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	The Dark Side of a Bright Trip By Raymond J. de Souza National Post September 17, 2010 http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/dark+side+bright+trip/3537587/story.html Speaking pointedly about priestly child sex abuse and secularism, Pope Benedict XVI began a four-day visit to Britain yesterday, spending the day in Scotland before flying to London. By the time he arrived here darkness had fallen on the papal flags lining the Mall -something never before seen in the long history of British crown ceremonial. The twin rows of enormous flags adorning the grand avenue to Buckingham Palace marked the beginning of a state visit for the head of the Roman Catholic Church to a land where even 50 years ago such a welcome would have been unthinkable. The Queen received Benedict in Edinburgh, at her Scottish seat, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. She spoke of the "common Christian heritage" of Catholics and Anglicans, and noted the contribution of the Catholic Church in caring for "the poorest and most deprived members of society." Quoting Benedict's own words that "religions can never become vehicles of hatred," she said, "Religion has always been a crucial element in national identity and historical self-consciousness." Echoing the Queen, Benedict said "the Christian message has been an integral part of the language, thought and culture of these islands for more than a thousand years." The question at the heart of his visit is whether that heritage will remain integral, or be driven to the margins of common life. The challenge of building a "modern and multicultural society [should not] obscure the Christian foundation that underpins its freedoms," the Pope said. He sharpened that message at an afternoon Mass in Glasgow before about 70,000 Scottish pilgrims. "There are some who now seek to exclude religious belief from public discourse, to privatize it or even to paint it as a threat to equality and liberty. Yet religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister," he said. "Society today needs clear voices which propose our right to live, not in a jungle of self-destructive and arbitrary freedoms, but in a society which works for the true welfare of its citizens and offers them guidance and protection in the face of their weakness and fragility." The tough words against "aggressive secularism" set the stage for today's historic address to the British parliament in Westminster Hall. The Pope even quoted one of his most famous phrases, "the dictatorship of relativism," condemning a world without objective truth as one that "threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man's nature, his destiny and his ultimate good." Earlier on the papal plane to Scotland, Benedict addressed the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests, something he has chosen to do on flights to the United States, Australia, Portugal and Malta in recent years. While the Pope's language has been tough before, this time it was more personal. "These revelations were for me a shock, and a great sadness. It is difficult to understand how this perversion of the priestly ministry was possible," he said, adding it was inexplicable to him that a priest who should be a good shepherd "fall into this perversion." Praising the English bishops for commissioning an investigative report in 2001 into child sexual abuse, which led to new reporting measures and protocols for victims, Benedict acknowledged the Church's response should have been quicker. "It is a great sadness. It is a sadness, also, that the authority of the Church was not vigilant enough, was not sufficiently fast and decisive in taking the necessary measures," he said. The blunt language of the first day was set against a generally festive background in Scotland, despite months of heated language from those protesting both the papal trip and Benedict personally. "The press negativism was swept away by the enthusiasm of the people," said Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister. In Glasgow, a bagpipe band played a stirring rendition of Amazing Grace. Susan Boyle, the Scottish sensation who sang in her Catholic parish choir before being discovered by reality television, sang a hymn before the papal Mass, calling it the "dream of a lifetime."
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