pope 1982 visit uk

John Paul’s 1982 visit to Britain an "extraordinary event"

By Vatican News

“Saint John Paul II’s visit [to Britain in 1982] was an extraordinary event in the life of the Catholic Church in the UK,” writes Sally Axworthy, the British Ambassador to the Holy See.

Axworthy notes that it was the first time a reigning pontiff had ever set foot on British soil, and that the visit “marked a historic moment in UK-Holy See relations”.

The Holy Father visited nine cities in England, Wales and Scotland over the course of six days. In addition to his meeting with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, highlights of the visit included addresses to young people in Cardiff and Edinburgh, and an open-air Mass in Glasgow that drew more than 300,000 participants.

“Ecumenism was central to his visit,” Axworthy says, noting John Paul’s visit to Canterbury Cathedral, where he met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.

“By attending the cathedral founded by St Augustine of Canterbury on his mission to England from Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, St John Paul II made a powerful statement of the churches' determination to walk forward together,” she writes. “This ecumenical dialogue has flourished ever since.”

John Paul’s 1982 visit to Britain paved the way for future “great moments” in the life of the Church in the UK, including Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in 2010 and the canonisation of St John Henry Newman in 2019. The “legacy” of that visit, says Axworthy, “was the strengthening and deepening of the relationship between the UK and the Holy See that is bearing fruit today”.

Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here

More upcoming events:

Listen to our podcasts

Subscribe to our newsletters

To get the latest news

Papal audiences

Daily readings

Saint of the day

• SAINTS AND HOLY PEOPLE
• CATECHISM & APOLOGETICS
• PRAYER REQUESTS
• PRAYER WARRIORS
• MASS READINGS

• Gregorian Chant and Wine Is a Fruitful Pairing for These French Nuns
• Priest chef Father Leo opens restaurant to serve second chances and feed souls
• Catholic School Kids Break Out Singing “Regina Caeli” in Gym After First Home Game Victory

The Enduring Legacy of John Paul II’s 1982 Visit to Britain

“For the first time in history,” said Pope St. John Paul II after he stepped off the airplane, “a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil.”

Joanna Bogle, February 16, 2022 – National Catholic Register

In 2022, the Church in Britain marks an important milestone in its long history: This May, it will be 40 years since the first visit of a pope to Britain.

And it almost didn’t happen.

There had been months of preparation, much debate and discussion in the media, elaborate rehearsals by choirs and cathedrals and Catholic organizations, the hiring of massive venues, including London’s famous Wembley Stadium — and then the Falklands war broke out, and the whole idea of a papal visit was called into question.

Most people in Britain knew little or nothing about the Falkland Islands, a small British colony in the South Atlantic. In April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands, swept the small British garrison aside, and announced that the islands were now in Argentinian control.  Britain responded by sending a Royal Navy task force, and effectively the British were at war.

As part of the anniversary, I have been dipping into archives and discovering the inside story of the emergency meetings and messages that went back and forth between Britain and Rome as the crisis deepened and the papal visit was at risk of being abandoned. There must have been a great deal of prayer. Pope John Paul II, of course, led the prayers for peace, and British and Argentinian bishops were summoned to Rome, where he celebrated a Mass with them all. And then came the climax of the last-minute rescue operation to save the situation: He flew to Argentina for a swiftly arranged papal visit, before going on to Britain.

It was clear throughout that the Pope was not only neutral but that he was vigorously promoting peace: This was his consistent message, and it never wavered. On this basis, he was able to fly to London’s Gatwick Airport, where, as planned in detail over the previous months, a large crowd, drawn from Catholic parishes across Surrey and Sussex, had gathered to greet him. I was among that crowd. I remember the early-morning start and the excitement as we all arrived in a chartered bus, and then the wait at the airport, where the Duke of Norfolk — by long-established tradition Britain’s senior Catholic layman — greeted the Pope at the airport steps.

This was not, it was emphasized, an official visit. This was a pastoral visit of the Pope to Britain’s Catholics. So no formal representative of the queen was at the airport, and there were no government officials. There was music, and we sang a welcoming hymn. Then there were speeches — and the history was made. The Pope summed it up when he proclaimed, “For the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil.”

In its own way, the tragedy of the Falklands War — more than 800 men, British and Argentinian, would eventually lose their lives in the fighting — helped to create a situation where old antagonisms dating back to the Reformation in Britain seemed to dwindle away. The papal visit became a true opportunity for a message of peace and goodwill, with anti-Catholicism of the old sort somehow at variance with a general recognition of the needs of the modern era. The whole visit had, in any case, been planned with ecumenical goodwill in mind, and there were some powerful moments, notably at Canterbury Cathedral, where the Pope prayed with Anglicans at the site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket.

And, yes, he did meet the queen — a courtesy visit, with tea at Buckingham Palace — with evident goodwill on both sides. Queen Elizabeth was wearing, I remember, a blue dress, and they were smiling and chatting as they emerged from the palace after tea. Postcards of the scene quickly became popular — I’ve still got mine.

The papal pilgrimage had the seven sacraments as its theme. At a packed Mass at Westminster Cathedral, the Pope baptized seven candidates of various ages, and then, after crossing the Thames at Lambeth Bridge, he arrived at St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark, which had been cleared of pews and filled with stretchers and wheelchairs bearing sick and disabled people from across Britain, and he administered the sacrament of the sick. And so it went on, across England and Wales and Scotland, with a penitential service, first Holy Communions, confirmations, ordinations and renewal of marriage vows. Vast crowds came, powerful moments of prayer experienced.

It was an unforgettable time. Looking back through the archives, something of the joy and excitement is still evident. So, too, are the changes since those days — the letters are typewritten (remember typewriters?) and there is just one reference to “a computer being installed” as a great innovation at one venue to store relevant information. Color photography relied entirely on film, paper and chemicals (some of the pictures have that curious greenish tinge that I remember well).  Fashions have, of course, changed: Ladies wore dresses, and there were even quite a lot of hats.

