I have spent time recently in Lincoln among Church of England and Catholic friends and family. After Evensong in the (Anglican) cath-edral one day, some of us were received by a delightful member of the cathedral community, many of whose Church of England friends had followed the papal visit on television and considered it an astounding success. Some who had stopped attending were considering a return to regular worship in the church that had nurtured their faith.
The Catholics I met were also united in their conviction that they had seen the Pope as he is for the first time, rather than through the distorting medium of a press that is often cynical and atheistic ”“ and they had experienced a shift in their attitude towards him.
One of the central elements of Pope Benedict’s call was that all people of faith should have an active voice in society. Religious faith is not a private experience or hobby, and it must be active in promoting justice and truth. It was clear from his joyful meeting with young people at Twickenham and outside Westminster Cathedral, and with the elderly in Vauxhall, south London, that both he and they were moved. They welcomed his call to follow Christ and become the saints of the twenty-first century.
It will be interesting to see what, if any, tangible results will arise in England from this Papal visit.