Pope Benedict in the UK: Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Journey to the UK: September 17, 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?

London

08:00 - Private Celebration of Mass in the Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Wimbledon (London Borough of Merton)
10:00 - Meeting with the world of Catholic Education in the Chapel and Sports Arena of St Mary’s University in Twickenham (London Borough of Richmond): Greeting and Address of the Holy Father | Video
11:30 - Meeting with Religious Leaders in the Waldegrave Drawing Room of St Mary’s University College in Twickenham (London Borough of Richmond): Address of the Holy Father | Video
16:00 - Courtesy Visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace (London Borough of Lambeth): Address of the Holy Father | Video
17:10 - Meeting with representatives of civil society, academic, cultural and entrepreneurial world, diplomatic corps and religious leaders at Westminster Hall (City of Westminster): Address of the Holy Father | Video
18:15 - Ecumenical Celebration at Westminster Abbey (City of Westminster): Address of the Holy Father

A school girl holds a decorated crucifix and a Papal flag as she watches Pope Benedict XVI at The Big Assembly gathering at St Mary's University College. Source: Getty Images

Addresses of the Holy Father / Others

Meeting with the world of Catholic Education in the Chapel and Sports Arena of St Mary’s University College in Twickenham (London Borough of Richmond, 17 September 2010)
- Bishop McMahon welcomes the Pope to the Big Assembly - Full Text
Meeting with Religious Leaders in the Waldegrave Drawing Room of St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham (London Borough of Richmond, 17 September 2010)
- Archbishop Kelly welcomes the Pope to the Interreligious Gathering – Full Text
Fraternal Visit to the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace (London Borough of Richmond, 17 September 2010)
- Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech – Full Text
- Joint statement on meeting between Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury
Meeting with representatives of civil society, academic, cultural and entrepreneurial world, diplomatic corps and religious leaders at Westminster Hall (City of Westminster, 17 September 2010)
Ecumenical Celebration at Westminster Abbey (City of Westminster, 17 September 2010)
- Archbishop of Canterbury’s Evening Prayer Address – Full Text
The pope visited about 4,000 school pupils and young people at St Mary's University College, Twickenham. Source: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Coverage of the Day's Events

Five arrested in alleged terror plot (The Guardian):
Scotland Yard arrested five street cleaners today over an alleged terrorist threat to the pope.
The men were arrested by armed officers in central London at 5.45am on the second day of the pope's visit.
Sources say the men are believed to be Muslim and that some of them are Algerian. ... They were taken to a nearby police station, where they will be interviewed by detectives.
An assessment of the intelligence judged it to be so severe that police needed to disrupt the alleged plot immediately.
The Vatican said the arrest of terrorist suspects would not affect Pope Benedict XVI's schedule of events and hat the pope remained "calm" and happy with the visit (Catholic News Service).
UPDATE: Police release 'Pope threat' men without charge BBC News reports that, having found "no credible threat", all six suspects have been released. (9/19/10)
Pope Benedict XVI's UK visit: Day two Photo Gallery (from The Guardian)
Pope urges children to grow in holiness at first papal event in England (Catholic Herald)
Pope urges states to respect freedom of religion (Catholic Herald)
Holy Father addresses 'question' of existence Following the recent claim by U.K. physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking that the universe “created itself from nothing,” the Holy Father spoke about “the most important question” of existence in an address to interfaith leaders. (Catholic News Agency)
Pope to Anglicans: Proclaim Uniqueness of Christ Greets Anglican Leader, Maps Guidelines for Dialogue. (Zenit)
Pope: reason and faith need one another (Catholic Herald) "In one of the major speeches of his Pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI today spoke to the assembled members of civil society about the proper place of religious belief within political process."
The Pope in Parliament and Westminster Abbey: a day that shook the foundations of Britain's Protestant myth Damian Thompson. Telegraph:
... if you want evidence of the self-confidence of our Catholic national identity, look no further than Westminster Abbey and Westminster Hall. For at least the first 500 years of its existence – we can’t be sure when it was founded – the Abbey was obedient to Benedict’s predecessors. So for the Pope to enter it today was an affirmation of its own “foundational act”. Not for nothing did he point out in his address that the church was dedicated to St Peter. Even Catholics who would never be so crude as to say “the Abbey belongs to us, not to you” sensed that history was being re-balanced in some way. They realised that the Pope had as much right to sit in that sanctuary as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Pope Benedict XVI worked a minor miracle while on his state visit to Britain by getting Tony and Cherie Blair to kiss and make up with Gordon Brown Daily Mail
The Pope publicly shook hands with a woman priest for the first time last night as he joined the Archbishop of Canterbury in an ecumenical service at Westminster Abbey crows Heidi Blake (The Telegraph). (From which we can conclude that, despite differences in convictions, the Holy Father is not above extending the hand of friendship).

The Achbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams supports the arm of Pope Benedict XVI as he leaves after addressing a meeting of Anglican and Roman Catholic Diocesan bishops of England, Scotland and Wales at Lambeth Palace . Source: Getty Images

Blogging the Papal Visit

Papal Visit 2010 live blog: Central London (Catholic Herald)
Papal Visit 2010 live blog: St Mary’s, Twickenham (Catholic Herald)
Papal Visit 2010 live blog: Central London (Catholic Herald)
Pope visits Britain: day two live (The Guardian)
What Boris said to the Pope and the Pope said to Boris The Holy Father met the Mayor of London last night. (Stuart Reid, Catholic Herald)
Pope's visit: Blimey. What to say to the Pope? A good joke ought to clinch it. . . Waiting to meet Benedict XVI, Boris Johnson feels his sense of humour rising to the occasion. (Telegraph)
“Benedict goes to Westminster” Fr. John Zuhlsdorf:
The phrase that comes to mind is "Nixon goes to China".
Day 2 Benedict’s trip has blown John Paul II’s trip out of the water. I don’t mean that John Paul’s trip wasn’t important or that the crowds weren’t as big. But we have to consider who the players are, and what is taking place and where. What John Paul did was great, but what he did, didn’t matter as much as what Benedict is doing. John Paul’s effort was a continuation of what Paul VI and John XXIII had done. Benedict builds on that, but his project is something quite different. ...
Phil Lawler couldn't help but notice Pope Benedict's personal invitation to the Anglican bishops (Catholic Culture):
when he spoke to a group of Anglican (and Catholic) bishops, and offered Cardinal Newman as a model for ecumenical actions, the Pope was making his point clearly enough. Any Anglican prelate who takes that suggestion seriously, and models his actions after those of Cardinal Newman, will very soon run up against an immovable fact. Cardinal Newman became a Catholic. If you want to follow him, you'll have to follow him to Rome.
The Pope stressed that Cardinal Newman made his move gently, politely, without breaking friendships, without recriminations, without renouncing his heritage—the same way other Anglicans might take the step today, under the provisions of Anglicanorum Coetibus.