The Pope’s visit has been interesting to say the least. A week ago, the media, (especially the newspapers) were having to look to revise the opinions that they had expressed during the run up to the visit.
Not only were the crowds of supporters much larger than the small bunch of protestors, but the crowd was larger than even the organisers had been expecting.
Clearly whatever aims the gutter press had in sabotaging the affair, the whole thing backfired spectacularly. Indeed, the streams of vitriol and invective from ‘celebrities’, such as Stephen Fry, or Richard Dawkins and characters such as Peter Tatchell, were one of the main reasons that I seriously re-examined my faith and came to the decision that I had to become proud of my faith once more, and leave the secular mindset that has been like a drugged up stupor for me for longer than I care to recall…
What after all is there to be ashamed about in my faith?
As Patrick West (an atheist incidentally) notes in the comment section of the Catholic Herald this week, while the hatred and bile being spewed out by the ‘celebrities’ and media will simply deter people and make enemies, at the same time, a man of profound prayer and humility like Pope Benedict is clearly much more likeable, and likely to win in the whole ‘hearts and minds’ stake.
This visit has clearly affected a great many people in a similar way to me. Non-Catholics, lapsed Catholics, catholics (with a small ‘c’) and even practicing Catholics have been encouraged to continue their pilgrimage in the faith, with new profundity, new spirituality, and a deeper reverence.
My earnest hope and prayer is that there will be a real spiritual renewal, not just for myself, but for everyone who has been touched by the Pope’s visit.
May we persevere in our pilgrimage of faith together, supported by prayer and our mutual love for one another- members of the same family, the same body…One in Christ
Yours
Thomas