What did the papal visit achieve? A great deal. With its massive television coverage, it opened up an authentic vision of Catholic worship: from how Catholics pray to the centrality of the Eucharist. People saw what a baptism is and what is meant by the anointing of the sick. They saw the Pope as a bishop, a man in a white robe preaching about peace and the importance of family life and family prayer. Old notions of the Pope as a sinister foreign figure intent on imposing some sort of political rule were recognized as propaganda from a vanished era.

And that 1982 visit was followed, in the next century, by an official state visit by Pope Benedict XVI, where among much else, he addressed Parliament with a magnificent setting out of the respective roles of Church and state centered on a ringing call for true religious freedom. He led young people in a massive unforgettable night vigil of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in London’s Hyde Park, and he beatified John Henry Newman in a glorious Mass at Cofton Park on the outskirts of Birmingham.

The year 2022 sees another major milestone in Britain’s story: the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. She has always been clear in her commitment to the Christian faith and spoken of it as central to her life and service.

So much has changed in the 70 years of her reign. While there has been progress in fields that include health and general prosperity, there is also much that is cause for great sadness: Britain is a country with too much violent crime, many unhappy young people, a drug crisis, a worrying suicide rate, and a collapse in a general understanding of many basic moral values, including the value of human life itself.

But the Christian message is still on offer and is the message that holds the hope of renewal; and in a country with a long history, and a tradition of marking anniversaries and jubilees, 2022 brings scope for missionary activity on a new scale. We must pray the opportunity is taken up. A reminder of that historic papal visit four decades ago is part of that.

When Mikhail Gorbachev Encountered...

The rosary has changed history, an....

EWTN News, Inc. is the world’s largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Catholic Church.

• National Catholic Register
• News Agencies
• Catholic News Agency
• CNA Deutsch
• ACI Afrique
• ACI Digital
• Digital Media
• ChurchPOP Español
• ChurchPOP Italiano
• ChurchPOP Português
• EWTN News Indepth
• EWTN News Nightly
• EWTN Noticias
• EWTN Pro-life Weekly
• Register Radio

Get HALF OFF the Register!

National Catholic Register News https://www.ncregister.com/blog/john-paul-ii-1982-visit-to-britain

• Synod on Synodality
• Most Popular
• Publisher’s Note
• College Guide
• Commentaries
• Culture of Life
• Arts & Entertainment
• Publisher's Note
• Letters to the Editor
• Support the Register
• Print subscriptions
• E-Newsletter Sign-up
• EWTN Religious Catalogue

The Enduring Legacy of John Paul II’s 1982 Visit to Britain

“For the first time in history,” said Pope St. John Paul II after he stepped off the airplane, “a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil.”

In 2022, the Church in Britain marks an important milestone in its long history: This May, it will be 40 years since the first visit of a pope to Britain.

And it almost didn’t happen.

There had been months of preparation, much debate and discussion in the media, elaborate rehearsals by choirs and cathedrals and Catholic organizations, the hiring of massive venues, including London’s famous Wembley Stadium — and then the Falklands war broke out, and the whole idea of a papal visit was called into question.

Most people in Britain knew little or nothing about the Falkland Islands, a small British colony in the South Atlantic. In April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands, swept the small British garrison aside, and announced that the islands were now in Argentinian control.  Britain responded by sending a Royal Navy task force, and effectively the British were at war.

As part of the anniversary, I have been dipping into archives and discovering the inside story of the emergency meetings and messages that went back and forth between Britain and Rome as the crisis deepened and the papal visit was at risk of being abandoned. There must have been a great deal of prayer. Pope John Paul II, of course, led the prayers for peace, and British and Argentinian bishops were summoned to Rome, where he celebrated a Mass with them all. And then came the climax of the last-minute rescue operation to save the situation: He flew to Argentina for a swiftly arranged papal visit, before going on to Britain.

It was clear throughout that the Pope was not only neutral but that he was vigorously promoting peace: This was his consistent message, and it never wavered. On this basis, he was able to fly to London’s Gatwick Airport, where, as planned in detail over the previous months, a large crowd, drawn from Catholic parishes across Surrey and Sussex, had gathered to greet him. I was among that crowd. I remember the early-morning start and the excitement as we all arrived in a chartered bus, and then the wait at the airport, where the Duke of Norfolk — by long-established tradition Britain’s senior Catholic layman — greeted the Pope at the airport steps.

This was not, it was emphasized, an official visit. This was a pastoral visit of the Pope to Britain’s Catholics. So no formal representative of the queen was at the airport, and there were no government officials. There was music, and we sang a welcoming hymn. Then there were speeches — and the history was made. The Pope summed it up when he proclaimed , “For the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil.”

In its own way, the tragedy of the Falklands War — more than 800 men, British and Argentinian, would eventually lose their lives in the fighting — helped to create a situation where old antagonisms dating back to the Reformation in Britain seemed to dwindle away. The papal visit became a true opportunity for a message of peace and goodwill, with anti-Catholicism of the old sort somehow at variance with a general recognition of the needs of the modern era. The whole visit had, in any case, been planned with ecumenical goodwill in mind, and there were some powerful moments, notably at Canterbury Cathedral , where the Pope prayed with Anglicans at the site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket.

And, yes, he did meet the queen — a courtesy visit, with tea at Buckingham Palace — with evident goodwill on both sides. Queen Elizabeth was wearing, I remember, a blue dress, and they were smiling and chatting as they emerged from the palace after tea. Postcards of the scene quickly became popular — I’ve still got mine.

The papal pilgrimage had the seven sacraments as its theme. At a packed Mass at Westminster Cathedral , the Pope baptized seven candidates of various ages, and then, after crossing the Thames at Lambeth Bridge, he arrived at St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark, which had been cleared of pews and filled with stretchers and wheelchairs bearing sick and disabled people from across Britain, and he administered the sacrament of the sick. And so it went on, across England and Wales and Scotland, with a penitential service, first Holy Communions, confirmations, ordinations and renewal of marriage vows. Vast crowds came, powerful moments of prayer experienced.

