Pope John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom
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Pope John Paul II
's visit to the United Kingdom in 1982 was the first visit to that country by a reigning pope. John Paul arrived in the UK on 28 May 1982, and during his time there visited 9 cities, delivering 16 major addresses. Among significant events were a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II
, the Supreme Governor
of the Church of England
, a joint service alongside the then Archbishop of Canterbury
, Robert Runcie
, in the See of the Church of England
, Canterbury Cathedral
, and three large open air Masses in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Following his six day visit which took him to locations in England, Scotland and Wales, he returned to the Vatican on 2 June.
Unlike the 2010 papal visit
of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI
, John Paul's was a pastoral rather than a state visit, and was consequently funded by the Church rather than the Government. The trip was almost cancelled because Britain was then at war with Argentina
following that country's invasion of the Falkland Islands
. This visit had to be balanced for fairness with an unscheduled trip to Argentina
that June. Over 2 million people attended events hosted by the Pope, with the visit said to be the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation.
at an estimated cost of around £7 million (the equivalent of about £20M in 2010). In contrast to the 2010 visit by Pope Benedict XVI, it was a pastoral rather than a state visit. The Church offered the public free access to all papal events. There were concerns about the Pope's health following an attempt on his life the previous year, and security was of utmost importance during the visit.
The itinerary for the visit was drafted 42 times before the Vatican
finally approved it. However, John Paul's trip was nearly cancelled after Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands
, and the subsequent war
between Britain and Argentina just weeks before it was scheduled to take place. The visit only went ahead after intervention from Archbishop of Liverpool
, Derek Worlock, and an agreement that the pontiff would not meet Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
.
. Also on that day he met Queen Elizabeth II
, the Supreme Governor
of the Church of England
.
On 29 May John Paul visited Canterbury Cathedral
, becoming the first pontiff to do so. In what was an historic occasion he met with Charles, Prince of Wales
before attending a ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie. During the service, the two church leaders renewed their baptismal vows together, knelt in silent prayer at the spot where Thomas Becket
was murdered in 1170, and issued a common declaration, thanking God for "the progress that has been made in the work of reconciliation" between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Later in the afternoon, he delivered a mass at Wembley Stadium attended by 80,000 people. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
".
He visited Coventry
on 30 May, delivering a speech at the city's Baginton Airport which was attended by some 300,000 people. In his address, he described Coventry as a “city devastated by war but rebuilt in hope”. On his arrival in Liverpool
in excess of a million spectators lined the route of his journey from the airport at Speke
to the city. He attended services at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral and the Anglican Cathedral, choosing to walk between the two. Two thousand people attended his mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
On a visit to Manchester
on the morning of the following day, he met the Chief Rabbi
of the United Kingdom, Sir Immanuel Jakobovits
at the Convent of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, before travelling to Heaton Park
where he said Mass and ordained twelve men to the priesthood in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 people. He told the new priests; “You must be men of God, his close friends. You must develop daily patterns of prayer, and penance must be a regular part of your life.”
He moved on to Scotland, landing at RAF Turnhouse, and attended several venues in Edinburgh
and Glasgow
on 31 May and 1 June. The centrepiece of this was an open-air Mass in Glasgow on 1 June. On 31 May he addressed 45,000 young people at Murrayfield
and greeted patients at St Joseph's Hospital in Rosewell. The following day he journeyed to Glasgow where he visited the former priests' training college at St Andrew's College, before making his way to Bellahouston Park
for the open-air Mass. The Mass was attended by 300,000 people, and saw the Pope presented with several symbolic gifts during the service, including a pipe banner with the Pope's coat of arms, a piece of Caithness glass, a firkin of whisky and a Scotland football shirt. He told worshippers: "As believers, we are constantly exposed to pressures by modern society which would compel us to conform to the standards of this secular age, substitute new proprieties, restrict our aspirations at risk of compromising our Christian conscience."
The Welsh leg of the trip occurred on 2 June with the Pope's arrival in Cardiff
. After being awarded the Freedom of Cardiff
, John Paul travelled to Ninian Park
, home of Cardiff City F.C.
