THE LOCATION for the final day of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britian later this year has been moved from Coventry to Birmingham.It was originally planned that Pope Benedict XVI would hold an open-air Mass at Coventry Airport in September, but Cofton Park in Birmingham — which has a considerably smaller capacity — is now the preferred choice.
Catholic Church authorities have asked the city council if the park could be used for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, who is buried in the cemetery at Oratory House in Rednal, adjacent to the park.
Cardinal Newman is one of the most famous converts to the Catholic faith in English history. Rumours about a change to the location were dismissed earlier this month.
The Archdiocese of Birmingham said on June 6 the planned papal visit to Coventry would be going ahead.
The airport can hold crowds of up to 150,000, while Cofton Park, which is 25 miles (40km) away in Birmingham, only holds 80,000.
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, between September 16-19, is the first Papal visit to Britain since that of John Paul II in 1982.
The Pope will meet Queen Elizabeth at Holyrood House in Edinburgh and celebrate open air Masses in Glasgow and London.
Former Governor of Hong Kong and EU Commissioner Lord Patten, who is a Catholic, has been appointed as the British Government’s co-ordinator.
The full details of Pope Benedict’s itinerary will be published later this month.
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