Ready to listen to him

Secularized Scotland, with surging registrations to the “Humanis Society”, whose goal is distancing the Country from religion, is also the Country where Christians will gather around the Pope. The bishop of Paisley, Msgr. Philip Tartaglia, the responsible of the preparations for the day in Scotland of Benedict XVI, said that the faithful want to hear the Holy Father reiterate that God is the meaning of life. This message is increasingly shunned. Nonetheless, everyone nurtures interest, curiosity and a true willingness to listen to the words of His Holiness.Silvia Guzzetti interviewed Msgr. Tartaglia for SIR Europa.Which part of the Pope’s visit will you take part in? “I will be at Holyrood Palace where the Pope will meet the Queen and then at the Mass in Bellahouston Park. Scottish papers wrote that the “Humanist Society of Scotland”, an association for the promotion of secularism, plan to stage protests against the Pope. As far as I know there will be no protest. Still, this time secularized groups are the most hostile to the Pope, while on the occasion of John Paul II’s visit the Country in 1982 the Protestants were the most suspicious”.This means that also the members of the Presbyterian “Church of Scotland”, the other important community of these islands, are looking forward to Benedict XVI’s visit?“Protestants await the Pope with curiosity and respect. They will follow all the ecumenical passages of the Pope’s speeches with great interest. Over the past days also the public opinion has shown excitement for the visit, which nonetheless takes place in a cultural environment that is hostile to the Catholic Church”. Why?“The Pope is arriving to Great Britain at an significant moment. The nation is possibly considering to reject its Christian roots and traditions. Benedict XVI will remind everyone that we must look at God and at our Christian roots in order to shape the present and the future and bear God in our minds when decisions on the important aspects of life such as human dignity, the family, the relationship between science, technology and people are being made”.In the midst of so much secularization, isn’t there the risk that the Pope’s words won’t be listened to? “No, I don’t think so. Even though journalists are sometimes critical and might recruit commentators who oppose the Catholic Church in their shows, still they will accurately report the words of the Holy Father that will be conveyed to thousands of Scots also on television and over the radio. The Pope is considered an authoritative representative of Christian tradition, which has given – and continues to give – a major contribution to the nation, and as such he will be listened to. Although it’s not for sure that what he will say will be unanimously accepted”. What do you expect from Pope Benedict XVI’s message?“I think that the Pope is very capable of showing that faith is well-founded and that it’s a gift for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. He presents faith like a bestowal of salvation to mankind. In our era the prevailing idea is that a fully humane and rational individual who is also a believer must necessarily be also weird. I confide that the Pope will also inspire the youth with his so very beautiful way of speaking about God. I hope some people will be inspired to draw close to the priesthood too. Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Primate of England and Wales, told the ‘Osservatore Romano’ that the Pope’s visit marks ‘a new phase in the long and complex history of relations between this island’s monarchs and the papacy'”.What is the importance of the fact that the visit begins with the meeting with the Queen? “The Pope and the Queen have the same age and the monarch is religious. She is the only public figure – aside from the bishops – who still speaks of Jesus Christ at Christmas and when she conveys her message to the nation. I think that the Pope and the Queen will speak of the faith and of the things they have in common. At symbolic level it’s interesting that the Pope meets Elizabeth II since Catholic Scots, differently from the English, don’t consider the crown very important”.Why?“It’s hard to explain. Catholic Scots, especially those living in central and Western regions with the largest migration flows from Ireland, have always felt that the State considered them less important, as they were foreigners, of Irish background and marginalized. As a result they always nourished Republican sentiments. It will therefore be extremely significant to them to see the Pope’s meeting with the Queen, an evident sign of good State-Church relations”. Fact sheet – The Church of Scotland The Catholic Church of Scotland is the second Christian Church in the Country after the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, that is the State Church. It has two archdioceses, six dioceses. It is headed by Cardinal Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien. The Catholic Church of Scotland counts 690.000 faithful. The third Catholic Church is Scotland’s Episcopalian Church. Other congregations are the Baptist Church, the Methodist (Wesley) Church, non-Scottish Presbyterian Churches, the Jewish and Muslim communities, the Baha’i and the Druids.