It was an unforgettable time. Looking back through the archives, something of the joy and excitement is still evident. So, too, are the changes since those days — the letters are typewritten (remember typewriters?) and there is just one reference to “a computer being installed” as a great innovation at one venue to store relevant information. Color photography relied entirely on film, paper and chemicals (some of the pictures have that curious greenish tinge that I remember well).  Fashions have, of course, changed: Ladies wore dresses, and there were even quite a lot of hats.

What did the papal visit achieve? A great deal. With its massive television coverage, it opened up an authentic vision of Catholic worship: from how Catholics pray to the centrality of the Eucharist. People saw what a baptism is and what is meant by the anointing of the sick. They saw the Pope as a bishop, a man in a white robe preaching about peace and the importance of family life and family prayer. Old notions of the Pope as a sinister foreign figure intent on imposing some sort of political rule were recognized as propaganda from a vanished era.

And that 1982 visit was followed, in the next century, by an official state visit by Pope Benedict XVI, where among much else, he addressed Parliament with a magnificent setting out of the respective roles of Church and state centered on a ringing call for true religious freedom. He led young people in a massive unforgettable night vigil of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in London’s Hyde Park, and he beatified John Henry Newman in a glorious Mass at Cofton Park on the outskirts of Birmingham.

The year 2022 sees another major milestone in Britain’s story: the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. She has always been clear in her commitment to the Christian faith and spoken of it as central to her life and service.

So much has changed in the 70 years of her reign. While there has been progress in fields that include health and general prosperity, there is also much that is cause for great sadness: Britain is a country with too much violent crime, many unhappy young people, a drug crisis, a worrying suicide rate, and a collapse in a general understanding of many basic moral values, including the value of human life itself.

But the Christian message is still on offer and is the message that holds the hope of renewal; and in a country with a long history, and a tradition of marking anniversaries and jubilees, 2022 brings scope for missionary activity on a new scale. We must pray the opportunity is taken up. A reminder of that historic papal visit four decades ago is part of that. 

• John Paul ii
• united kingdom
• great britain
• papal travels
• queen elizabeth ii

Joanna Bogle Joanna Bogle is the author of some 20 books, including several historical biographies and A Book of Seasons and Celebrations with information on traditions and customs marking the Church year. Her most recent book is John Paul II: Man of Prayer with colleague Clare Anderson, exploring the spiritual life of St. John Paul the Great. She broadcasts regularly with EWTN and initiated popular "Catholic History Walks" around London.

• Related Stories
• Latest News

‘Shedding Their Blood’ — The Popes, Ukraine and Russia

COMMENTARY: Once again, the people of Ukraine turn to the faith for their salvation against the enemy at the gate — and once again, a pope is not standing by in silence.

John Paul II Was Right: Catholic Athletes Must Be Champions of Virtue

If athletic competition builds virtue and is not just “an end in itself,” said Pope St. John Paul II, it can be “a means to total and harmonious physical, moral and social development.”

Newly-Discovered Writings of John Paul II Come as a Gift to Our Unbelieving World

A conversation with the editor of a new book of John Paul II’s writings, ‘Teachings for an Unbelieving World: Newly Discovered Reflections on Paul’s Sermon at the Areopagus’

43 Years Ago and Today, John Paul II Urges Us: ‘Be Not Afraid’

John Paul’s joy and courage never wavered because he was not their source — Christ was.

Priest Chef Father Leo Opens Restaurant to Serve Second Chances and Feed Souls

At his new restaurant, as well as on his food truck, Father Patalinghug employs those who were previously imprisoned and need a second chance.

Gregorian Chant and Wine Is a Fruitful Pairing for These French Nuns

Famous for the beauty of their Gregorian chants, the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey Notre-Dame de Fidélité of Jouques in the Provence region have been developing wines of excellence since 1967.

Pope Francis: War Has an ‘Abyss of Evil’ at Its Center

In his remarks, the Pope quoted from his 2020 encyclical on fraternity and asked Catholic legislators to be witnesses of hope.

Watch on EWTN: ‘Fighting the Battle With St. Michael and the Archangels’

TV PICKS 08.25.24

4 Things Every Catholic Should Know About Mary’s Queenship

ROSARY & ART: The Fifth Glorious Mystery is the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven

Rome’s ‘Madonnelle’: What Are the Marian Shrines on Street Corners?

A look at the long tradition of ‘Little Madonnas.’

Moving Eucharistic Moments Along the Mississippi in New Orleans

Local bystanders fell to their knees ...

Shroud of Turin: What We Know About the Burial Cloth of Christ

Authenticity and the Reality of Crucifixion

Freemasonry: Why the Church Prohibits Membership

10 takeaways from the dnc, seminaries are doing more to open doors for older vocations, can i get a vasectomy here’s what the catholic church teaches, new film 'reagan' aims to unite, says catholic actor, breaking down the ‘wall of silence’ about persecution of christians, chicago pregnancy center vandalized as democratic national convention closes, robert f. kennedy jr. suspends campaign, urges voters to elect donald trump, subscription options.

Subscriber Service Center Already a subscriber? Renew or manage your subscription here .

Subscribe and Save HALF OFF! Start your Register subscription today.

Give a Gift Subscription Bless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register.

Order Bulk Subscriptions Get a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization or school.

Sign-up for E-Newsletter Get Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox.

The day the Pope came to Manchester - welcomed by 250,000 worshippers

A quarter-of-a-million people packed into heaton park to hear pope john paul ii celebrate mass.

• 15:54, 31 MAY 2018
• Updated 16:15, 31 MAY 2018

To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here

We have more newsletters

History was made in Heaton Park 36 years ago when John Paul II became the first Pope to visit Britain. More than 250,000 people packed into the park to hear the Pontiff celebrate Mass from a specially constructed open-air altar.

