Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Journey to the UK: September 16, 2010

This is an ongoing roundup of news, commentary and articles. It will be continuously updated throughout the day as content is made available.

What Happened Today?

Rome

• 08:10 - Departure from Ciampino Airport for Edinburgh

Edinburgh

• 10:30 - Arrival at Edinburgh International Airport | Video
• State welcome at Edinburgh International Airport
• 11:00 - Welcoming Ceremony in the Palace of Holyroodhouse
• Courtesy Visit to Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, in the Palace of Holyroodhouse | Video
• 11:40 - Meeting with State Authorities in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse Address of the Holy Father | Video
• 13:00 - Luncheon with Papal Entourage at the Archbishop's House

Glasgow

• 17:15 - Mass at Bellahouston Park: Homily of the Holy Father | Video
• 20:00 - Departure from Glasgow International for London

London

• 21:25 - Arrival at Heathrow International Airport (London Borough of Hillingdon)

Addresses of the Holy Father / Others

• Meeting of His Holiness Benedict XVI with journalists during the flight to the United Kingdom (Papal Flight, 16 September 2010)
• Meeting with state authorities in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse (Edinburgh, 16 September 2010)
• Queen’s speech to Pope Benedict – Full Text
• Mass celebrated in Bellahouston Park (Glasgow, 16 September 2010)

Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict XVI (R) walk through the gardens at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. Source; Getty Images

Coverage of the Day's Events

• Pope Benedict's visit to the UK: day one Video | Gallery - Highlights from the first day of the pope's state visit to the UK, as he arrives in Edinburgh and is greeted by the Queen. The Guardian
• What is on-board the Papal plane? (Telegraph) - Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Britain this morning on board the ‘Papal plane’ – an ordinary Alitalia Airbus A320 chartered for the trip.
• Pontiff Not Concerned by Pre-Trip Polemics: Notes Point of Union for Anglicans and Catholics (Zenit)
• Anita the Greeter meets the Pope Iain Hollingshead meets Anita The Greeter, Heathrow's VIP services manager, who will be the first person to welcome the Pope to England when he lands for his papal visit. (Telegraph)
• Pope: Church has not been vigilant enough on child abuse On board the papal plane the Pope told journalists that the Church “had not been vigilant enough” on the issue of paedophile priests. (Catholic Herald)
• Queen welcomes Pope Benedict at Palace of Holyroodhouse (Catholic Herald) - The Queen this morning welcomed the Pope to the palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, her official residence in Scotland. | Video
• Benedict gives Queen copy of rare text - "In a symbolic gesture, the pope has given the Queen a copy of The Codex Aureus of Lorsch, a priceless manuscript." (The Guardian)
• Queen Notes Common Heritage, Concerns of Pope; Stresses Opportunity to Deepen Anglican-Catholic Relations (Zenit)
• Pope reminds Britain of its greatness, by Austen Ivereigh (America)
• Pope likens the rise of atheism in Britain to the Nazis as he admits his 'shock and sadness' over abuse scandal (Daily Mail) - Some great photos as well.
• Row after Pope's remarks on atheism and Nazis (BBC). The Pope's remark about "the sobering lessons of atheist extremism of the 20th century" has prompted a hissy fit among "humanist" organizations.
• Benedict battles the 'dictatorship of relativism' John Allen Jr. (National Catholic Reporter): "If there were any doubt that the battle against a secular “dictatorship of relativism” would be Benedict XVI’s top priority during his Sept. 16-19 trip to the United Kingdom, the pontiff has swiftly removed it."
• Scots Line Streets to Welcome Benedict XVI: Pontiff Completes 1st Day of UK Trip, by Edward Pentin. (Zenit)
• 70,000 (and Susan Boyle) drown out the cynics: Amid the crowds and the pageantry only a sea breeze troubles the Pope (Daily Mail)
• Nick Squires (The Telegraph profiles 'Gorgeous' Georg Ganswein, the Pope's right-hand man - bringing "an unlikely touch of sex appeal and glamour to the Pope's visit to the UK."
• Planned protests during pope’s visit to Britain - Reuters' Faithworld provides an outline of some of the main protests likely to take to the streets. (Let's counter them with LOVE!)
• Pope urges Scotland: don’t exclude believers from public life, by Anna Arco (Catholic Herald)
• “We couldn't desire a better start” for the Pope's visit to the U.K., said Fr. Federico Lombardi, referring to the great crowd of 100,000 in Edinburgh (Catholic News Agency)
• Pope Benedict and the St Ninian revival "Catholicism and Scotland have a long and complex past. Did the papal visit change anything?" - Ian Jack. (The Guardian)

