Between Cameron and the Pope

10 July 2010

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With preparations for the Pope’s visit to Britain in disarray, the government called in Lord Patten to smooth things out. He tells Damian Thompson why he is up to the task

Prime Ministers do not always enjoy reading The Spectator and a month ago we ran a cover story that was — I am told — a ‘real eye-opener’ to David Cameron. We revealed that the Catholic hierarchy in England was hopelessly out of its depth organising the Pope’s visit to Britain and that the event was out of control. Its centrepiece, a Mass at Coventry airport to beatify Cardinal Newman, was about to be cancelled as a result of soaring costs. The first state visit of Mr Cameron’s premiership was in danger. Someone needed to take charge.

Lord Patten will say only that it was ‘around that time’ that he received a call from 10 Downing Street. ‘You had a very good story,’ he says. ‘The Church did have second thoughts about Coventry.’ He launches into a perfectly reasonable-sounding explanation that the trees would have blocked visitors’ lines of sight and that ‘people trampling through fields in the early hours of the morning seemed to be a bad idea’. So, instead, the Church chose Cofton Park, Birmingham, which can handle 80,000 visitors instead of the airport’s 200,000.

Ever the diplomat, Lord Patten — the last governor of Hong Kong, a former chairman of the Conservative party, Chancellor of Oxford University and a prominent liberal Catholic — is playing down the notion that he has been brought in to put out some kind of fire. But, as he speaks, he is seemingly unaware of a letter lying in front of him that tells a rather different story.

It is from Alan Rudge, a senior official of Birmingham City Council, and dated only two weeks ago. It says: ‘I am increasingly concerned about discussions of which I have become aware which suggest that — at this very late stage — the Midlands Mass on the 19th of September [should be moved] from Coventry airport to Cofton Park.’

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jamesjones950

July 15th, 2010 6:55pm Report this comment

A total disgrace. "State" visit? What State? The Vatican was named a State by Mussolini. Am I right in saying that the UN does not regard it as such, witness the fact that it enjoys Observer status only? Is it not simply the HQ of the Catholic church, a small enclave within the city of Rome? Does any other religious HQ enjoy the farcical title of "State"? We know the answer to that one. And what was that nonsense about Chris Patten respecting Ratzinger's intellect? So worrying, coming from a member of our Government, in the face of the statistical truth that the higher your IQ, the more likely you are to be an atheist. And from what I've seen of Ratzinger's unbelievably bigoted views (homophobia, condom-phobia, sexism, fanatical antagonism to secularists) I don't rate his IQ very highly.
Spare us from being governed by people who still cling to medieval beliefs, and allow those beliefs to influence their politics.

jamesjones950

July 15th, 2010 7:08pm Report this comment

Sorry, forgot to ask: Why oh why do we have an Ambassador to the Vatican? With a residence, to boot!
How much does this cost?....and more to the point, what precisely does he do all day (apart from a high degree of forelock-tugging)?
The only light on this particular horizon is that Ann Widdecombe may be appointed to the post. At least it would get her out of this country for a while.

Frankie

August 16th, 2010 12:57pm Report this comment

It's a pity if the Pope's visit is hijacked by any interest group or issue (whether self-inflicted or not). I pray that millions of ordinary Catholics find that their deeply-held, rational and spiritual beliefs are strengthened by his example. God bless the Pope, and god bless the Queen.

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