Bishop McMahon of Brentwood wrote a short pastoral letter to be read at all Masses in his Diocese this Sunday. He cited Luke 22:31-32 ("...when you have turned again, strenghten your brethren."), saying that Pope Benedict XVI comes to confirm us "in our unity and communion". [I liked this, having just posted a reflection on unity in the Church!]. He then asked his people to give the same strength and warmth of welcome to Pope Benedict XVI that was given to Pope John Paul II some twenty years ago. He went on to encourage those who do not have tickets for the specific events themselves to go up to London on the Friday or Saturday to line the routes to be taken by Pope Benedict in the Popemobile.
I have not listened to all of BBC Radio London's Inspirit programme from this morning (available to listen again I expect for one week only). As you might expect, Protest the Pope (in the person of Andrew Copson) and Catholic Womens Ordination (in the person of Pat Brown) have a say in the programme. But there are at least two excellent testimonies from Catholics as they look forward to the Papal visit, and Fr Paul Keane does an excellent job of presenting the Catholic position in discussion with the above-mentioned. Listen, I suggest, to the last half hour or so of the programme. The presenter of this programme, a lady called Jumoke Fashola, made a favourable impression on me. She is heading up BBC London's live coverage of the Hyde Park vigil next Saturday. H/T Catholic Voices Media Monitor
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