The date was May 31, 1982 – exactly one year after he was shot in St Peter’s Square in a failed assassination attempt.

Pope John Paul’s visit was described as a pastoral one rather than a state occasion as Britain was at war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

Tensions were high as Argentina had invaded the South Atlantic islands a month earlier.

The visit was nearly cancelled, but diplomacy won the day.

For the sake of balance, the Pope made a hastily-arranged 30-hour pastoral visit to Argentina on June 11 and 12 almost as soon as he left the UK.

But none of this mattered to the crowd that gathered expectantly to witness the Pope’s arrival.

Many had camped overnight.

It was a sunny morning and there was a carnival atmosphere in the air.

The Pope’s helicopter touched down at the nearby Convent of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth at 8.10am.

He was greeted by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Salford, the Rt Rev Thomas Holland and the auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Burke.

The Pontiff spoke warmly to nuns and staff.

He then met VIPs, including the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester James Anderton and the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Sir Emmanuel Jacobovits, ahead of the Mass.

Then it was time for the short journey to the thousands of devoted worshippers waiting in Heaton Park.

The Pope used his favoured vehicle – the bullet-proof British Leyland ‘Popemobile’.

As our pictures show, welcoming banners and placards were paraded in front of him.

See more pictures of the day from our archive:

Pupils at Chorlton Convent School made their own Papal banner measuring 30ft by 10ft.

Other placards were more informal, but no less heart-felt.

One, borne aloft by a crowd of worshippers from Langley, simply said: ‘Ow Doo John Paul!’

The oldest Catholic scout group in the world, Mount Carmel Scouts or the 53rd Manchester Scout Group, were chosen as the Pope’s guard of honour on his way to Heaton Park.

As a result, they became the only scout group in the world eligible to wear the Papal colours on their neckerchiefs.

A choir of 3,000 sang as the Pope ascended the 20ft dais to celebrate Mass.

He also ordained 12 priests, telling them: “You must be men of God, his close friends. You must develop daily patterns of prayer, and penance must be a regular part of your life.”

The silver and gold chalice proudly displayed in our photo and used in the Heaton Park Mass was made by silversmith Andrew Coomber.

In another honour for Manchester, the chalice used at the Holy Communion in Cardiff was made by Middleton silversmithing student Bernadette Varilone, who was actually one of the helpers at the park. Cardiff was the last stop on the Pope’s visit.

After Mass, the Pope John Paul planted a commemorative tree and headed back to Nazareth House for an honest, northern lunch.

The M.E.N. of the time reported that it consisted of local black pudding, roast beef and apple tart.

Polish beer was served too to remind the Pontiff of his home country.

From Manchester the Pope travelled by helicopter to Knavesmire Racecourse in York where more than 200,000 people gathered to celebrate the liturgy of the word. From there he flew by jet to Edinburgh.

A year after the historic visit, a 16.5 ton granite boulder was unveiled by Bishop Holland at the site where Pope John Paul II said Mass.

The inscription contains an extract from the Pope’s speech to the congregation.

After his visit the Pope sent a telegram to Bishop Thomas Holland. It said: “With many joyful memories of my visit to Britain I wish to assure you and your people of my deep appreciation of the warm welcome accorded to me in Manchester. Cordially thankful for this abundant outpouring of love in Christ I impart to you and your diocese my Apostolic Blessing.”.

It was signed Cannes Paulus PP II.

Brilliant pictures like these – and many more like them from the M.E.N. archives – feature in Clive Hardy’s latest book Around Manchester In The 1960s. The book is available at £19.99 with free postage for M.E.N. readers.

Order your copy now by visiting the iNostalgia website, inostalgia.co.uk , or by filling in the coupon in Wednesday's Nostalgia supplement in the M.E.N.

In the meantime, Clive Hardy’s previous book, the much-acclaimed Around Manchester in the 1950s, is on sale now at all good bookshops. The book covers every aspect of local life in more than 200 images from the archives of the M.E.N.

• Heaton Park
• Most Recent

SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

• Meet the team
• Privacy Policy
• Royal Weddings
• Media & Commentary requests

Milestones of a Monarch: The visit of Pope John Paul II

In May 1982, Pope John Paul II visited the United Kingdom marking the first visit there by a reigning Pope.

The visit was organised and largely funded by the Roman Catholic Church. It’s estimated it cost around £7 million at the time. This visit would be a pastoral visit rather than the state visit made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. During the visit, the Church offered the public free access to all papal events. Security was of utmost importance at this time as, just a year before, John Paul II had been seriously injured in an assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square.

Landing at Gatwick Airport on the morning of Friday 28 May and after kissing the runway, the Pope was greeted by 3,500 singing children, Cardinal Basil Hume, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. Also there at the runway to greet the Pope was the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, the Roman Catholic diocese in which the airport is located as well as Anglican Bishop, Eric Kemp of Chichester, the Anglican diocese where the Gatwick airport is located.

From the airport, the Pope travelled by train to Westminster Cathedral where he celebrated the first Mass of his visit. It was noted he departed from his prepared text on three different occasions. On one occasion, he called for peace in the Falklands and in Northern Ireland. The first day of the visit was also when he met, The Queen, who is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

During the visit to England, John Paul II visited Canterbury Cathedral, becoming the first pontiff to do so. He also had a historic meeting with the Prince of Wales before attending a ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Before leaving London, the Pope went through Wembley by means of procession for a Mass at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 people.

Other stops throughout the country included Coventry, Liverpool, and Manchester where he met with the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Sir Immanuel Jakobovits. In the city of York, the final stop of the England tour, about 20,000 people gathered for a Liturgy of the Word, at Knavesmire Racecourse.

Following the ceremony in York, the Pope flew to Edinburgh in Scotland where he met with 45,000 people at Murrayfield Stadium. In between Masses, he would take time to visit patients at St Joseph’s Hospital in Rosewell and, he met with educators at St Andrew’s College.

