London, England, Aug 10, 2010 / 01:06 am
Mgr. Andrew Summersgill, coordinator of Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit to the United Kingdom, clarified on Sunday that pilgrims who will be attending any of the major open air events with the Holy Father will not be paying "a charge to go to Mass," but a contribution of solidarity to cover the cost for the transportation of pilgrims.
Pope Benedict's visit to the U.K., planned from September 16-19, will include three open-air public celebrations: the Mass in Bellahouston, the Vigil in Hyde Park and the Mass in Cofton Park.
Some interested in attending the events as well as the local media reacted negatively when the organizers of the Pope's visit announced that a contribution of roughly $40 and $32 per pilgrim would be requested towards covering Cofton Park and Bellahouston Park travel, respectively.
"It is a contribution, not, as I’ve been reading in some places, a charge for people to go to Mass," Mgr. Andrew Summersgill explained on Sunday.