Preparations for The Pope's Visit. A Fiasco?

This morning I read Damien Thompson's article in the Spectator. I was shocked, but then I remembered that he often exaggerates and can be hyper-critical. However, if there is more than a grain of truth in what he has written (and I actually believe there is), then it is not just the Papal visit that is at risk. Over the years I have often been disappointed at things that happened, and did not happen, in the Church in this country. On the whole, I have not been as vociferous as some priests, but there have been one or two occasions when I managed a good deal more than a sigh. One of those was the conversion of Tony Blair which I thought was a scandal. Now his name has been mentioned in connection with the Papal Visit. According to Thompson, some of our bishops have done more than acquiesced in the mess surrounding the planned visit. Thinking of the need for renewal in different parts of the Church throughout the world, I feel we must really pray - and perhaps fast - for a real healing of the Church in England and Wales. There needs to be something like a spiritual tsunami, washing away all the rubbish (including the appalling catechetics we have had over the last 30-odd years!). Again, I don't want to become a "bishop-basher" in any way, but some of those in authority (bishops or not) need to wake up. With all the great needs we see in our parishes and in our communities (and in our schools) we need a radical, and spiritual, approach which involves facing the truth without fudging and then working together with a real will, lining up with Pope Benedict and his real supporters so that we can once again really start living and preaching the faith in our countries.