, where he said Mass and gave a public address. During the service he once again called for peace in the South Atlantic, then called on the young people of Britain, including the crowd of 33,000 in the stadium, to launch a crusade of prayer. He also delivered a message to crowds gathered at Pontcanna Fields, speaking briefly in Welsh to declare "Bendith Duw arnoch" - "the blessing of God be on you" - which was received with enthusiastic applause. In a direct reference to King Henry VIII's book In Defense of the Seven Sacraments for which he received the title Fidei defensor - Defender of the Faith
- from Pope Leo X, one of the Sacraments was highlighted at each papal venue. And while the Pope avoided any political meetings during his visit, he nevertheless accepted, in Wales, the civic honour of Freeman
of the City of Cardiff. Cardiff received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1581, several years after she had been declared deposed by Pope Pius V in his bull Regnans in Excelsis
.
The speeches for John Paul's visit were written following consultation with British clerics, including the current Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. These were largely well received by the public, with some two million people attending venues to see the Pope and hear him speak. According to the BBC's Michael Hirst, John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom was the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation
during the 19th century. In contrast to the generally positive reaction, there were a small number of demonstrations, mostly by supporters of the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party
leader, the Rev. Ian Paisley
, and other small groups.
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's visit to the United Kingdom in 1982 was the first visit to that country by a reigning pope. John Paul arrived in the UK on 28 May 1982, and during his time there visited 9 cities, delivering 16 major addresses. Among significant events were a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, the Supreme Governor
Supreme Governor of the Church of England
The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, a joint service alongside the then Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Robert Runcie
Robert Runcie
Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, PC, MC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.-Early life:...
, in the See of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, and three large open air Masses in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Following his six day visit which took him to locations in England, Scotland and Wales, he returned to the Vatican on 2 June.
Unlike the 2010 papal visit
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom from 16 to 19 September 2010 was the first state visit by a pope to the United Kingdom...
of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, John Paul's was a pastoral rather than a state visit, and was consequently funded by the Church rather than the Government. The trip was almost cancelled because Britain was then at war with Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
following that country's invasion of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. This visit had to be balanced for fairness with an unscheduled trip to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
that June. Over 2 million people attended events hosted by the Pope, with the visit said to be the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation.
Background
The visit, the first to the United Kingdom made by a reigning pope, was organised, and largely funded, by the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
at an estimated cost of around £7 million (the equivalent of about £20M in 2010). In contrast to the 2010 visit by Pope Benedict XVI, it was a pastoral rather than a state visit. The Church offered the public free access to all papal events. There were concerns about the Pope's health following an attempt on his life the previous year, and security was of utmost importance during the visit.
The itinerary for the visit was drafted 42 times before the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
finally approved it. However, John Paul's trip was nearly cancelled after Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands
1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands
On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...
, and the subsequent war
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
between Britain and Argentina just weeks before it was scheduled to take place. The visit only went ahead after intervention from Archbishop of Liverpool
Archbishop of Liverpool
The Archbishop of Liverpool heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.-History:...
, Derek Worlock, and an agreement that the pontiff would not meet Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
.
The visit
The visit was noteworthy for its reconciliatory character towards the Church of England. When the Pope arrived at Gatwick Airport, the person in the greeting line after Cardinal Basil Hume and Bishop O'Connor of Arundel (in which Roman Catholic diocese the airport is located) was Anglican Bishop Kemp of Chichester (in which Diocese the airport is also located). John Paul II arrived in the United Kingdom on the morning of 28 May 1982, landing at Gatwick Airport. After kissing the runway, he was greeted there by 3,500 singing children. During his first day in Britain he departed from his prepared text on three occasions, calling for peace in the Falklands and in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Also on that day he met Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, the Supreme Governor
Supreme Governor of the Church of England
The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
On 29 May John Paul visited Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, becoming the first pontiff to do so. In what was an historic occasion he met with Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
before attending a ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie. During the service, the two church leaders renewed their baptismal vows together, knelt in silent prayer at the spot where Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
was murdered in 1170, and issued a common declaration, thanking God for "the progress that has been made in the work of reconciliation" between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Later in the afternoon, he delivered a mass at Wembley Stadium attended by 80,000 people. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional American spiritual. It was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New, in 1927. In 1933, it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina...
".
