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In a little over a week, Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United Kingdom on the first ever . John Paul II went in . Benedict������Ƶapp journey is promising, for better or worse, to be a much different event. Context is everything and this visit comes after a year of nasty accounts of clerical abuse in and as well as a flood on UK commentary on the role the Pope himself did or didn’t play in dealing with the abuse crisis then and now. Just this week it was announced that the Pope would .

Aside from the sexual abuse cloud over the visit, the most controversial aspect of the trip so far has been the question of cost. As a State Visit the and the Church is to cover its share of the costs. And while officials insist that no one will be denied access due to financial difficulties, the question of the cost and value of the trip just will not go away. Opinions on this are truly conflicted with some believing the Church should absorb all the costs while others denounce the Church for charging the faithful.

The visit, in the planning for most of this year has also provoked and appropriateness. And the result is thousands of news stories, opinion pieces and arguments. And while to the visit, no one is ignoring the visit. One of the true treats of British Journalism is that the favourably to the coverage of politics and sports. It������Ƶapp lively, witty and engaging, if at times unfair, biased and rude. Consider the the Pope is insisting that the main part of all masses during the visit will be conducted in Latin as example of the way British media deal with religious news.

There will be tension. The UK Catholic Church and the government are wrangling over ‘, which insists that Catholic Organizations adhere to non-discrimination laws when it comes to Gay and Lesbian employees. at every Papal stop, though there is a growing within the anti-papal forces about the. As well there is lingering angst and animosity over last year������Ƶapp Vatican outreach to troubled Anglicans. The , a highlight of the visit, is seen by some as rubbing , given that Newman spent the first half of his life as a prominent Anglican Thinker and the last half as a devout Catholic. Adding to these expected tensions are the plans of noted anti-Church forces led by Richard Dawkins and company and in particular to have the Pope arrested when he comes to British soil for crimes against humanity. In a strange twist of attention, of a visit sure to be marked by vitriol and celebration in equal measure.

Given Benedict������Ƶapp well known love of music, there������Ƶapp no surprise that one of Britain������Ƶapp leading that has choirs across the country trying to get up to speed. And news that , the YouTube sensation, as well as a current fave in Britain������Ƶapp Got Talent TV show, , are scheduled to sing at Papal Masses has created a real buzz. But perhaps the most intriguing news on the music front is the choice of based in London to provide the “official youth anthem” for the visit. .

And what������Ƶapp a State visit with out In addition to the usual run of plates, cups, glasses and so forth there are new the visit and the Newman Beatification. While the souvenirs seem relatively normal,and are calling for something a bit more out there. For even more details, check out the or link up with the

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It������Ƶapp truly an unfortunate coincidence and couldn’t come at a worse time. In just a week and a half America and the world will mark the and Muslims in America and the World will be marking the end of This would be an awkward coincidence at the best of times and has many that traditional celebrations marking the end of a month of fasting might be seen as a Being on edge makes sense simply because so many around the globe are asking what asks this week in its provocative cover story “Is America Islamaphobic?” And what continues to drive the issue is the increasingly ugly argument over the so-called “And even though this is not strictly a Catholic Fight, Catholics are involved, enlisted and cited as examples for both sides. In a issued to mark the end of Ramadan, His Holiness obliquely touched on key tensions, some of which are on the boil throughout the United States. are big issues for the Church and other religious leaders and the confrontation with truly radical Islam is a tricky one, whether it is provoked by the , the , or simply the continuing comparisons made between the Mosque in lower Manhattan and the in Auschwitz which necessitated the intervention of John Paul II in 1993. One example of the use of the story to define the Mosque controversy is captured almost entirely in The Wall Street Journal story������Ƶapp headline:And for every time the Auschwitz example is used to demonstrate the wisdom of ‘discretion is the better part of valour’ then the irrational is offered as evidence of the need to fight anti-religious bigotry. As Commonweal notes, ”. This is most vivid in a that resurrects the history of the building of Church in New Haven in 1879 and the accompanying bigotry at the time. The stark similarities to the language used today is breathtaking: Catholics were the Muslims of that era, at least as far as the New York Times was concerned. This is a complicated issue withbeing tossed around and you need a clear head to try and sort out and from what������Ƶapp . You know just how tricky the territory is when noted feels compelled to come who want to build the Mosque.    

It������Ƶapp bad enough that the controversy over the , New York has become a poster child for religious intolerance in the United States with reverberations around the world but there is a over the celebration of the of the birth of that is splitting Catholics. The Albanian Born Indian Sister who founded the Missionaries of Charity 60 years ago in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) was born on August 26^th 1910. The Noble Prize winner has become for millions the model of self-sacrifice and charitable works. , of , writing in the National Post captures what he sees as her special qualities, the ones that moved her after her death in 1997.

There������Ƶapp a planned worldwide to mark the day, throughout India and around the world. But one suggested honour,in New York has provoked an ideological battle over what meaning should be taken from her life. On one side is Bill Donohue of the , who petitioned the Owners of the Empire State Building to join other prominent landmarks in New York City in lighting up in a birthday celebration. One the other side is a coalition of Catholic reform groups, led by , which is accusing Donohue of manufacturing a crisis.

There's a certain sadness to the whole affair. suggests theis 'extremist' and not representative of Catholics generally and, almost as if the birthday celebration is a mask for another type of argument entirely.

Meanwhile India is focusing on the including the publication of ahonouring the life and work of Mother Teresa. And for those who think there might be more to this story than temporary controversies, Sister Mary Prema, Mother Teresa's succesor has her on how we might remember her.

The news is filled with stories about immigration and 'strangers'. Making sense of immigration should be old hat to us by now, given the strength of the argument that . This is a national story with the unfolding events surrounding the arrival of another ship filled with . It is a Toronto story with the , a diocesan story with details of Archbishop Collins sponsoring a Iraqi Refugee Family , as reported by the Register's Michael Swan and an international story with from all sides. It is an issue that won't go away, nor should it. It raises fundamental issues of charity and justice and has been on the  If we look with either horror, concern or confusion at the situation in Arizona, it is important to realize that the issue is heating up in Canada as well. And as notes, we shouldn't be too smug because the polls aren't painting a pretty picture of our attitudes or values. It's not a simple matter by any means, but it does require thinking through and possibly some . Without doubt politicians will be getting deeply involved in the issue this fall, which . As Catholic Bishops from America, Canada and Mexico have , we need to drill down deep as to causes, consequences and reactions to all parts of the immigration puzzle. And as Catholics, perhaps it's worthwhile to reflect as did recently on the history of Anti-Catholic immigration scares and the complicated issues raised.Ultimately this is a human story and offers an intriguing way to think about the human, economic and even cultural questions.