POPE'S UK VISIT: THE 70TH anniversaries of the bombing of Coventry and the ending of the Battle of Britain were commemorated in Birmingham yesterday by Pope Benedict XVI at the beatification ceremony for Cardinal John Henry Newman in Crofton Park.
In London on Saturday he met five victims of clerical child sex abuse, including a woman who had been abused in Ireland. Also for the first time, he met lay Catholics involved with child protection: members of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (of England and Wales).
Yesterday marked “a significant moment in the life of the British nation, as it is the day chosen to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain”, he said. “For me, as one who lived and suffered through the dark days of the Nazi regime in Germany, it is deeply moving to be here with you on this occasion, and to recall how many of your fellow citizens sacrificed their lives, courageously resisting the forces of that evil ideology.”
But yesterday was also “the day that sees Cardinal John Henry Newman formally raised to the altars and declared blessed”, he said. In Newman, “that tradition of gentle scholarship, deep human wisdom and profound love for the Lord has borne fruit”.
Cardinal Newman came to Ireland in 1851 at the invitation of Paul Cullen, archbishop of Dublin, to be the rector of the Catholic University, now UCD. He was rector until 1858. One of his first actions in this new role was to deliver lectures in the Rotunda, Dublin, in 1852, which later formed part of the "Discourses" of his book, The Idea of a University.
An estimated 80,000 people attended yesterday’s ceremony. Among those present were Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.
On Saturday evening in London an estimated 70,000 attended a prayer vigil in Hyde Park.
Earlier on Saturday, the pope met five victims of clerical child sex abuse at the papal nunciature in London for about 30 minutes.
In a a statement afterwards the Vatican said the pontiff was “moved” by what the victims had to say “and expressed his deep sorrow and shame over what victims and their families had suffered”. He assured them the church was “continuing to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people”, and was “doing all in its power to investigate allegations, to collaborate with civil authorities and to bring to justice clergy and religious accused of these egregious crimes”.
At Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday he expressed “deep sorrow” to abuse victims.