Pope Benedict XVI's kisses infant Maria Tyszczak of Poland, as he arrives for mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Source; Reuters

Blogging the Papal Visit

• Pope Visit UK 2010: Live, liveblogging with Andrew Hough, Heidi Blake and Alastair Jamieson (Telegraph)
• Claz Coms: The start of a pilgrim journey with the Holy Father: My Itinerary, by Claz Gomez (Papal Pilgrim)
• A Running thread on Benedict in UK Elizabeth Scalia (The Anchoress)
• Papal Visit 2010 live blog: Edinburgh (Catholic Herald)
• Papal Visit 2010 live blog: Bellahouston Park (Catholic Herald)
• A Jesuit shout-out from the Pope, by Anthony Lusvardi, SJ (Whosoever Desires)
• Pope To British Press: You're Not So Tough (Translation: "ain't you scared?") Answer: "nope." (Wheat and Weeds)
• What would a guest of honour in Scotland be without a tartan? Pope Benedict XVI donned a specially designed Papal tartan over his shoulders as he traveled from Holyroodhouse Palace to the Archbishop of Edinburgh’s residence. (Salt + Light)
• "Ticking the Boxes in Scotland" David Schütz (Sentire Cum Ecclesia)
• Fr. Tim Finigan: "Papal visit - first day a roaring success!" (Hermeneutic of Continuity)
• Scotland, you did yourselves proud (Claz Cloms)
• A Graceful and Elegant Beginning Fr. George W. Rutler. (First Things "First Thoughts")

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful upon his arrival at Bellahouston park to celebraste an open-air mass in Glasgow, Scotland. Source; Associated Press

Other articles of the day

• The Pope Of Christian Unity, Pope Benedict XVI Is In The UK, by David Hartline. "Many in the mainstream media have failed to see the obvious concerning Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the United Kingdom, the truth of the Catholic Church has won out." (The American Catholic)
• Another “gotcha” for the British press ... and another episcopal fumble Diogenes (Off The Record)
• What to expect from the Pope's visit to Great Britain by Phil Lawler (Catholic Culture)
• Of all people, Cardinal Kasper? John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter
• Cardinal Walter Kasper won't apologise for 'Third World' comment (Telegraph)
• Well done, Mark Dowd. You did the Pope justice Francis Phillips reviews Mark Dowd's BBC documentary, "Trials of a Pope" (Catholic Herald)
• "Visit is a chance for the Pope to show Britain his human side", says John Allen Jr. to the Scotsman. He relays the following anecdote:

  There's a tradition in the Vatican press corps that when one of us writes a book about the Pope, we make sure he gets a copy. Thus when my volume The Rise of Benedict XVI appeared shortly after the papal election of April 2005, I made an appointment to deliver an inscribed copy for the new pontiff. ...

  To be honest, I had always assumed the Pope never sees these books. To my surprise, a few weeks I received a call from the Vatican spokesperson, at the time the Spaniard Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who was with the new Pope at his summer vacation chalet in northern Italy.

  Navarro-Valls told me Benedict had come down to breakfast that morning with my book in his hands, and wished to relay a message.

  "Please thank Herr Allen for having written this book," Navarro-Valls quoted his boss as saying, "especially the last part about the future of my papacy … it has saved me the trouble of thinking about it for myself!"

• Modern Historians on Pope Benedict First Things' "First Thoughts" - William Doino (on historian Michael Burleigh's defense of Pope Benedict XVI in the Telegraph).
• Pope to Use Sedia Gestatoria, by Father Dwight Longenecker (Standing On My Head). "Traditionalists the world over will be pleased to hear the news that has just come in that Pope Benedict XVI plans to bring back the sedia gestatoria during his upcoming visit to Britain." ;-)

Pilgrims sing as hundreds of people wait for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI outside the Vatican's Apostolic Nunciature in London where the Pope is staying during his visit to Britain. Source: Associated Press