Catholic, Anglican, and civic leaders
urge Pope Benedict to visit Durham
when he comes to the UK
Nov. 6, 2009
DURHAM, UK - An invitation has been made to the Vatican which could lead to the first papal visit to Durham.
A consortium of university and religious leaders hope Pope Benedict XVI will accept their invitation to deliver an address in the city. The partnership behind the offer includes both North-East Anglican and Roman Catholic church leaders, but it is backed by other regional political and civic figures.
Pope Benedict, who became the eighth German Pontiff in April 2005, is invited to present an academic address in Durham Cathedral during his scheduled visit to Britain, next September.
Ironically, the cathedral was home to a Roman Catholic order of Benedictine monks until the dissolution of the monastery by King Henry VIII during the Reformation, on December 31, 1540.
The invitation follows a visit by Vatican representative and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See, His Exellency Francis Campbell, to Durham University in March.
Although Benedict’s predecessor Pope John Paul II made a pastoral visit to Britain, which included an appearance at York, in May 1982, should the invitation be accepted it would be the first papal visit to the North-East, a region considered as a cradle for Christianity.
The strong ecumenical nature of the invitation is considered a significant step at a time of increased sensitivity in Anglican-Roman Catholic relations.
Leading the invitation is the Rt Rev Dr Tom Wright, Anglican Bishop of Durham and the university’s senior representative, but it is counter-signed and fully supported by the Rt Rev Seamus Cunningham, Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, as well as the Durham Cathedral chapter, the Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey and the president of the Roman Catholic seminary for the North, Ushaw College, near Durham.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 07/11/2009 14:15]