Cardinal speaks of Pope's legacy

Keith O'Brien was made a cardinal in 2003

The leader of Scotland's Catholics said that the late Pope John Paul II had left a strong legacy.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien believed the leadership of the Polish-born pontiff had reminded Catholics of the origins of their faith.

He said Catholics delighted in the Pope's visit to Scotland in May 1982.

However, liberal-thinking Father John Fitsimmons said a sense of "adventure and openness" was absent during Pope John Paul II's tenure.

The late Pope presided over the biggest open air religious service in Scotland when he became the first pontiff to visit the country.

A crowd of 200,000 had been expected at a Mass he was due to say in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, but thousands more turned out.

Conservative message

Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator of the General Assembly, said the Pope's visit to Scotland was "very inspiring".

She added: "When he (the Pope) spoke in Bellahouston Park about walking hand in hand as pilgrims together, that really kick started the ecumenical movement and consolidated the Catholic Church's involvement in it.

"I think we have all really benefited from that tremendously since then."

During his UK tour, millions packed along streets and in parks to catch a glimpse of a fresh-faced Pope who had pledged to travel the world meeting the Catholic faithful.

Young people heard John Paul II speak at Murrayfield

His charismatic smile and warm words were greeted particularly by the young people who gathered at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

A roar of delight echoed around the ground when he said: "Young people of Scotland".

But his message was a conservative one, heavy with warnings.

He told the assembled crowd: "Jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, drunkenness, orgies and other things - I warn you now as I have warned you before, those who behave like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

Fr Fitsimmons believes despite the excitement which surrounded Pope John Paul II's visit, its effects were disappointing.

He said: "The visit seemed to hold Scotland back a little in so far as at the end of the Second Vatican Council there was a sense of adventure and openness. I think that disappeared under the pontificate of John Paul II."

It was of little surprise that while in Scotland the Pope touched on the issue of sectarianism.

Charismatic man

At an historic Edinburgh ceremony under the statue of the Protestant reformer John Knox, Pope John Paul II met the then leader of the Church of Scotland, Professor John McIntyre.

He said: "Clearly it must have been an unusual experience to come close to the shadow of John Knox, a person I am sure he had heard often.

"The word charisma is often used and wrongly used but I want to apply that word to him because it was clear he was charismatic."

Professor John McIntyre: "Charismatic man"

But Prof McIntyre was surprised and dismayed that there was no lasting impetus from that historic meeting in which the Pope said: "Can we not make the pilgrimage together hand in hand."

Scotland's Catholic community regarded the Pope's visit to the country a special one.

What they also regarded as special were two moves to appoint cardinals for Scotland.

He made Thomas Winning a cardinal in 1994.

The inauguration of Cardinal Winning, who died in 2001 aged 76, took place in Rome and was watched by 1,500 Catholics from Scotland.

One of the Pope's final duties was to appoint 31 new cardinals, one of whom was Cardinal O'Brien.

He said: "I would say his great legacy is reminding us of the origin of our Catholic faith, based on the trinity - the love of the father, giving us the son and inspiring us by the power of the holy spirit to bring us back to our roots and asking us to reaffirm our roots to live in the present day."