The Week The Pope Visited Our Shores
They say religion and politics shouldn’t mix, but inevitably they do, especially in a period of time where security is paramount and other extremist religions pay a big part in world terror. So to expect that this weeks visit by the Poe to the shores of the UK, would be like the previous one in 1981 was a bit too optimistic. Those who were permitted to see the Pope live in the venues around the UK, had to plan well in advance and in most cases would only get entry if form a specific Parish, arriving in designated busses, often leaving and travelling though the early hours to arrive well in advance of the Pope’s attendance.
The days where people arrived on trains or drove down the motorway and put them selves up in their motor homes waiting in anticipating of a glimpse of the Pope has clearly gone, again the political worries of attack paramount to our leaders. What would happen if anything were to occur on British soil, it would be in the history books forever and serious questions would need to be answered. So the solution is overkill, make it too hard for anyone to get though, including pretty much everyone.
The early bus journeys, would have probably prevented many elderly and the very young from attending, yet no mention of this when the news reports suggested less people had turned out to see the Pope than 30 years ago. then we had the customary speech by the Prime minister, who you just felt was there for political reasons rather than religious, sometimes you wonder if the event should be big enough without the Prime Minister stating his views. Anyway another 30 years to the next visit, by then it will be even cheaper to fly and see him at the Vatican anyway.