(2 of 11)
But the Pope's principal mission, aside from a desire to end a war, was to establish the basis for a new religious peace between Anglicans and Catholics, who have been divided for four centuries. As thousands of people cheered outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, John Paul strode into the inner courtyard to meet another sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II, in a cheerily informal turquoise dress, was the Supreme Governour of the Church of England, John Paul the head of the Church of Rome; and both heads of state. It was a very private meeting—35 minutes in length, but of incalculable significance.
Saturday's service at the cradle of English Christendom, Canterbury Cathedral, was to be the emotional apex of the visit—and the most splendid ecumenical event of John Paul's reign. Greeted by Prince Charles and other dignitaries, the Pontiff took his place in a processional through the great West Door. Joining the symbolic march to the altar were Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Anglican primates, flown in from four other continents to participate. It was the first time any Pontiff was to worship in an Anglican cathedral.
The rite was symbolically linked to an almost forgotten age, when Britain had but one Catholic Church: the priceless Canterbury Gospels were ceremonially moved onto the altar. The volume had been presented by Pope Gregory I to Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, as he sent him to Christianize the eastern British Isles in A.D. 597.
The service was conducted near the very spot where the 12th century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket was slain by the Anglican King's men for his loyalty to Pope and church. The rite moved determinedly through history, even commemorating modern martyrs who died of religious persecution. And after this emotional service, John Paul and the other churchmen lunched, to talk of matters ecumenical and, one assumes, fraternal.
It was a bone-wearying agenda—with the 42nd revision in the schedule made practically as the Pope was en route to London on Friday. On Pentecost Sunday, he appeared before gatherings of British-Polish groups in south London, then went on to Coventry and Liverpool. Shrewdly, for Liverpool, the Pontiff planned visits to the cathedrals of both Anglican and Catholic communions. On Monday, after visiting Manchester and York, the Pope's schedule took him to Edinburgh. On Tuesday, his plans called for an ecumenical meeting with representatives of Scottish churches, then a quick series of appearances at events around Glasgow—all by means of a helicopter. The final stop that night was to be an informal evening chat with the Scottish Catholic hierarchy at George Gordon Cardinal Gray's residence in Glasgow. In the morning, John Paul and his retinue expected to fly to Wales for an open-air Mass at Pontcanna Fields, in Cardiff. They were to conclude their pastoral visit in a final airport ceremony at Cardiff before returning to Rome.