Bishops launch official Papal Visit booklet and logo

Archbishop Vincent Nichols today launched "The Pope in the UK" booklet which will go out to parishes across England, Wales and Scotland.

The booklet aims to answer some simple questions about the visit itself, the call of faith and its unfolding in daily life and the role of the Catholic Church. It is made up of ten questions, ranging from why the Pope is meeting the Queen to the contribution of the Catholic Church to British society and why the Pope will be beatifying Cardinal Newman.

Archbishop Nichols said: "We wanted to try to answer the questions of those curious about the visit in an accessible and intelligent way. It is an attempt to get beyond the immediacy of headlines and make available the immensely rich tradition of the Church in dealing with the dilemmas of human life that Pope Benedict so eloquently expresses.

"We are looking to spell out the richness of Catholic tradition and also the enormous contribution of the Catholic Church to this country and around the world. It is important to explain who the Pope is so people can better appreciate this
historic visit."

As the preface to "The Pope in the UK" sets out: "Today there are many gaps in public knowledge in these matters. This booklet seeks to address those gaps, not in profound or systematic manner but just by way of some clear facts and indications.

"They will be helpful in preparation for this Papal Visit: helpful to those who are curious, helpful to those who need to understand a little more, helpful to those who are looking forward intently to these historic days."

The cover of the booklet features the official logo of the Papal Visit. It was designed by leading architectural artist Brian Clarke and incorporates the Papal Visit motto "Heart speaks unto heart", taken from Cardinal Newman's writings.

The Papal Visit will take place from 16-19 September. Full details of the Pope's itinerary will be published in July.

Source: CCN