Sep 16, 2010 / 05:42 am
Benedict XVI has called the United Kingdom to draw from its "Christian foundation" as it addresses the challenges of the modern day. He expressed hope that society would continue to respect the traditional values and cultural expressions which are no longer valued or tolerated by "more aggressive forms of secularism."
The Pope arrived to the Queen's Edinburgh residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, to festive traditional bagpipe music on the first morning of his U.K. visit. In his first official address of the four-day tour, the Holy Father spoke to members of the monarchy and the Scottish parliament, and even briefly to British media, about working for the good of society.
Recalling the U.K.'s history of "deep Christian roots," including work done by the monarchy and figures such as Florence Nightingale and Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Pope noted that the Christian message has been "an integral part of the language, thought and culture" of the people for a millennium.
"Your forefathers' respect for truth and justice, for mercy and charity come to you from a faith that remains a mighty force for good in your kingdom, to the great benefit of Christians and non-Christians alike."