Finally, the trip ended with a visit to Wales where John Paul II was awarded the Freedom of Cardiff, an honour bestowed by the community on someone that is considered a valued member, or a visiting celebrity or dignitary.

Her Majesty The Queen had made history two years prior when she became the first British monarch to make a State Visit to the Vatican on 17 October 1980. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, she was welcomed by John Paul II at the door of his private library.

Two years later, Her Majesty invited the Pope to England, not for a state visit, but rather a visit “ to the Roman Catholic community in Great Britain where some four million of my people are members of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Pope John Paul II died on Saturday 2 April 2005 after he failed to recover from a throat operation. The Prince of Wales postponed his wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall by a day so he could attend the funeral.

Share this:

About author

Sydney zatz, latest posts, breaking: the princess of wales attends church in scotland, the unusual tiara hidden away in the royal family's jewellery box, celebrated composer appointed to special royal role created by the first king called charles, the turquoise tiara beloved of princess margaret, never miss the latest, most popular, the queen watches on with pride as lady louise drives prince philip’s carriages at windsor horse show, an annus horribilis in monaco a difficult year for albert and charlene finally winds to an end, the duchess of cambridge wows tv audiences with a musical piano performance on christmas eve, latest blogs, the tiara that a princess said could pick up radio signals.

The royal bride who wore artificial flowers in her hair on her wedding day

The future queen who went Victorian with orange blossoms instead of diamonds at her wedding

The sparkling royal tiaras with no jewels that are favourites of a future queen.

Princess Margaret's favourite fashion designers

Page 1, 5th September 1980

Report an error

Related articles, pope confirms visit to britain for next may, non-catholics welcome british move to set up body..., bishops called to unity summit, runcie stifles 'no popery' cries in unity plea to synod, the facts, the truth and opinion, pope's british visit in 1982.

boosts Christian unity by Christopher Howse Pope John Paul's visit to Britain in 1982 was welcomed this week by Catholics and members of the British Council of Churches. The loudest voice of protest came from the Protestant Reformation Society. The visit, expected at some time during the summer of 1982, was announced suddenly by Cardinal Hume in London on Sunday. He and Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool had returned last week from a meeting with the Pope when they presented the English and Welsh bishops' comments on the National Pastoral Congress. It was during this meeting that the invitation was made, and the Pope accepted. The suddenness of the announcement may well be the result of an expected leak. The Pope said nothing about it in his public appearances on Sunday. Pope John Paul told the Cardinal that he would be happy to make a pastoral visit to Britain, after consulting the Scottish hierarchy, the civil authorities and other Christian bodies, and notably with Archbishop Runcie. Cardinal Hume eagerly stressed the importance the Pope placed on ecumenical contacts during the visit. He commented on Sunday: "The Pope's chief concern will be to remind the Roman Catholic community of our duty and responsibility to live more faithfully and more fully the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. "He will come to our country as a friend, and, as in all his pastoral visits, to bring a message of encouragement, hope and peace." The Cardinal's emphasis of the pastoral nature of the visit was plainly intended to forestall criticism from constitutionalists who might see the trip as a threat to the established church. The response from the Archbishop of Canterbury showed that the Anglicans welcomed the visit. 3. The Pope in England — Page Dr Runcie sent a telegram to Pope John Paul saying: "Cardinal Basil Hume has told me the good news of your acceptance of his invitation to visit England during 1982 and of your request to him that your pastOral visit to the Roman Catholic community should also be ecumenical in character. "In Accra, now nearly four months ago, I expressed the hope that our next meeting might indeed be in England. It gives me great joy to know that this will now happen and I want you to be assured that you will be warmly welcomed with real affection in England by Anglican and other Christians. "You will recall that we also spoke of the possibility of your making an ecumenical pilgrimage to Canterbury. With a profound sense of the tragedy of human divisions and the belief that the unity of Christians will offer real hope for the reconciliation of mankind, I now invite you to make that pilgrimage." The Pope replied: "Although at this time it is not possible for me to be exact about dates, I shall do everything possible to comply with the wishes of both your Grace and of Cardinal Hume. "With grateful memories of our first meeting on African soil, and with a renewal of the pledge we then made to work and pray for full unity in Christ. I assure you of the eagerness with which I look forward to embracing you again in the love of the Saviour." A welcome for the Pope also came from the British Council of Churches, and the Methodist church. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said that if the Queen was in the country at the time of the visit, she could be expected to meet the Pope. Although it is not a state visit. the Pope's plan came in for strong condemnation from the Protestant Reformation Society, who by chance had issued a booklet against a Papal visit last week.

We’re fighting to restore access to 500,000+ books in court this week. Join us!

Internet Archive Audio

• This Just In
• Grateful Dead
• Old Time Radio
• 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
• Audio Books & Poetry
• Computers, Technology and Science
• Music, Arts & Culture
• News & Public Affairs
• Spirituality & Religion
• Radio News Archive

• Flickr Commons
• Occupy Wall Street Flickr
• NASA Images
• Solar System Collection
• Ames Research Center

• All Software
• Old School Emulation
• MS-DOS Games
• Historical Software
• Classic PC Games
• Software Library
• Kodi Archive and Support File
• Vintage Software
• CD-ROM Software
• CD-ROM Software Library
• Software Sites
• Tucows Software Library
• Shareware CD-ROMs
• Software Capsules Compilation
• CD-ROM Images
• ZX Spectrum
• DOOM Level CD

• Smithsonian Libraries
• FEDLINK (US)
• Lincoln Collection
• American Libraries
• Canadian Libraries
• Universal Library
• Project Gutenberg
• Children's Library
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Books by Language
• Additional Collections

• Prelinger Archives
• Democracy Now!
• Occupy Wall Street
• TV NSA Clip Library
• Animation & Cartoons
• Arts & Music
• Computers & Technology
• Cultural & Academic Films
• Ephemeral Films
• Sports Videos
• Videogame Videos
• Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

• Wayback Machine (iOS)
• Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

• Explore the Collections
• Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

• Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

The Pope in Britain : Pope John Paul II British visit, 1982

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

• Graphic Violence
• Explicit Sexual Content
• Hate Speech
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
• Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

24 Previews

Better World Books

DOWNLOAD OPTIONS

No suitable files to display here.

