Valencia Trader

Pope Valencia Awaits Papal Visit

Valencia today is breathing an air of expectancy with the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI to participate in and close the World Family Forum. As soon as he arrives, there will be a tremendous peal of all the church bells in Valencia, generating a sound value of some 120 decibels. The Pope’s first action after his motorcade has left the airport and traveled into the City will be to stop at the de Jesus metro station, pray for a short while, and leave a floral tribute to the 42 who died in the recent Metro accident. Receiving Benedict at the station will be the Prince and Princess of the Asturias, as well as several of those who participated in the rescue of the victims.  The Pontiff will then travel on to a meeting with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

However, the visit is not without controversy, in particular, the Pope’s alleged plans to announce the beatification of 165 Catholic martyrs during the Spanish Civil War. Equally, in some quarters of the City, anti-Pope protesters have torn down the emblems of the World Family Forum and the Pope and put up their own.

Also sparking considerable controversy is the final decision by Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero finally not to attend the Mass tomorrow – after previously having stated that he would be present. This has been severely criticized by both Francisco Camps, the President of the Valencian Community, and Rita Barbera, the Mayoress of Valencia both of whom coincided in the view that ‘this was the first time that an elected head of the state no matter of what political hue has refused to attend a service when His Holiness the Pope is in the country and presiding the event.” Sources from the Moncloa palace in Madrid expressed the view that the Government ‘was perfectly well represented’ by Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Justice Minister Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar at tomorrow’s Mass

In meetings yesterday, Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, gave an address to the Forum after being introduced by Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. Also yesterday, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the archbishop of Havana voiced the opinion that ‘the voice of the Church has not been wanting in warning  about the dangers of the present wave of paganism’, whilst Salvatore Martinez of  Italy’s Renewal in the Spirit movement, stated that the family must be the subject and object of renewal. Also yesterday, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former long-time secretary to Pope John Paul II, was given a standing ovation. The Cardinal had traveled to Valencia to give an address entitled: “John Paul II: Pope of The Family and of Life”.

Also, some of the statistics concerning the Pope’s visit have been highlighted: 1.5 million people are expected to attend the Mass tomorrow presided by Benedict XVI. And the television audience for the event, which is being retransmitted by local station RTVV as host broadcaster, is expected to reach an audience of more than 300 million. Some 4,000 journalists have been credited to cover the event, which will be watched over by 8,000 policemen and soldiers as well as 12,000 volunteers, whilst in the skies overhead NATO AWACS aircraft will further ensure the security of the event. On the ground, some 30 marquees have been set up for the pilgrims, as have 3,000 drinking fountains. More than 650 doctors, nurses and auxiliary health workers will be on standby as will be 37 mobile health care centres