ENGLAND 16-19 Sep 2010 Pope Benedict XVI visits

Pope Benedict XVI will visit England in September. In addition to meeting the country's Catholics and politial figures, he is expected to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman on Sep 19, deliver an address at Oxford University and another at Westminster Hall, where Saint Thomas More was tried and convicted before his beheading in 1535. The visit comes amid tensions with Britain's Anglican church over his invitation to Anglicans who wish to convert to Rome while retaining their Anglican practices, which is seen as divisory in some quarters.

The pope explains the invitation as part of his drive to re-unite the Christian world.

There is no word on whether he will take the opportunity during the visit to meet with Catholic bishops in the Irish Republic to chastize them personally about the pedophile scandal that has bought the Catholic church into disrepute in that country.

Newman is a celebrated 19th Century Englishman who began his career as an Anglican churchman and scholar and ended it as a Roman Catholic cardinal. He was born in London in 1801 and died in 1832. At the age of 15, he enrolled in Trinity College, beginning an association with Oxford University that would last for nearly 30 years.

More, a statesman in the time of King Henry VIII, was beatified in 1886 and canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935. His fall out with the king began in 1527 when he refused to endorse the king's plan to divorce Katherine of Aragón. In 1534, More refused to swear to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy, and was committed to the Tower of London on April 17. He was found guilty of treason and was beheaded on 6 Jul 1535.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, who issued the invitation to the Pope, converted to Catholicism after leaving office. It is the first papal visit to Britain since John Paul II's six-day tour in 1982.

RELATED READING:

Fears for Pope's health as Christmas Midnight Mass to be held early (Times 8 Dec 2009)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6947161.ece

Pope to make official UK visit (Times 15 Mar 2009)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5909362.ece