EPUB and PDF access not available for this item.

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by station19.cebu on January 15, 2019

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

Flashback: Pope John Paul visits Liverpool in May 1982

Ahead of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain next week, Dawn Collinson remembers Pope John Paul II’s trip to Liverpool in 1982

• Facebook Icon
• Twitter Icon
• WhatsApp Icon

YOUR visit takes place in a time of conflict. This is a very special moment for our people - in your company we set out together. We need to become better people to build a better world.”

With those words, Cardinal Basil Hume welcomed Pope John Paul II to Britain in the spring of 1982.

Ahead of him was a memorable visit to Liverpool on May 30, where a six-mile queue of young and old turned out to give him the warmest of welcomes.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info

He arrived in the city at Speke Airport, met by a crowd of 150,000 faithful who had waited up to seven hours to see him.

The Papal helicopter – with the Pope and a group of cardinals including the current Pope, Benedict XVI, on board – arrived from Coventry, landing amidst a cheering flag-waving mass.

Liverpool’s Archbishop Derek Worlock ran across the grass with a party of bishops to meet the Holy Father, as a gust of wind blew off his skull cap.

He made his way to a specially designed podium where he addressed the crowd with a speech which focused heavily on unemployment.

“I know you are experiencing this very seriously in Liverpool,” he told them, “and it is one of the major problems facing society as a whole.

“The young, unable to find a job, feel cheated of their dreams, while those who have lost their jobs feel rejected and useless. This tragedy affects every aspect of life.”

A cavalcade through the city, along Long Lane, Brodie Avenue and Aigburth Hall Avenue, culminated on Hope Street, where Pope John Paul, waving from his trademark Popemobile, took in both cathedrals, meeting with Bishop David Sheppard and saying The Lord’s Prayer at the Anglican Cathedral.

The street name, said the Pope, struck him as particularly apt.

“It is an expression of the aspirations of the people who live here, an expression of their hope for the future, especially for the future of their children and their children’s children,” he added.

It was then on to a packed Metropolitan Cathedral where the Pope celebrated Pentecost Mass. Afterwards, flanked by Cardinal Hume and Archbishop Worlock on the cathedral piazza steps, he held his arms out to a sea of young people, announcing ‘Totus, tuus’ – all yours.

BBC Rome correspondent David Willey, a veteran of seven Papal visits, said he had seen nothing like the Liverpool welcome anywhere else during the Pope’s time in England.

“It is like a visit to a Catholic country,” he explained. “But more festive. This is what he likes.”

As he left Archbishop’s House on the Monday morning, having popped his head out of the bedroom window to bid those waiting in sleeping bags below a cheery ‘Good morning’, Pope John Paul was left in no doubt about how Liverpool felt.

He waved farewell with a chorus of Auld Lang Syne and loud shouts of ‘We want the Pope’ ringing in his ears.

DO YOU have memories or photographs of meeting the Pope in 1982? Email us at [email protected]

• Facebook Icon Facebook
• Twitter Icon Twitter
• Instagram Icon Instagram

1982 visit by Pope John Paul II to the United Kingdom

The visit of Pope John Paul II to the United Kingdom in 1982 was the first visit there by a reigning Pope . The Pope arrived in the UK on Friday 28 May, and during his time there visited nine cities, delivering 16 major addresses. Among significant events were a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II , the Supreme Governor of the Church of England , a joint service alongside the then- Archbishop of Canterbury , Robert Runcie at Canterbury Cathedral , meeting with and addressing the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at The Mound , and five large open air Masses in London , Coventry , Manchester , Glasgow , and Cardiff . Following his six-day visit which took him to locations in England , Scotland and Wales , he returned to the Vatican on 2 June.

Public opinion

Unlike the 2010 papal visit of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI , John Paul II's was a pastoral rather than a state visit , and was consequently funded by the Catholic Church in the UK rather than the Government. The trip was almost cancelled because Britain was then at war with Argentina , which had invaded the British possession of the Falkland Islands . This visit had to be balanced for fairness with an unscheduled trip to Argentina that June. Over 2 million people attended events hosted by the Pope, with the visit said to be the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation.

The visit, the first to the United Kingdom made by a reigning pope, [1] was organised, and largely funded, by the Roman Catholic Church at an estimated cost of around £7   million (the equivalent of about £20M in 2010). In contrast to the 2010 visit by Pope Benedict XVI, it was a pastoral rather than a state visit. The Church offered the public free access to all papal events. [1] There were concerns about the Pope's health following an attempt on his life the previous year, [2] and security was of utmost importance during the visit. [3]

The itinerary for the visit was drafted 42 times before the Vatican finally approved it. [2] However, John Paul's trip was nearly cancelled after Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands , and the subsequent war between Britain and Argentina, just weeks before it was scheduled to take place. [1] The visit only went ahead after intervention from Archbishop of Glasgow, Thomas Winning and Archbishop of Liverpool , Derek Worlock , [4] and an agreement that the pontiff would not meet Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher . [1]

John Paul II arrived in the United Kingdom on the morning of 28 May 1982, landing at Gatwick Airport . After kissing the runway, he was greeted there by 3,500 singing children, Basil Cardinal Hume , Archbishop of Westminster and Cormac Murphy-O'Connor , Bishop of Arundel and Brighton (the Roman Catholic diocese in which the airport is located). Also present was Anglican Bishop Eric Kemp of Chichester (the Anglican diocese in which the airport is located), already showing the visit's noteworthy reconciliatory character towards the Church of England . [5] The Pope later travelled from Gatwick Airport railway station to London Victoria by special train 975025 Caroline [6] and from there went to Westminster Cathedral, where he celebrated his first Mass of the visit. During his first day in Britain he departed from his prepared text on three occasions, calling for peace in the Falklands and in Northern Ireland . [7] Also on that day he met Queen Elizabeth II , the Supreme Governor of the Church of England . [5]

