Pope may have big open-air Mass
in Glasgow as John Paul II did
by Stephen Stewart
February 28, 2010
EDINBURGH - Church chiefs are drawing up plans for the Pope to follow in his predecessor's footsteps with a giant mass in Bellahouston Park.
Senior sources in the Catholic Church have revealed the park on Glasgow's south side is a front-runner to host Pope Benedict's visit to the city on September 16.
It had been thought that Glasgow Green would be the venue for the mass but the choice of Bellahouston would have a huge emotional pull for many Catholics as the same venue hosted Pope John Paul II on his only Scottish visit in 1984.
A crowd of 250,000 people from all over Scotland gathered to see the Pope then.
One senior source said: "It has come down to a straight choice between the two venues.
"He will probably land at Edinburgh, then go to Holyrood to meet the Queen. He will have a mass either in Glasgow Green or Bellahouston. The rest of his stay is in England so he should be leaving on the night of the 16th at about 8pm."
Peter Kearney of the Scottish Catholic media office, said: "There have been a number of venues considered.
"The details were submitted to a delegation from the Vatican. We expect to hear back in the first part of March."
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 02/03/2010 03:37]