Pope Benedict

I admit to being somewhat indifferent to the Pope's visit in advance. I was wrong. From his landing in Scotland to the final blessing in Birmingham, it has been an amazing, encouraging and moving experience. As the Pope stood next to the Queen and the two national anthems played, I experienced a great feeling of pride: here were the Queen of my country and the leader of my Church. It defined for me what it is to be an English Roman Catholic. Over the next few days we witnessed the emergence of the "real" Benedict and not the malign caricature so often portrayed by the media and his enemies. He came across as a gentle and warm man and it seemed clear to me, that even many among the politicians and media presenters were touched by his personality. His visit has done a great deal to gently but firmly assert the value and importance of religion and the right of Roman Catholics to be and to be heard.Of course, there was opposition and controversy but it was not of his making and the pettiness and spite of it did nothing to diminish him, but spoke volumes about where the true spirit of love, mercy and justice is to be found.
He has energised and re-supplied a beleagured Church in this country with the spiritual and intellectual requirements to live in faith in a secular society, with pride and without apology for ones' belief or diffidence in expressing it.
So this great and holy Pope returns to Rome, but he leaves us in better heart and spirit, because of his apostolic visit. My hope and prayer now is that the Bishops clergy and laity build on what he has created and not simply revert to the old ways. He has given us a true spirit and the backbone that it needs. We are English. We are Roman Catholic. This is our home and we are going nowhere, least of all disappearing into the shadows of a "private" faith.