On 29 May John Paul II visited Canterbury Cathedral , becoming the first pontiff to do so and participating in an historic meeting with the Prince of Wales (now King Charles III ), before attending a ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. During the service, the two church leaders renewed their baptismal vows together, knelt in silent prayer at the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, and issued a common declaration, thanking God for "the progress that has been made in the work of reconciliation" between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Later that day, he went through Wembley by means of a procession, then celebrated Mass at Wembley Stadium in the presence of 80,000 people. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and sang " He's Got the Whole World in His Hands ". [2]

On 30 May, after a meeting with over 20,000 of his fellow Polish countrymen at the Crystal Palace stadium in London, the Pope travelled by helicopter to Coventry , where he celebrated Mass at the city's Baginton Airport in the presence of some 300,000 people. In his address, he described Coventry as a "city devastated by war but rebuilt in hope". [8] Afterwards, he travelled to Liverpool , where over a million spectators lined the route of his journey from the airport in Speke to the city. He attended services at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral and the Anglican Cathedral. Two thousand people attended his Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral. [4] After Mass, the Pope greeted young people gathered outside the cathedral.

On 31 May, the Pope visited Manchester , where he met the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Sir Immanuel Jakobovits at the Convent of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth . At Heaton Park he celebrated Mass in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 people, during which he ordained twelve men to the priesthood, telling them; "You must be men of God, his close friends. You must develop daily patterns of prayer, and penance must be a regular part of your life." [9] The Pope then travelled by helicopter to Knavesmire Racecourse in York where some 200,000 people gathered for a Liturgy of the Word .

After the York ceremony, the Pope was taken to RAF Leeming from where he flew by jet to Edinburgh in Scotland, landing at RAF Turnhouse , Edinburgh. At Murrayfield Stadium , he met with 45,000 young people and leaders of Protestant churches, before finishing the day with a visit to the city's Catholic cathedral.

On 1 June, John Paul II firstly visited patients at St Joseph's Hospital in Rosewell and addressed educators at St Andrew's College , before celebrating Mass at Bellahouston Park for 300,000 people. The Pope was presented with several symbolic gifts during the service, including a pipe banner with the Pope's coat of arms, a piece of Caithness glass, a firkin of whisky and a Scotland football shirt. He told worshippers "as believers, we are constantly exposed to pressures by modern society which would compel us to conform to the standards of this secular age, substitute new proprieties, restrict our aspirations at risk of compromising our Christian conscience." [7]

The Welsh leg of the trip took place on 2 June with the Pope's arrival in Cardiff . After he was awarded the Freedom of Cardiff , a city which received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1581, several years after she had been declared deposed by Pope Pius V in his bull Regnans in Excelsis (departing from his decision to avoid political meetings during his visit), John Paul II travelled to Pontcana Fields where he celebrated Mass for over 100,000 people, speaking briefly in Welsh to declare "Bendith Duw arnoch" – "the blessing of God be on you" – which was received with enthusiastic applause. [10] Afterwards, he went on to Ninian Park , home of Cardiff City F.C. , where he met with approximately 33,000 young people, again calling for peace in the South Atlantic and then calling on the young people of Britain to launch a crusade of prayer. In a direct reference to King Henry VIII 's book Defence of the Seven Sacraments for which he received the title Fidei defensor (Defender of the Faith) from Pope Leo X , one of the Sacraments was highlighted at each papal venue.

The speeches for John Paul's visit were written following consultation with British clerics, including the current archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols . These were largely well received by the public, with some two million people attending venues to see the Pope and hear him speak. According to the BBC's Michael Hirst, John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom was the biggest event for British Catholics since their emancipation during the 19th century. [1] In contrast to the generally positive reaction, there were a small number of demonstrations, mostly by supporters of the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Rev. Ian Paisley , and other small groups. [5]

• Pastoral trips of Pope John Paul II
• Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom
• Anglican Schism

Related Research Articles

Pope John Paul II was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his death in 2005.

Pope Benedict   XVI was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known as "Pope emeritus" upon his resignation, and he retained this title until his death in 2022.

Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was a British cardinal, the Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He submitted his resignation as archbishop on reaching his 75th birthday in 2007; Pope Benedict XVI accepted it on 3 April 2009.

Papal inauguration is a liturgical service of the Catholic Church within Mass celebrated in the Roman Rite but with elements of Byzantine Rite for the ecclesiastical investiture of a pope. Since the inauguration of Pope John Paul I, it has not included the 820-year-old (1143–1963) papal coronation ceremony.

The history of the Catholic Church is integral to the history of Christianity as a whole. It is also, according to church historian Mark A. Noll, the "world's oldest continuously functioning international institution." This article covers a period of just under two thousand years.

Coventry Airport is located three nautical miles south-southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England. The airport is operated and licensed by Coventry Airport Limited. Its CAA Ordinary Licence allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.

Vincent Gerard Nichols is a British cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He previously served as Archbishop of Birmingham from 2000 to 2009. He was created cardinal in 22 February 2014.

Piero Marini is a Roman Catholic archbishop who is president emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. For twenty years he served as Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, in charge of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. In that capacity he worked for Popes John Paul II for 18 years and Benedict XVI for two years.

Faustino Sainz Muñoz was a Spanish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Nuncio to Great Britain from 2004 until December 2010, having been appointed by Pope John Paul II in 2004.

Holy See–United Kingdom relations are foreign relations between the Holy See and the United Kingdom.

