DIOCESE OF MENEVIA


PASTORAL LETTER

“Croeso cynnes iawn!, Holy Father”

This Letter is to be read and/or made available in printed format
on the weekend of 23 May 2010 – the Feast of Pentecost

 

My dear people

The people of Wales, and not least of all Menevia, are known for their warm welcome to others. I say that, because I experienced it myself when I came among you nearly 18 months ago. So let us be one in saying to Pope Benedict later this year:
“Welcome, Holy Father, from all of us in Wales, and croeso cynnes iawn – a very warm welcomefrom the people of Menevia!”              

The Head of our Church and Successor of St Peter has accepted an invitation from the Queen and the Prime Minister to visit Britain. We would love to welcome Pope Benedict onto Welsh soil, to experience the unique culture of Wales, its scenery, its singing, and its people. But, like the vast majority of dioceses in England & Wales, we will not be able to do so. Not even the traditionally Catholic dioceses in the North of England will be able to receive him. Pope Benedict’s visit is significantly shorter than Pope John Paul’s in 1982, when that was only a pastoral visit. This time the Pope has to combine State and Church functions in a tight and demanding 4-day programme, where his age and health will have to be carefully considered. But the question still remains: If he’s not coming to Wales, why should we be asked to pay for the visit?

The main purpose of the Pope’s visit to Britain is to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman. Beatification is the second step towards canonisation as a Saint of the Church. Canonisation recognizes someone of outstanding faith and spirituality, whose life is an example to all of us. The Pope normally delegates a Cardinal to preside at this kind of celebration. But because of his own personal devotion to Cardinal Newman, and his appreciation of the Cardinal’s writings, Pope Benedict has decided to come himself. He has made a huge exception, which other parts of the Catholic world will hope he will follow in their case too – but they might be disappointed!

There is a wider dimension to all of this. The Pope will fill our TV screens and newspapers with pictures and speeches. Through the media he will speak to the four corners of Britain. Wherever he is, children in school will be able to have internet access to a live-feed on their classroom white-boards at any time of the day. Major public events will be broadcast into homes and elsewhere, including the open-air Mass in Glasgow, the Mass in Westminster Cathedral, the all-night Vigil Service in London, and the Beatification at Coventry Airport. He will call on Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace, the Prime Minister in Downing Street, the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. He will address ecumenical representatives in Westminster Abbey, and political leaders and members of both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. At the end of it all, he will be exhausted, but all of us hope he will also be exhilarated by the reception that we have given him.

 

May we too be enthused by what he has achieved and what he has had to say to us: to people of faith, to people who have no faith, and to people whose faith may be unsure or may have lapsed. Yet, faith is always there to be renewed.
For, his visit is likely to have a longer-term effect on the Church in these lands. Once the Pope has gone, his influence will nevertheless remain. The graces and blessings that his visit will have brought will live on among us. I and my fellow-Bishops intend to follow up the Pope’s visit with further opportunities to instruct our people about the teaching of the Church, about vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and about renewing our inner lives with a revived spirituality and understanding of our faith and conduct as the People of God. Just as the First Pentecost saw the beginning of the Church, so between now and Pentecost next year, and even beyond, we are planning to establish a new beginning of the Church in our midst.

Today, a special collection will be taken up in all parishes throughout Scotland, England and Wales. It will help to meet the costs of the visit. The target sum to be raised is £1m, towards an overall Church liability estimated to be about £7m, plus a further £8m to be provided by the State. I know I can count on your generosity, for all the reasons that I have just mentioned, and perhaps others too. The Holy Father’s presence in Britain will be the cause of many graces and blessings throughout these lands.

Finally, when I was in Rome earlier this year to present a 5-yearly report on the diocese, like all my fellow-Bishops I was granted a private audience of 15 minutes alone with the Holy Father. The topic of his visit to Britain came up, and I expressed our disappointment that he was unable to come to Wales on this occasion. He understood our sadness. I told him about plans we had to bring a little bit of Wales to meet him. I mentioned to the Holy Father that we would be putting forward some plans for him to be ‘in touch’ with Wales during his Visit. I showed him on a map on his desk where Cardigan was, and explained that the people of Wales would like to bring the statue of Our Lady of the Taper from Cardigan to London on pilgrimage to meet him. The Pope smiled with interest and repeated the phrase: ‘in touch’ with Wales. He has now been officially asked to light a candle in the hand of Our Lady of Cardigan, at the end of the Mass in Westminster Cathedral. This is a great honour not just for Welsh Catholics but also for everyone in Wales.  Once the statue returns home, I intend to hold a Mass of Thanksgiving in Cardigan and hope you will join me.

Meanwhile: “Welcome, Holy Father, from all of us in Wales, croeso cynnes iawn – a very warm welcome!” Please hold us in your heart and in your prayers, as we hold you in ours.

 

Bishop of Menevia