Pope John Paul II spent a day-and-a-half of his tour north of the border in Scotland. Although the time was short, the Pope visited a total of seven venues and greeted hundreds of thousands of people.
Young people held a special place in His Holiness’s heart as witnessed at World Youth Days subsequently hosted across the world from 1984. In addressing the young people who had gathered at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 31st May. From Murrayfield the Pope made his way to a gathering of priests and religious, met with Christian church leaders and subsequently travelled to St Joseph’s Hospital in Rosewell where he greeted the patients , the staff and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. His final task in Edinburgh was to address the Scottish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The Glasgow leg of his tour saw him visit St Andrew’s College, before making his way to Bellahouston Park for an open air Mass. His ended his homily with: ‘Beloved People of Scotland… May the prayers of the blessed Apostles Peter and Andrew obtain this for you!… “Lord, let Scotland flourish through the preaching of Thy word and the praising of Thy name!” Amen.’
"I have been pleased to learn of the fruitful dialogues in which the Catholic Church in this Country has been engaged with the Church of Scotland, the Episcopal Church in Scotland and other Churches, and also of its collaboration with the Scottish Churches’ Council in many aspects of its work."
Pope John Paul II told 44,000 ecstatic young Scots at Murrayfield Stadium “Young people of Scotland, I love you.”
"You are present in every area of the community’s life, hastening the coming of the Kingdom of God through your prayer and work. In you I feel the heartbeat of the entire ecclesial community."
"No visit to Rosewell would be complete without mentioning a young woman whose holy life and final suffering gave full expression to the message from Sacred Scripture that we have reflected on this morning - the Venerable Margaret Sinclair."
"We are here to reflect on our episcopal ministry and to offer it to the Father through Christ our Lord, in whose name we exercise it."
"To be educated is to be more fitted for life; to have a greater capacity for appreciating what life is, what it has to offer, and what the person has to offer in return to the wider society of man."
"We are gathered here on this Scottish hillside to celebrate Mass. Are we not like those first disciples and followers who sat at the feet of Jesus on the hillside near Capernaum? What did Jesus teach them?"
