Pope to take ‘deeper’ plea to Argentina

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 6

Pope to take ‘deeper’ plea to Argentina

NZPA-Reuter Rome Pope John Paul, back from an historic visit to Britain marked by prayers for peace in the Falkland Islands, says he will take the same message “but deeper” to Catholic Argentina, the other side in the South Atlantic conflict.

The Pope, who arrived in Rome yesterday after a sixday British tour, travels to Argentina next Thursday for a hastily arranged two-day visit.

He told reporters on the flight home from Britain that the message he would take with him would be “the same — one of peace, but much, much deeper.” He did not elaborate.

The 62-year-old Pope made calls for peace and an end to war a major theme of his British tour. On his return to Rome, he went directly to the Vatican instead of going to rest at his Castel Gandolfo summer residence, indicating his deep concern at the continuing fighting in the South Atlantic.

His visit to Britain, in doubt until the last moment, was the first by a reigning pontiff and was the first time a Pope had visited a country engaged in armed conflict with another.

But he received a rousing reception from hundreds and thousands of Britons who cheered him along his route through England, Scotland, and Wales.

A major theme of his visit was Christian Unity and the highlight of the tour was an emotional meeting with the leader of the world's 67

million Anglicans, Archbishop Robert Runcie, in Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrims applauded as the spiritual leader of the world’s 700 million Catholics exchanged kisses of peace with Britain's Protestant Church leaders.

The Pope insisted his visit was a pastoral one, but it was also a pilgrimage of peace. Without taking sides, he appealed for prayers for peace as news of bloodshed in both the British and Argentine forces intensified. On his last stop in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday he called for remembrance of the dead on both . sides and in his farewell message to the people; of Britain he said: "May God bless you all. May he make you instruments of his peace.". A message from Cardinal Basil Hulme, leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, awaited the Pope on his return to the Vatican. “You have won the admiration and love of millions of people in our country," it said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury praised the Pope as a great evangelist and said he had redrawn the map of Christianity. Pope John Paul will pray for world peace at a mass in Rome shortly before leaving for Argentina, a trip announced only two days before he left for Britain.

Earlier, on Monday, he will have talks with the visiting President Reagan. The talks are expected to centre on latest developments in the Falklands.