Cardiff
10.15am, Wednesday, 2 June 1982
Having spent a day-and-a-half north of the border on the Scottish leg of his Pastoral Visit, Pope John Paul II flew south to Cardiff to conclude his time in Britain in Wales.
On arrival, having given the customary kiss to the Welsh tarmac, he was met by Archbishop John Murphy of Cardiff and continued to Pontcanna Fields to celebrate Mass and First Holy Communions.
In his homily, a small part of which he delivered in Welsh, Pope John Paul said:
"Today the Bishop of Rome greets the people of Wales for the first time in their own beautiful land. It is a great joy for me to be with you here in Cardiff."
"I would like to speak to these little ones who are about to receive Holy Communion for the first time. Dear children: Jesus is coming to you in a new way today, in a special way. He wants to live in you. He wants to speak to you in your heart. He wants to be with you all through your day."
But even before the people of Wales had heard the Pope speak, they’d been on tenterhooks for an hour-and-a-half waiting for him to arrive.
Celtic musician and songwriter Frank Hennessy had been given a tricky task in the lead up to the Mass. He was asked to come up with a welcome song for the Pope – something the tens of thousands in Pontcanna Fields could sing along to.
Now a presenter on BBC Radio Wales, Frank recalls the experience:
“On the day, as far as the eye could see was just a sea of faces and it was a glorious morning. The place looked magnificent. We were on a platform 17ft high and we still had a couple of hours to go – in half-an-hour they all knew the song.”
“As we got the signal that the Holy Father was in his Popemobile and any moment now would be going over the bridge, once we got that signal we would start. My heart was in my mouth. We got the signal, we struck up, and everybody was fantastic – we just soared, the music just took off and we kept singing [the song] over and over again until the Holy Father had arrived and settled. He addressed the congregation and Mass was begun, it was just a great moment.”
Click here to listen to Frank Hennessy on the Mass at Pontcanna Fields
Click here for the full uninterrupted version of The Hennessys: Welcome John Paul
National Youth Rally at Ninian Park, Cardiff
After lunch and a short rest at Cardiff Castle, Pope John Paul left by motorcade for Ninian Park in Cardiff where he addressed a National Youth Rally of more than 35,000 young people from all twenty-one dioceses of England and Wales.
During his address, the Pope said: "As my visit to Britain draws to an end, I am happy that this last meeting is with you, the youth of England and Wales, you who are the hope of tomorrow. Before I go away, there is something really important that I wish to emphasise.
"There is something very closely linked to the sacraments that I have celebrated, something that is very much a part of the Gospel message, something that is essential to your Christian lives. It is prayer."
"Through prayer you will possess Christ and be able to communicate him to others. And this is the greatest contribution you can make in your lives: to communicate Christ to the world. It is my hope today, as I return to Rome, that you will remember why I came among you. And as long as the memory of this visit lasts, may it be recorded that I, John Paul II, came to Britain to call you to Christ, to invite you to pray!"
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