Prayer for the Pope's Visit to GB: Give Generously

Prayer cards for the visit are being distributed to all parishioners attending Mass on Pentecost Sunday.

Collections will be held to assist in meeting the costs of the visit payable by the Church, which are currently estimated to be at least £7m. Over £3m has already been raised towards this total.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said “I would urge everyone in the Catholic community to pray for this visit and to support the collection for it as generously as they can.”

“The Holy Father’s visit is a wonderful opportunity for the gentle light of faith to be contemplated afresh by everyone. He will confirm the strong faith of our own community.”

“But my prayer, too, is that the visit will serve to kindle a new spiritual vitality, a questioning of the heart for many in our society who may have no religious affiliation but who are in some way seeking a deeper meaning and purpose to their lives.“

The costs associated with the state aspects of the visit will be paid by the government. The costs payable by the church consist mainly in the organising costs of three major public pastoral gatherings – in Scotland, London and the West Midlands.

The prayer card that will be distributed on Pentecost Sunday is available to download at the bottom of this page.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols has also discussed the papal visit at a Mass and Lecture to mark the 2010 World Communications Day on 4 May 2010. He said: “The last visit of a Pope was the chief pastor of the Catholic Church coming to visit the Catholic community to celebrate its sacraments and strengthen them in faith. This is quite different.”

Never been seen before

“The first images of this visit will be the Queen and Pope Benedict. This has never been seen before, so it is a continuation, if you like, of that healing of an ancient tension.”

“And here, the Pope is invited by the monarch to address the people. He is a Pope with a vision that is so deeply rooted in a clear inspired understanding of humanity that he will know how to speak to a European capital city - a world capital city - in which so many different influences are found, so many different faiths ebb and flow, and so much misunderstanding exists about the possibilities around religious belief. So this visit is being planned and can be unpacked in a way quite different from the last and a way that can engage people.”

An inspiring and inclusive visit

“From some points of view, you find this a bit surprising... But here’s the Pope and he’s here Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a bit of Sunday. One of those days - Friday - he will not celebrate Mass publicly.”

“You think - ‘well popes celebrate Mass’! He will not celebrate Mass publicly on Friday because the Friday of the programme is a day in which he reaches out and wants to be inclusive.”

Interfaith, leadership and dialogue

“So there’s the educational aspect in the morning and then a vitally important interfaith initiative which actually will be focused on leadership in the community, not so much on interfaith dialogue, but how does faith energise these leaders in our society?”

“And that’s what the Catholic Church wants to be seen to do, to bring leaders who are inspired by faith together to explore that dynamic between leadership maybe in the City, in industry, in the health service and wherever it might be; that leadership with the inspiration of faith.”

Historic address

“And then he’ll speak from Westminster Hall in possibly the most important address of the whole visit. In that historic setting, which captures so much of the history of this country, which poignantly is the place where Thomas More was condemned to death, he will address civic society, and I’m quite sure will start at the point at which everybody can enter.

“He will encourage, he’ll invite, he will try to cast a bit of light - but it will not be a proselytising act at all. And then from there he goes to Westminster Abbey, another unbelievably iconic place where you’ve got the two Queens, and he will visit those tombs and stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“There will be prayer in the middle of this day in which he’s reaching out right across our society. And then on Saturday it becomes a bit more centred on the Catholic community as he celebrates Mass in Westminster Cathedral and then we hope an open-air evening Vigil of prayer before the Beatification [of Cardinal John Henry Newman at Coventry Airport] on the Sunday.”

Diocese of Westminster