Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Madrid! The Holy Father’s plane touched down at midday Spanish time and was greeted by thousands of pilgrims at the city’s Barajas Airport.

After being welcomed to Spain by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, alongside Madrid’s Archbishop, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, the Holy Father had a message for young Catholics, before he performs a welcoming ceremony at Cibeles Square this evening. “Let no one take your peace away,” the Holy Father said to the more than one million pilgrims who have reportedly travelled to the Spanish capital. “Do not be ashamed of the Lord.” The Pope also spoke out to all the Catholic youths worldwide who did not manage to travel to Madrid.

I watched the Holy Father’s arrival with Scottish pilgrims (as well as some English, Irish and Mexicans based in Glasgow) who have all travelled to Madrid with Fr John Keenan and Sr Karen Marguerite d’Artois OP from Glasgow University’s Catholic chaplaincy. Images of the Holy Father arriving were relayed to us on a very temperamental projector screen at the church of Parroquia Encarnación del Senor, where I joined the group for a Catechesis session and the celebration of Mass. As the Pope emerged from the plane, applause rung out around the church, amidst chants of ‘Benedicto’ and ‘Viva el Papa.’

I then enjoyed a very pleasant three course lunch with a group of pilgrims from the chaplaincy team at one of the many cafe bars that is providing special pilgrim menus at a very reasonable price.

“The food here is much better than it was in Sydney!” one of the pilgrims told me.

Over lunch, we shared stories about the past couple of days and I learned that the chaplaincy group had travelled to Madrid via Lourdes and Barcelona, two places that remain on my to-do list! Sr Karen spoke of the very warm welcome they have received from some of the local Spaniards, with one elderly parishioner at the Parroquia Encarnación del Senor church even offering use of the bathroom facilities at her house to the Glasgow pilgrims, who are staying in a nearby school gym hall for the week.

Although more than one million pilgrims are expected to greet the Pope on the streets of Madrid this evening, his arrival in the Spanish capital has not been a source of joy for all parties. Last night saw organised protests against the visit, with many Spaniards, predominantly young people, voicing their anger that taxpayers’ money is being used to part fund the WYD celebrations. In a country where the youth unemployment rate is currently more than 40 per cent, resentment is, perhaps, understandable.

It is still disappointing, but not surprising however, that the international press have, on the large part, only picked up on coverage of WYD since protests began. There has been very little coverage of the news that more than one million young people have gathered from across the world to celebrate and live their Faith together-and in so doing, have temporarily increased the population of one of Europe’s capital cities by more than a third. How much have we already heard in the secular press about the London Olympics? An event that is still a year away.

Last night’s protests centred around the city’s Puerta del Sol square. Taking a stroll through the area this morning, however, the atmosphere had mellowed and the iconic square was once again dominated by WYD pilgrims and their flags. I approached a group of Brazilian pilgrims to try and discover their thoughts on their country hosting the next international WYD celebrations. Between their speaking of Portuguese and my attempt at responding, using pidgin Spanish (with a bit of Italian thrown in just to confuse matters even further) we managed to enjoy something resembling a conversation. The cheers they let out, however, when I mentioned WYD in Rio de Janeiro in two years time needed no translation at all!

This evening I will be attending the Pope’s welcoming ceremony at Cibeles Square, which I look forward to bringing you more on tomorrow.

Hasta luego.