The end of 2009 is proving busy, dramatic and controversial for the Holy See: on 18th December it was announced that Pope Benedict will not stay at Buckingham Palace during his planned State Visit to Britain in September 2010, though he will meet the Queen. The Pope does not deem the pomp of a State Banquet or ceremonial carriage ride appropriate but there may also be security concerns concerning the carriage ride. The official title of the visit is a “Papal Visit with the status of a State Visit.” The Pope’s decision not to visit Ireland has caused controversy there.
The Pope has also been drawn into controversy regarding the Venerable Pope Pius XII, who was Pope from 1939 – 58. It is the addition of the title “Venerable” to the wartime Pope’s name that has caused the trouble, for this is one of the first steps towards canonisation.
Pope Pius has long been accused by Jewish groups of remaining silent about the Holocaust though the Vatican has stated that he actually saved many Jews by arranging hiding places for them.
Now a planned visit by Pope Benedict to Rome’s Great Synagogue in January may be cancelled because of the high feelings triggered by this issue.
Many people in Italy were scandalised by Pope Benedict’s decision to celebrate Midnight Mass at 10 pm on Christmas Eve this year but this was forgotten in a huge wave of sympathy for him after a woman knocked him to the ground during his procession.
Security men and Swiss guards quickly removed the woman, a 25-year-old Swiss-Italian called Susanna Maiolo, and Pope Benedict, to warm applause, continued his procession to the altar to celebrate Mass. Later it was revealed that Maiolo has psychiatric problems and, worryingly, that she had attempted to reach the Pope at Christmas Eve Mass in 2008.
Security had already been increased at the Vatican and Vatican sources point out that it would be difficult to guarantee watertight security for the Pope as part of his mission is to go among the people and reach out to them.
The Pope did exactly that on Sunday, when he visited a Rome soup kitchen run by the Sant’Egidio Community. He joined 150 people in need for a meal and gave Christmas presents to about 30 children. He met homeless people from outside Italy and listened as they told him their reasons for leaving their countries of origin and of their hopes for the future. At the end of his visit Pope Benedict urged Italians to see to it that no one feels alone, marginalised, or abandoned in their country.
Do you think that the Pope’s security should be increased?
