CARDINAL GODFREY will make an official visit to Liverpool, his native city, next month the first since he received the Red Hat. The occasion will be marked by a great demonstration of faith on the metropolitan cathedral site, the scene of so many historic demonstrations in the past.
Not since 1920, when Cardinal Boerne attended the Catholic Congress in Liverpool, has a Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster made a formal visit to the city. Apart from Cardinal Griffin's attendance at the obsequies of Archbishop Downey, no Cardinal Prince of the Church has appeared publicly on Merseyside since 1933.
In that year arrangements had been made for Cardinal Bourne to preside at the Cathedral stone-laying as Papal Legate, but he was prevented at the last minute by illness and Cardinal MacRory of Armagh took his place.
Plans were well in hand for a formal visit from Cardinal Belsky early in 1939 when Pope Pius XI died and the Conclave intervened and caused the arrangements to be cancelled.
In 1949 Cardinal Griffin was to have made a three day sojourn in the archdiocese, including a visit to the Isle of Man where no Cardinal has been for 1,000 years, hut he collapsed shortly before it and all plans were cancelled.