Pope Benedict XVI, who led the Roman Catholic Church as Pope from 2005 to 2013, continued manouevring the Church through the dynamics of modernity, which the Church had begun engaging in with the Second Vatican Council. Because the question of religious pluralism is a key issue raised by modernity, ecumenism, the establishment of harmony and dialogue between the different Christian denominations, is a significant concern of a post Second Vatican Council Church. Pope Benedict XVI's approach has been characterised as leaning toward the conservative while still being expansive and engaged, involving the full breadth of Christendom, including the Orthodox Churches and Protestant churches, as well as freshly engaging with other Christian bodies considered by Roman Catholics to be more heterodox, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

John Henry Newman was a Roman Catholic theologian, philosopher and cardinal who converted to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism in October 1845. In early life, he was a major figure in the Oxford Movement to bring the Church of England back to its roots. Eventually his studies in history persuaded him to become a Roman Catholic priest, and he has now become a Saint, having been canonised on 13 October 2019. In 1991, Newman was proclaimed "Venerable" by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints – the first stage in the canonisation process. He was beatified on 19 September 2010 at an open air Mass in Birmingham.

Christianity in the 21st century is characterized by the pursuit of church unity and the continued resistance to persecution and secularization.

The state visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom was held from 16 to 19 September 2010 and was the first visit by a Pope to Britain after Pope John Paul II made a pastoral, rather than state, visit in 1982. The visit included the beatification of Cardinal Newman as a "pastoral highlight".

Pope John Paul II visited Ireland from Saturday, 29 September to Monday, 1 October 1979, the first trip to Ireland by a pope. Over 2.5 million people attended events in Dublin, Drogheda, Clonmacnoise, Galway, Knock, Limerick, and Maynooth. It was John Paul's third foreign visit as Pope, who had been elected in October 1978. The visit marked the centenary of the reputed apparitions at the Shrine of Knock in August 1879. The pope’s visit to Ireland also took place, exactly over a month since Louis Mountbatten was killed in a boat bomb explosion over the coast of Sligo, planted by the Provisional IRA.

Pope Francis visited Ireland on 25 and 26 August 2018, as part of the World Meeting of Families 2018. It was the first visit by a reigning pontiff to the country since 1979.

• 1 2 3 "1982: Pope makes historic visit to Canterbury" . BBC On This Day . BBC. 29 May 1982 . Retrieved 18 September 2010 .
• ↑ "Pope John Paul II visit recalled by security chief" . BBC News . BBC. 14 September 2010 . Retrieved 18 September 2010 .
• 1 2 "Liverpool remembers Pope John Paul II" . BBC Radio Merseyside . BBC. 2 April 2005 . Retrieved 18 September 2010 .
• 1 2 3 "Different pope, different times for British trip" . The Himalayan Times . 12 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010 . Retrieved 19 September 2010 .
• ↑ "The history of our "Hastings" DEMUs" . Hastings Diesels Limited. 12 December 2011 . Retrieved 21 June 2012 .
• 1 2 "The first visit: Looking back at Pope John Paul II's mass at Bellahouston Park" . Daily Record . 14 September 2010 . Retrieved 18 September 2010 .
• ↑ Dimmer, Sam (17 May 2010). "Coventry Catholic church leaders delighted at Pope visit to Coventry" . Coventry Telegraph . Retrieved 19 September 2010 .
• ↑ "John Paul II at Heaton Park" . Pope Benedict XVI visit to the United Kingdom . Catholic Communications Network . Retrieved 19 September 2010 .
• ↑ "Pope John Paul II's visit to Wales in 1982" . BBC Wales History . BBC. 15 September 2010 . Retrieved 19 September 2010 .
• .mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em} v
• Universities
• John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
• John Paul II Institute
• John Paul II Minor Seminary
• John Paul the Great Catholic University
• Pontifical University of John Paul II
• Pope John Paul II College of Education
• Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport
• João Paulo II Airport
• John Paul II International Airport Kraków–Balice
• El Puente del Papa
• John Paul II Bridge, Puławy
• Juan Pablo II Bridge
• Third Millennium John Paul II Bridge
• Saint John Paul II National Shrine
• Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula
• John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization
• John Paul II Foundation for Research and Treatment
• Museum of John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński
• Museum of John Paul II Collection
• Pope John Paul II Park Reservation
• Pope John Paul II
• The Papal Chase
• Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II
• The Pope's Toilet
• Nine Days that Changed the World
• Karol: A Man Who Became Pope
• Karol: The Pope, The Man
• In Search of the Pope's Children
• The Planet Is Alive...Let It Live!
• The Pope's Children
• Credo: John Paul II

The Papal Visit

Pope Benedict XVI in the UK

• Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium provided the setting for the first open-air Mass of Pope John Paul II's visit to Britain. The stadium, which has since been redeveloped, was the venue for England's 1966 World Cup football triumph.

Also in John Paul II

Pope Saint John Paul II’s reason for being there was to signpost people to a glory that goes beyond space and time. Where the old stadium once stood is a 133m arch which can be seen across the skyline of north west London. On 29 May 1982, the Holy Father celebrated the first Mass of Pentecost. It’s thought that around 80,000 people attended from across England and Wales.

• Pope John Paul II to the religious men and women of England and Wales

"English religious communities were scattered and destroyed, or fled to foreign lands. It is impossible here to name all the men and women religious of this period who followed our Lord to the point of giving their lives in defence of their faith."

• Holy Mass for the Renewal Of The Baptismal Promises

John Paul II to the Catholic community: "I have come to renew with you our shared love and enthusiasm for the Gospel of Jesus Christ; to confirm you in your faith and to share your joys and your hopes, your griefs and your anxieties."

• Replay – Home
• Papal Liturgies
• Benedict XVI – Home
• Becoming a Pope
• Key Teachings
• Newman – Home
• About Newman
• Becoming a Saint
• Newman’s Beatification
• Newman Videos
• Newman Podcasts
• The Popes on Newman
• Quotes from Newman’s contemporaries
• Public Figures on Newman
• Faith – Home
• The Catholic Faith
• History of the Catholic Church
• Catholicism and the Monarchy
• Church and Faith FAQs
• John Paul II – Home
• Gatwick Airport
• Westminster
• Crystal Palace
• News and Media
• Cookies Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Accessibility Statement
• Terms of Use