Published Date: February 9, 2010

Tags: Catholics

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WHEN Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Great Britain later this year, he will be greeted by lords and ladies and dignitaries of all kind, including Queen Elizabeth II and the British prime minister.

There was a time, though, in 16th-century England, when a priest arriving from Rome had to disguise himself and sneak onto the island. If he was caught he faced certain death.

The era of English priest-martyrs is prominently featured at Rome’s Venerable English College in an exhibit called, “‘Non Angli sed Angeli’: A Pilgrimage, A Mission.” The title refers to a quip legend says was made by Pope Gregory the Great, “They are not Anglos, but angels,” when he first saw fair-haired English slaves in the marketplace of Rome and began sending missionaries to the British Isles in the 6th century.

The exhibit tells the history of England’s religious relationship with Rome and the role played by the English College, which, opened as a pilgrims’ hostel around 1300. It is the oldest British institution outside of Britain.

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