POPE BENEDICT XVI BEATIFIES CARDINAL NEWMAN AT THE END OF UK VISIT

BRITAIN: There were tears and emotions! Tears of Joy and tears of emotion as the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI beatified the 19th Century Cardinal John Henry Newman to "BLESSED" Newman.  Faithfull came as early as 04:00 AM in the Cofton Park for the 10:00 am Mass and ceremony of the Beatification of Blessed Newman.  Young and Old all came in their thousands to witness the beatification and to hear the Holy Father's Mass.

The Holy Father Beatifies Cardinal Newman

The Holy Father told more than 50,000 people at a Mass in Birmingham's Cofton Park that they were celebrating the cardinal's "outstanding holiness".

Prime Minister David Cameron told the Pope shortly before he left that Britain "cherished faith". The Pope replied the diversity of Britain was an "enriching challenge". He had earlier urged bishops meeting at St Mary's College, Oscott, to "make reparation" for child abuse by priests. The Pope flew out of Birmingham airport at the end of his four-day UK tour. He was praised in a speech at the airport by David Cameron, who said the Pope had "offered a message to each and every one of us".

'Deeply compassionate'

The prime minister, whose father recently died, continued: "When you think of our country, think of it as one that not only cherishes faith, but one that is deeply, but quietly, compassionate.

"I see it in the incredible response to the floods in Pakistan.

"And in my own life, I have seen it in the many, many kind messages that I have had as I have cradled a new daughter and said goodbye to a wonderful father."

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI Arrives in UK

The leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, said the Holy Father's visit had been "better than he expected". He said people had been able to see Pope Benedict as he really was - "gentle, sensitive and eloquent". Archbishop Nichols said the Pope had been deeply encouraged and moved by his reception, and he would see the country in a new light.

On leaving, the Pope used his speech to pay tribute to Britain's multicultralism. He said: "I have been able to meet representatives of the many communities and cultures of British society. "The diversity of modern Britain is a challenge.

"But it also represents a great opportunity for the enrichment of the entire community." He made the comments after the start of his state visit was marred when one of his aides, Cardinal Walter Kasper, reportedly said arriving at Heathrow airport was like landing in a "Third World" country.

Earlier in the day crowds cheered in Birmingham after the beatification, was carried out. The Holy Father paid tribute to Cardinal Newman's insights into the vital place of "religion in civilised society".

In his homily, he also marked the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain by paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives resisting the "evil ideology" of the Nazi regime.

The German-born Pope, who was forced to join the Hitler Youth as a 14-year-old schoolboy, told worshippers: "For me as one who lived and suffered through the dark days of the Nazi regime in Germany, it is deeply moving to be here with you on this occasion, and to recall how many of your fellow citizens sacrificed their lives, courageously resisting the forces of that evil ideology."

And, paying tribute to Cardinal Newman, the pontiff said the beatification was an "auspicious" day.

"His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilised society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance to Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world," he said.

Rain fell steadily on the thousands of pilgrims at Cofton Park who gathered for the open Mass. Anglican convert Nina Watson, 52, from Streatham, south London said she had left home in the early hours to embark on a coach trip to Birmingham.

She said the Pope had been "wonderful and inspiring" during his UK visit. "He is so clear, and he talks about love and finding God. He has been absolutely wonderful," she said.

Frances McHugh, 67, a retired secretary from Shirley, Birmingham, and a parishioner at Our Lady of the Wayside Church described the pontiff as "a very holy man", adding that "it is lovely to see him in this country". "We have not had to go to see him in Rome, he has come to see us," she said.

During the trip, the Holy Father  has spoken out about what he called the "marginalisation" of Christianity and the march of "aggressive secularism".

Beatification explained

To be beatified - or made blessed, the penultimate step on the path to full sainthood - an individual's worthiness must be proven by the attribution of a miracle following a petition by someone in need.  Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Cameron told the Pope: "Faith is part of the fabric of our country.

"It always has been and it always will be." In his speech at the airport, Mr Cameron said people did not have to share a faith to see the value of the "searching questions" that the Pope had posed about "society and how we treat ourselves and each other".

"You have really challenged the whole country to sit up and think, and that can only be a good thing," he said.

"Because I believe we can all share in your message of working for the common good... and that we all have a social obligation to each other, to our families and our communities."