Religion: A Pope on British Soil

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Perhaps, but this papal administration may have a long-term idea for moving Christian unity forward. Vatican Secretary of State Casaroli told TIME, "There is no point in making agreements of unity at the top level if the people on both sides are not prepared for it." To this end, Cardinal Casaroli believes a papal visit to England can help ready the masses of Christians for further unity developments in years to come. Savvas Agouridis, professor of theology at the University of Athens, points out, "Trying to convert with pure theological argument is not possible. There are games theologians play. The deeper reason for the differences that still exist is that the two sides don't concern themselves with the essence of people's lives."

"The Pope isn't coming with unity plans up his sleeve," says Christopher Hill, Runcie's counsellor on foreign relations. "His short-term goal is simply to restore confidence and identity in the Roman Catholic Church." But Hill points to another reason for the trip: a heartfelt response to the contemporary need for spiritual unity in Christendom, which may be unprecedented. "We Christians need to see a personal figure of unity. We see the value of one man. A personal focus of communion. So we are beginning to see the point of a Pope for the worldwide Christian churches—just so long as their traditions are not swallowed up in Roman Catholic traditions." That possibility now seems less remote. With John Paul II on British soil, reunification suddenly seems more possible. —By Richard N. Ostling, reported by Mary Cronin/London and Wilton Wynn with the Pope