He visited Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
on 30 May, delivering a speech at the city's Baginton Airport which was attended by some 300,000 people. In his address, he described Coventry as a “city devastated by war but rebuilt in hope”. On his arrival in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in excess of a million spectators lined the route of his journey from the airport at Speke
Speke
Speke is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, close to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. It is south east of the city centre and to the west of the town of Widnes....
to the city. He attended services at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral and the Anglican Cathedral, choosing to walk between the two. Two thousand people attended his mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
On a visit to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on the morning of the following day, he met the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of the United Kingdom, Sir Immanuel Jakobovits
Immanuel Jakobovits
Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits, Kt was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1967 to 1991. His successor is the present Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks.-Biography:...
at the Convent of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, before travelling to Heaton Park
Heaton Park
Heaton Park, covering an area variously reported as , 247 hectares, , over and is the biggest park in Greater Manchester, England and one of the biggest municipal parks in Europe. The park comprises the grounds of a Grade I listed, neoclassical 18th century country house, Heaton Hall...
where he said Mass and ordained twelve men to the priesthood in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 people. He told the new priests; “You must be men of God, his close friends. You must develop daily patterns of prayer, and penance must be a regular part of your life.”
He moved on to Scotland, landing at RAF Turnhouse, and attended several venues in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 31 May and 1 June. The centrepiece of this was an open-air Mass in Glasgow on 1 June. On 31 May he addressed 45,000 young people at Murrayfield
Murrayfield
Murrayfield is an affluent area in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and west of Roseburn. The A8 road runs east-west through the north of the area....
and greeted patients at St Joseph's Hospital in Rosewell. The following day he journeyed to Glasgow where he visited the former priests' training college at St Andrew's College, before making his way to Bellahouston Park
Bellahouston Park
Bellahouston Park is a public park in the South Side of Glasgow, Scotland, between the areas of Mosspark, Craigton, Ibrox, and Dumbreck, covering an area of . It is based around Ibrox hill in the centre, with commanding views over most of the city, exceptions being views to the east that are...
for the open-air Mass. The Mass was attended by 300,000 people, and saw the Pope presented with several symbolic gifts during the service, including a pipe banner with the Pope's coat of arms, a piece of Caithness glass, a firkin of whisky and a Scotland football shirt. He told worshippers: "As believers, we are constantly exposed to pressures by modern society which would compel us to conform to the standards of this secular age, substitute new proprieties, restrict our aspirations at risk of compromising our Christian conscience."
The Welsh leg of the trip occurred on 2 June with the Pope's arrival in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. After being awarded the Freedom of Cardiff
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
, John Paul travelled to Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, home of Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, where he said Mass and gave a public address. During the service he once again called for peace in the South Atlantic, then called on the young people of Britain, including the crowd of 33,000 in the stadium, to launch a crusade of prayer. He also delivered a message to crowds gathered at Pontcanna Fields, speaking briefly in Welsh to declare "Bendith Duw arnoch" - "the blessing of God be on you" - which was received with enthusiastic applause. In a direct reference to King Henry VIII's book In Defense of the Seven Sacraments for which he received the title Fidei defensor - Defender of the Faith
Defender of the Faith
Defender of the Faith may refer to:*Fidei defensor , a title of several European Christian monarchs.*Defender of the Faith, a title of the heads of the ruling Solomonic dynasty of the former Ethiopian Empire....
- from Pope Leo X, one of the Sacraments was highlighted at each papal venue. And while the Pope avoided any political meetings during his visit, he nevertheless accepted, in Wales, the civic honour of Freeman
Freeman
- Things :* An individual not tied to land under medieval serfdom, unlike a villein or serf* A person who has been awarded Freedom of the City or "Freedom of the Company" in a Livery Company* Freeman * Freeman...
of the City of Cardiff. Cardiff received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1581, several years after she had been declared deposed by Pope Pius V in his bull Regnans in Excelsis
Regnans in Excelsis
Regnans in Excelsis was a papal bull issued on 25 February 1570 by Pope Pius V declaring "Elizabeth, the pretended Queen of England and the servant of crime" to be a heretic and releasing all her subjects from any allegiance to her and excommunicating any that obeyed her orders.The bull, written in...
.
The speeches for John Paul's visit were written following consultation with British clerics, including the current Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. These were largely well received by the public, with some two million people attending venues to see the Pope and hear him speak. According to the BBC's Michael Hirst, John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom was the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
during the 19th century. In contrast to the generally positive reaction, there were a small number of demonstrations, mostly by supporters of the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
leader, the Rev. Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
, and other small groups.
See also
- Pastoral trips of Pope John Paul IIPastoral trips of Pope John Paul IIDuring his reign, Pope John Paul II made 104 foreign trips, more than all previous popes combined. In total he logged more than . He consistently attracted large crowds on his travels, some amongst the largest ever assembled...
- Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom
- Anglican Schism