Vatican City, Sep 11, 2010 / 18:31 pm
Cardinal Newman's beatification will convey the full meaning of Pope Benedict XVI's message for the papal visit to the UK, the Holy See's spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi has said. He added that Newman personified the "profound synthesis of the Christian faith and the British spirit."
Fr. Lombardi dedicated his weekly "Octava Dies" editorial to the topic of Pope Benedict's imminent visit to the UK, examining the most important moments on the schedule.
Noting the Pope's gratitude for the invitation to travel to the UK, Fr. Lombardi said that the Holy Father is well aware of the wide variety of realities preparing for the visit, from the Queen and the British government to the Anglican and Catholic Churches.
Responding to the flurry of protests in the media leading up to the trip, Fr. Lombardi said that "the expectation and interest of British society are growing well beyond some noisy, but still marginal manifestations of dissent."