capital on the Papal visit anniversary.

Cardinal O’Brien led the hierarchy in telling the young Catholics they addressed to heed the Popes’ message to young people from the Papal visit telling them to become saints of the 21st century.

Archbishop Conti of Glasgow told the Catholic school pupils present at St Andrew’s Cathedral that one of the Holy Father’s most important messages to them had been that ‘that you are the hope and life of the Church in Scotland and the Church now belongs to you.’

Bishop Devine advised the thousands gathered at Carfin Grotto not to fall into the same traps as many other young people. “There are so many who believe they have no need of any other foundations in life other than themselves,” he said. “So they take it on themselves to decide what is good and evil. But you have been led to know a very different truth, that each and every one of you has been created by God.”

Bishop Tartaglia asked the representatives from every Catholic school in his diocese present at the Mass in Paisley to follow the Pope in loving St Peter and hear Jesus speaking the words: “If you love me, show me. Listen to my call in your heart and follow me.”

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— Pic: Paul McSherry