Pope's Coventry Mass 'goes ahead'

The Pope's planned papal visit to Coventry is going ahead as planned, the Archdiocese of Birmingham has stressed.

Some reports had suggested that an open-air Mass at the city's airport may be scrapped and a smaller event be held near Birmingham instead.

But an archdiocese spokesman said that is not the case.

Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Coventry airport for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a convert to Catholicism.

Peter Jennings, the archdiocese spokesman, said: "The facts are that the papal visit to Coventry will go ahead on Sunday 19 September as planned."

The mass is expected to start at 1000 BST and last for two hours.

"During that time Pope Benedict XVI will beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman," he added.

The Pope is visiting the country between 16 to 19 September, in what will be the first papal visit to the UK since that of John Paul II in 1982.