It’s hard to believe that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Kingdom has come and gone. After months of speculation and negative media, the trip unfolded smoothly and the Holy Father was warmly received by the majority of people. In this week’s Catholic News Service Vatican Report, Cindy Wooden and John Thavis review the ...read more

What a whirlwind trip! After four days spent in Scotland and in England the Holy Father is bidding farewell to the faithful of the UK. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Honourable David Cameron, told the Holy Father that his messages were not only heard by the Catholics of the country but ...read more

This afternoon, Salt + Light aired exclusive coverage of Pope Benedict’s meeting with the bishops of England, Scotland and Wales. At the meeting, the head of the bishop’s conference in Scotland, Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien addressed the Holy Father and bestowed upon him the title of “honourary Scotsman”. In his address, the Holy Father acknowledged ...read more

After a moving prayer vigil in London’s Hyde Park Pope Benedict XVI boarded a helicopter to Birmingham this morning to celebrate the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. Blessed John Henry Newman is an important figure for both British Catholics and Anglicans. He began his adult life as an Anglican priest and during that time ...read more

It was a moving scene as thousands of candles glittered in the descending dusk in London’s Hyde park this evening during the vigil for the eve of Cardinal Newman’s beatification. The Holy Father’s transit took nearly an hour as the popemobile snaked leisurely through the streets amid the cheering faithful; many of whom were bearing ...read more

The Successor of St. Peter visited the residents of St. Peter today — a home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor in the London borough of Lambeth. The Pope greeted some of the elderly and offered a beautiful address. He noted that “care for the elderly should be considered not ...read more

Five survivors of clergy sex abuse met with Pope Benedict on Saturday. The meeting lasted between 30 and 40 minutes. The chairman of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission Bill Kilgallon says he spoke to the victims before hand and said they were “understandably quite emotional.” Vatican Press office director Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, described the ...read more

Pope Benedict is unable to visit Wales, but he’s sending a greeting via our Blessed Mother The Holy Father lit a candle at the statue of Our Lady of Cardigan, or Our Lady of the Taper, which was at St. Paul’s side chapel in Westminster Cathedral.  Our Lady is honoured under that name in Wales.  ...read more

I ask each of you, first and foremost, to look into your own heart. Think of all the love that your heart was made to receive, and all the love it is meant to give. After all, we were made for love. These phrases from the Holy Father’s address to the young people in the ...read more

After an eventful first couple of days in the UK, Pope Benedict got off to a busy start this morning. The day began with several untelevised meetings with political leaders of the UK including a meeting with England’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David Cameron, as well as courtesy calls with Deputy Prime Minister, the ...read more