“La visita del Papa al Reino Unido puede reforzar la imagen estable, abierta y de colaboración que presentan los católicos en la actualidad”
"The Pope's visit to the UK can reinforce the stable, open and partnership image that Catholics present today."
University of Navarra theologian Pablo Blanco affirms that the beatification of Cardinal Newman "could be a sign of unity between Anglicans and Catholics".
"Benedict XVI is a German who visit a country that has fought two wars against Germany in the 20th century. Moreover, ambiguity about the Papacy is part of this nation's genetic code. Nor should we forget the scandal of pedophile priests or the unease created by the declaration of some Anglicans of wanting to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. All these factors make this a courageous visit ". This was the opinion of the theologian of the University of Navarra, Pablo Blanco, on the occasion of the first state trip made by a Pope to the United Kingdom -invited by Elizabeth II, head of the Anglican Church-, which will begin tomorrow, September 16.
Professor Blanco, who will soon publish an extensive biography of the Pontiff under degree scroll Benedict XVI, the German Pope (Planeta), pointed out that "the prestige of Catholics has increased in recent times in the United Kingdom and the visit can reinforce the stable, open image of partnership that they currently offer".
Primacy of conscience
In this regard, he mentioned some data of a recent survey conducted by a publication in the United Kingdom: "67% of adults believe that British society should retain its Christian culture, and only 8% are opposed to this idea. This indicates that both Anglicans and Catholics strongly want England, Scotland and Wales to retain the Christian identity it has always had."
As indicated by the professor of the School of Theology of the University of Navarra, the main goal of the event consists of the beatification of John Henry Newman, an Anglican intellectual who became part of the Catholic Church in the 19th century. "The Pope highlights a great contribution of Cardinal Newman: the primacy he gave to conscience. For him there was no contradiction between obedience to doctrine and following one's conscience; perhaps for this reason he was very controversial at the time. The beatification could now be, however, a sign of unity between Anglicans and Catholics, since Newman is a giant for both churches.