MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“A very warm welcome” to Benedict XVI, the first state visit of a Pope to UK

PM Cameron ready for the historic event which begins next Thursday

Prime Minister David Cameron offered Tuesday “a very warm welcome” to Pope Benedict XVI ahead of his visit to Britain. The first state visit by a Pope to Britain, starting on Thursday, will take in trips to Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Birmingham, and includes a meeting with PM Cameron on Saturday.

In a video message on the 10 Downing Street website, PM Cameron described the papal visit as “a great honor for our country”.

Amid continuing controversy over child abuse cases within the Roman Catholic Church, the PM acknowledged that many Britons may disagree with the Pope on particular issues, but he insisted that all should recognize that Benedict's message raises important issues about society.

Cameron said: “I would like to offer Pope Benedict a very warm welcome to Britain for this incredibly important and historic visit. This is the first ever official papal visit to these shores. And it's a great honor for our country”.

”These will be a very special four days not just for our six million Catholics but for many people of faith right across Britain, and millions more watching around the world”.

“It is a unique opportunity to celebrate the enormous contribution that all our faith communities make to our society and to celebrate their role in helping to build a bigger and stronger society”.

”That society should be about more than materialism. It should be about shared values and about working for the common good”.

“Whether it is coming together through the tough economic times or helping the victims of disasters like the floods in Pakistan, the fellowship and solidarity that unite us are not just Christian values but British values - values we cherish right across our society, amongst people of every faith and none.”

PM Cameron added: “Of course, not everyone will agree with everything the Pope says, but that shouldn't prevent us from acknowledging that the Pope's broader message can help challenge us to ask searching questions about our society and how we treat ourselves and each other.

”The Holy See can also be a partner for us with great influence across the world and we have incredibly important work to do together on fighting poverty and disease, on winning the argument on the need to get to grips with climate change and on promoting a multi-faith dialogue and working for peace across our world.
“So as we welcome the papal delegation, let us redouble our resolve to work for the common good, both here in Britain and with our partners abroad.”