The Pope has died and it is right to be upholding our Catholic brothers and sisters in our prayers at what will be both an odd time of grief for them, but also one of expectation and excitement as they start to look ahead to what next and who next.

I have been incredibly surprised by the reaction that there has been in the media. The coverage has been massive with the BBC’s main reporters being sent to the Vatican and nearly the whole news program on Friday, Saturday and Sunday devoted to updates.

This situation is the exact opposite of the situation in Dan Brown’s ‘Angels and Demons’ which was, quite frankly, the situation I would have expected. One where we see unknown reporters reporting at the end of programs to a world public genuinley uninterested.

What does this great interest say to us? I think it confirms what many have been saying. People are interested in spirituality. People want to know about God. People feel they are not good enough to believe themselves, but they have great admiration for those that can believe.

It says to me that all is not lost. Although the church is in decline, although 60% of people will not enter a church building for worship, although our world is full of technology and noise – people still see there is a spiritual dimension to life that they wish they could buy in to.

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to show God where he is and share the secret with people that they do not have to be good enough, that is the whole point!

This message will now self destruct in …..